Normandy offers plenty of charming places to unwind and refuel, including some frequented by Impressionists…
RESTAURANTS & CAFES
Restaurant Baudy
L’Ancien Hôtel Baudy was the famous hostelry for French and American artists as they began to congregate in Giverny in 1886, Today, it is a restaurant with historic charm and an attractive shaded terrace for eating en plein air.
Hotel_Baudy__Giverny_-_Gaetan_Duchateau
Les Impressionistes
This gourmet restaurant at La Ferme Saint-Simon offers a unique experience: dining in the same rooms with the same view over the Seine estuary as Boudin, Monet and other Impressionists. There’s a private art collection on the restaurant’s wood-panelled walls.. The gastronomic menu, using local produce from Calvados, including the hotel’s potager, is sublime.
La Couronne
Reputedly the oldest inn in France, dating to 1345, this cosy dining room in Rouen offers a seasonal lunchtime Normandy Delights menu and a Saveurs Impressionistes evening menu.
Les Fauves
Accessed within MuMa and with a view over the port of Le Havre, enjoy a midday prix fixe menu of bistro dishes using local produce.
ACCOMMODATION
La Ferme Saint-Siméon
This is the birthplace of Impressionism, where Monet, Boudin et al stayed often. Now a five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel, it has rooms and suites in the original Normandy farmhouse and the former pressoir. Enjoy cocktails by the fire in winter or on the terrace overlooking the Seine in summer. Book the private spa in a former artist studio (or steam in your private hammam) and spend time enjoying the permanent art exhibition in the gardens.
Château de Sissi
The former summer residence of Empress Elizabeth (Sissi) of Austria is now a boutique hotel providing a convenient and comfortable base on the Côte d’Albâtre. The 18th-century château sits within 11 hectares of park and woodland with 26 period-furnished rooms.
www.chateaudesissi.com/en/normandy-hotel
Le Landemer
Accessed within MuMa and with a view over the port of Le Havre, enjoy a midday prix fixe menu of bistro dishes using local produce. lesfauves.fr
Nine contemporary rooms offer fabulous sea views and sunsets on the Cotentin Peninsula, 10km west of Cherbourg. The hotel, which overlooks the sandy beach of Urville-Nacqueville, is directly on the Sentier des Douaniers de La Hague.
Hotel_le_Landemer_-_Refuse-to-Hibernate
Le Normandy
This grand five-star hotel in Deauville is a popular choice with families as it offers a pool, gym, gaming room and kids’ clubs. It’s directly opposite the beach, tennis courts and Olympic pool.
www.hotelsbarriere.com/en/deauville/le-normandy
Le Moulin de Connelles
This charming hotel between Poses and Vernon sits on the water’s edge on a private island in the River Seine. Unwind at the half-timbered manor house set within three hectares of wooded park, or enjoy hiking, boating or electric bike rental. Private river boat cruises can also be arranged.
NORMANDY ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
BY TRAIN
Paris-Saint Lazare to Rouen (1h 30 m direct), Caen (2h direct) or Cherbourg (3h direct).
BY AIR
Direct flights from various UK airports to Paris, then take the train to Normandy.
BY CAR
Brittany Ferries operates from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, Caen-Ouistreham and Le Havre, plus Poole to Cherbourg using day and overnight services on board cruise ferries. Caroline travelled from the UK to Cherbourg, returning through Caen-Ouistreham.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Normandy Tourism en.normandie-tourisme.fr
From France Today Magazine
Lead photo credit : Chateau_de_Sissi__Sassetot-le-Mauconduit_-_Thomas_Le_Floc_H
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