New post on the second leg of my cycling trip during which we crossed 3 departments of Normandy: the Manche (which I already told you about here), Calvados, and Seine-Maritime. Today I am sharing our time in Calvados (where Cabourg is also located, which I visited a few years ago) along with a selection of great addresses and things to do in the department.
This department, with its 120 kilometers of coastline, is rich in culinary delights (which I discussed in more detail in my article on the Cambremer AOP and AOC festival) and local specialties: the PDO cheeses of the region (Camembert, Pont-l’Évêque, Livarot), Isigny cream, cider and Calvados producers from the Pays d’Auge, scallops, oysters… By the way, for those interested, I’ll take this opportunity to mention that it is the department that gave its name to the cider brandy (Calvados) in the 19th century and not the other way around as one might think… A piece of information I found quite funny and really wanted to share with you.
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Table of Contents
Our journey with La Petite Reine in Normandy
Once again, as with our time in the Manche, we took advantage of the fact that this department is well-equipped with greenways to do a small part of the new cycling loop connecting Bayeux to Arromanches and Longues-sur-Mer, which is 24 km long and opened in September 2017. Still using our electric bikes, it was very practical on certain hills, especially to reach the top of Arromanches to go to the Arromanches 360 building.
We tested the cycling tour between Longues-sur-Mer and Arromanches to overlook its artificial harbor, which was one of the winning assets of the Allied landings in Normandy.
La Petite Reine Normandy Rates: 1/2 day Bayeux-Arromanches €75 per person (includes bike rental, helmets, and a light snack) / €115 per person for the full day
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Eating scallops at Port-en-Bessin
This pretty little port town with its ballet of scallop fishing boats is the perfect place for a gourmet break. Indeed, I didn’t know this, but scallops are mostly caught off the coast of Normandy, and 10,000 to 15,000 tons of scallops are landed every year in Normandy ports, particularly in Port-en-Bessin. To enjoy all of this, I recommend you have lunch at the seafood boat-bar Pays du Bessin.
Bateau-bar Pays du Bessin
Quai Félix Faure, 14520 Port-en-Bessin-Huppain
Rates: Scallop menu with oysters as a starter + dessert at €28_
Discovering Bayeux
This superb medieval city at the gates of the D-Day beaches would have deserved for me to stop longer (especially to see the Bayeux Tapestry, my big regret), but that will be for another time. I still offer some small things to see, do, and two good addresses in this city with undeniable charm.
Visiting the British Military Cemetery
Smaller than the American one (which I tell you about a little further down), this cemetery still houses 4,144 graves of Commonwealth soldiers from the Second World War.
British Military Cemetery 14400 Bayeux Free access all year round
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Visiting the Cathedral of Bayeux
This jewel of medieval Norman architecture is worth the detour to admire its elevation both outside and inside.
Bayeux Cathedral Free visit during opening hours between 8:30 AM and 7 PM
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Where to eat? Au Ptit Bistrot
This small restaurant listed in the 2018 Bib Gourmand guide is a great address for dinner in Bayeux.
To taste: cod mousseline and pepper with wild garlic condiment; roasted veal chuck with butter with mushrooms, Anna potatoes, and candied shallots; orange mille-feuille, praline, and cinnamon caramel.
Au Ptit Bistrot 31, rue Larcher 14400 Bayeux
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Where to sleep in Bayeux? Hôtel de la Reine Mathilde
This 2-star hotel (which is easily worth 4) is one of my favorites in Bayeux! It is an address that I highly recommend if you want to spend the night in Bayeux.
Hôtel de la Reine Mathilde 23 Rue Larcher, 14400 Bayeux Rate for my prestige Maison de Mathilde room: from €150
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Sea kayaking on Omaha Beach
At first, we were planning to go land sailing (which would have been fun since I’ve never done it), but due to lack of wind, we fell back on sea kayaking (an activity I had also practiced in Brittany). What’s cool is that this little outing at sea was an opportunity to paddle to certain vestiges of the Second World War that remain underwater and are therefore not visible otherwise.
Eolia Normandy Omaha Beach Nature Center Lieu dit Le Cavey 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer Information about the sea kayak outing: equipment is provided on-site (shorty wetsuit, life jacket) / €35 for a 1h30 supervised session (min 4 people)
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Visiting the Normandy American Military Cemetery
This 70-hectare cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach and gathers the graves of 9,386 American soldiers who died during the Battle of Normandy. Strangely, despite the idea one might have of it, I found that it is a place that gives off a lot of calm and serenity. I really advise you not to skip this visit, even if you are not passionate about the Second World War, I think this place leaves no one indifferent…
Normandy American Military Cemetery Omaha Beach 14170 Colleville-sur-Mer Free and open access all year round
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Arromanches-les-Bains
Arromanches is best known for being the town where the famous D-Day artificial harbor was built, which allowed the landings and, above all, to take back Normandy from the Germans. Once again, just as I told you in my article on the Manche, Calvados is also a department that keeps a very important physical and psychic trace of this episode of the Second World War.
Visiting the German batteries of Longues-sur-Mer
This major work of the Atlantic Wall (German coastal defense battery during the occupation) at the top of a cliff overlooking the English Channel played a strategic role during the landing of Allied forces on June 6, 1944.
Battery Site Longues-sur-Mer Free access all year round
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Visiting Arromanches 360
This place presents, via a formidable 19-minute film made of archival images and projected on 9 screens, the 100 days of the liberation of Normandy through a gripping experience that I recommend you live! Coming out of the film, you will have a magnificent view of the sea and what remains of the D-Day artificial harbor and a very complete shop and bookstore to bring back souvenirs or learn more about the Landings.
Arromanches 360 Chemin du Calvaire 14117 Arromanches-les-bains Rates: €6 adults / €5.50 children / free for veterans show every 30 min
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Thanks to Calvados Attractivité, to Bayeux Bessin Tourism and to Pascal from the aiRPur Agency for this welcome and to all my fellow bloggers with whom I had a lot of fun, Hello It’s Valentine, Tour Du Monde, Culturez-vous and Prépare Ta Valise (thanks to Nicolas and Valentine for their beautiful photos of me).
I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover Calvados and Normandy, and if you also have your own favorite addresses and advice for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Find all my articles on the Normandy region below:
⇒ All my articles on Normandy
MY ARTICLES ON THE DEPARTMENTS OF NORMANDY
⇒ Orne
⇒ Seine-Maritime
⇒ Eure
⇒ Calvados
⇒ Manche
Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan, Nicolas Daumas, Pascal Margueron and Valentine Photos not copyright-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
