Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Golf, Omaha Beach
Right
Bungee jumping, Souleuvre Viaduct
Outdoor Activities
Golf
Golfers are spoilt for choice
in Normandy, which has 37
courses - 23 of them with 18
holes or more. Notable ones
include Golf d'Étretat, situated on
the clifftop above the famous
Falaise d'Aval
(see p78)
, and Golf
de Saint-Saëns, with beautiful
views over the Forêt d'Eawy
(see
p66)
. Deauville has no less than
three top courses, and there are
fine 27-hole courses at Omaha
Beach and Granville.
marked trails at various levels of
difficulty (maps available from
Mortagne-au-Perche and Domfront
tourist offices). The terrain is also
suitable in the Suisse Normande
and at Amayé-sur-l'Orne.
Walking and Rambling
Normandy is wonderful
walking country. Official footpaths
(marked by red-and-white posts)
criss-cross the region, while the
National Hiking Trails (Grandes
Randonnées, or GR) provide
spectacular long-distance routes.
These include the GR23 (Seine
and Forêt de Brotonne), GR223
(Cotentin Peninsula coast), and
GR221 (Suisse Normande).
Cycling
Cycling is the best way to
take in the glorious Norman
countryside. Each
département
has marked cycle routes, with
accompanying booklets available
from tourist offices. In Manche,
old railway lines and towpaths
are being turned into cycle paths.
The forests of Lyons and Brotonne
and the Eure and Seine Valleys
are all excellent cycling areas.
Bungee Jumping
At the now defunct Souleuvre
railway viaduct (built in 1889 by
Gustave Eiffel), apparently sane
people choose to dive toward
the ground secured only by an
elastic rope around the ankles,
or scoot across the valley at 60
mph (100 kph) in a harness
suspended from a cable.
d
Map C4
•
AJ Hackett Bungy: 02 31 66 31 66
Mountain Biking
The Perche is particularly
suited to mountain biking, with
Horse Riding
Normandy has many
equestrian centres - espe-
cially in the Orne, where,
for example, Le Village du
Cheval in St-Michel-des-
Andaines offers a wide
variety of horsey activities.
You can take a full-blown
trekking holiday or just a
few hours' ride
(see p117)
.
Horse riding, Village du Cheval, St-Michel-des-Andaines
There are cycle-hire outlets across Normandy, and free
transport for bicycles on trains.
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