Medieval Normandy

Discover Mont Saint Michel and its abbey, one of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. 1300 years of history await.

Mont Saint Michel tour is best when start early, and it is usually a 6 hour tour.

Time permits, we may have the possibility to add another site to this tour upon request, among the options we offer :

• - the Bayeux Tapestry (entrance fee extra)
• - the Cornille Havard bell foundry in Villedieu les Poeles, the new bells of Notre Dame in Paris were made here. (entrance fee extra)
• - the Saint James Brittany American Cemetery (no extra cost)
• - the French sailor pull SAINT JAMES knitting worskhop (entrance fee extra)

Some of these options may not be available every day.

This tour is about Normandy's most famous Duke, William the Bastard, who became the Conquerant.

Falaise Castle : William's birthplace, built by the first Dukes of Normandy, it was enlarged after the conquest of England in 1066. In the 12th century, William’s descendants built two squarekeeps using the foundations of the original castle.
These buildings show the Dukes of Normandy at the height of their powers. They are most sophisticated of the Royal Dukes’ palace/keeps and best preserved of their fortresses in France..

Château de Caen : The castle was constructed on a hillock and is now in the middle of the city. With an area of 5.5 hectares, it is one of the largest castles in Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman strategy and policy. The castle was built c. 1060 by William the Conqueror. His son Henry I then built the Saint George's church, a keep (1123) and a large hall for the ducal Court.

Lady's Abbey : Founded around 1060 by Mathilda, wife of William the Conqueror, this abbey for Benedictine nuns enjoyed great renown from the 11th century to the French Revolution. Mathilda is buried in the Abbey Church.

Men's Abbey : Founded in 1063 by William the Conqueror, the Benedictine abbey of Saint Etienne (Saint Stephen) in Caen was consecrated in 1077. William the Conqueror is laid to rest in the abbey church.

Bayeux Tapestry : The Bayeux Tapestry tells the epic story, in wool thread embroidered on linen cloth, of William, Duke of Normandy who became King of England in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings.

In your best interest, the order of the sites may vary. The sites remain the same.

As we propose a tour of Rouen, we offer two options for the second part of the day, either Jumièges Abbey, or Château Gaillard Castle.

Rouen : Capital of Normandy, and the birthplace of the region when the city and the area around it where given to the Viking Rollo in 911. Rouen is most famous for being the city where Joan of Arc was tried and executed. Throughout history, the city has been well documented for having a fabulous art scene, something which is still true to this day. During the 20th-century, the likes of Claude Monet, as well as many others, ventured to the city and were even inspired to paint the town. Today, the city has the most classified buildings of any city in France. Attractions such as the cathedral, the parliament buildings, and the Grand Horloge are all protected under French law.

For the second visit of the day:

Château Gaillard : Château-Gaillard was constructed by Richard the Lionheart in record time on the high chalk cliffs dominating a great meander in the River Seine. He had the castle built to protect his Norman possessions, and its capital, Rouen. It took just two years, 1196-1198, some say possibly in only one.

 or

Jumièges Abbey : It was founded on a gift of forested land by the Merovingian King Clovis II in the year 654 to Saint Philibert. The ruins of Jumièges Abbey impress by their scale and by their setting in a beautiful meander of the River Seine. In the abbey’s heyday, few religious establishments in France were more renowned, more powerful, or more charitable.

In your best interest, the order of the sites may vary. The sites remain the same.

- Ornavik Park whisks you back to the 10th century and introduces you to Normandy's roots... from the Vikings to the Normans! Dive into the Middle Ages and visit the Carolingian village and Viking trading post to find out more about how these 10th century communities lived.

- Château de Caen : The castle was constructed on a hillock and is now in the middle of the city. With an area of 5.5 hectares, it is one of the largest castles in Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman strategy and policy.

Today, the castle serves as a museum.The keep, now razed, had a large square section with round towers at each corner. As the castle, it was also surrounded by a moat. The dry moat still provides a circuit for walkers.

The top of the ramparts offers a splendid view of Caen. Some parts of the curtain walls were built during the 12th century, but most of them date from the 15th century.

- The Bayeux Tapestry : from Vikings to Kings, an extraordinary milestone depicted in the tapestry, the battle of Hastings.