Holiday rentals and lettings in Upper Normandy

Are you planning your next trip to France? Upper Normandy is home to amazing towns to spend a fabulous weekend in an idyllic setting or a longer and well-deserved break. Start your holidays in Rouen, the capital. Enjoy the beguiling village of Étrat, where Monet painted some of his pieces and the sea breeze will wake you up in the morning. Spend your time in the colourful lanes of Honfleur or Giverny, discover the charm of Saint-Cénéri-le-Gerer by the River Sarthe or have a nice week at Les Andelys, where Richard the Lionheart’s fortress still stands. The fishing village of Trouville is ideal for sea and oyster lovers!

A perfect weekend getaway or a family trip to Upper Normandy in a pretty village with half-timbered houses, honey-stoned buildings and traditional stone tile roofs. Embrace the flower-filled villages that will accommodate you amongst its narrow and cobbled lanes, cosy holiday rentals along the Seine and the beautiful backdrop of the apple orchards and the rugged, rainy coastline with impressive cliffs. Have a wonderful stay in a warm lounge by the fireplace or enjoy lovely summer nights dining al fresco with friends. Look for the best holiday rental that better suits your needs. Book it now!

A bucolic allure invades you as you drive along some of the winding roads of Upper Normandy, where villages reveal one after the other. The area is within easy reach from Paris and the scenic landscapes draw the tourists and even artists who flock here to capture the incredible scenery on their canvas like Monet did. Rouen, the capital, is home to Notre-Dame cathedral and the modern church of St. Joan of Arc and in Giverny you will find the Fondation Claude Monet. Admire the famous Aval alabaster-white cliff of Étretat and its amazing arch and hike to the top to get mesmerising views of the village.

The scenic routes you can take will bring you to charming little villages full of traditions and flavours. A journey around Upper Normandy is the perfect chance to discover the varied and traditional flavours of its cuisine. The area is renowned for its marmite dieppoise or the rabbit in cider. Meat lovers are going to love duckling à la Rouennaise and tripe à la mode. Try some chicken or the omelette vallée d’Auge and treat yourself with a sweet mirliton de Rouen. Each village in the Upper Normandy will take you to a different flavour dimension. And for an upmarket experience, you can try the recipes by any of the 38 Michelin-starred chefs of the region! Enjoy it!

The birthplace of Camembert and home to the manufacturing secrets and the flavours of delicious French cheeses, Normandy is home to some of the tastiest “Little Angels” as they were known in the Middle Ages. Camembert, Livarot, Pont-l'évêque and Neufchâtel are 4 cheeses with the AOC label but they are also the names of villages. Venture along the cheese route in Normandy and go for some cheese tasting and indulge in fragrant and delicious bites at a cheese dairy. There are more than 600 dairies in Normandy so you will have plenty of choices but here are some ideas to narrow the list down a bit. Try Fromage Durand, Ferme du Champ Secret, Réo Fromagerie du Val d’Ay or Ferme Lévêque and raise your taste buds!

Normandy was a strategic point during WWII. Now you can visit some of these historical sites during your stay in Normandy. Visit the Normandy American Cemetery or the rocky headland of Pointe du Hoc where Germans placed bunkers and artillery. Omaha Beach has a defensive position and the Germans used it for their machine guns. The Normandy Beaches commemorate the D-Day Landings with monuments, museums and war graves. Besides Omaha Beach you can also visit Juno Beach, Utah Beach, Gold Beach and Sword Beach.

Visit the Giverny Museum of Impressionism with great collections and exhibits. Stroll around the two parts of Giverny Monet’s Gardens (Les Jardins de Monet) and admire the front garden Clos Normand, and the Japanese inspired water garden across the road, the water lilies that the impressionist artist painted and the beautiful green bridge. See Monet’s pink house. Around early September you can enjoy an explosion of colours when all the flowers are in bloom. A magic place to go!

Standing out from a thousand, the silhouette of UNESCO-listed Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the most recognisable icons on the northern French coast. This magical island is home to a lofty medieval monastery that has defied the strongest tides in Europe. Tourists from all over the world flock to enjoy the views of the impressive abbey. Get lost in the winding alleys and take the tiny steps between the two walls, enjoy the sweets of Mère Poulard as you take in the views. Visit the Musée de la Mer et de l’Écologie with its boat models, the Musée Historique with a collection of ancient weapons and charting 1,000 years of history and finally, Logis Tiphaine, the former home of Bertrand du Guesclin.

The chalk cliffs of Étretat are a picture-perfect landscape with its natural arches and L’Aiguille (The Needle) rising above 230 ft (70 m) above the Atlantic Ocean. Étretat is the perfect day out for the family visiting this beautiful coastal resort on the English Channel and enjoying the shingle beach and the views of the three arches that were formed by an underground river. Two of the arches can be easily seen from the beach and the boardwalk, the Falaise Aval and Aiguille. Enjoy some time in town and see the half-timbered houses, have a nice meal, shop at the covered market, visit the Église Notre Dame or the Romanesque church and go on a velo-rail excursion, a tourist bicycle-train.

Rouen is the northern capital of Normandy. Claude Monet used to paint the cobblestoned lanes and its medieval half-timbered houses. The cathedral takes the skyline of this pretty city but there is a plentiful amount of religious buildings that give credit to its nickname “City of a hundred steeples”. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts or the Le Secq des Tournelles Museum, go shopping, wander the streets, stroll along the many gardens in and around the city and enjoy a glass of wine as you dine in a fine restaurant.

The small town of Honfleur is a pretty port on the Seine estuary with colourful houses along the quays, art galleries and many restaurants. The heart of the port is the Vieux Bassin, a picturesque setting that has attracted artists such as Monet and Boudin. Go to the public gardens, explore the estuary and the beach, the chapel of Notre Dame de Grâce or go on a boat trip to enjoy the panoramic breathtaking views.