Normandy combines World War II memorials with pastoral landscapes of orchards, dairies, horse farms and seaside villages along the English Channel. Caen and Deauville serve as practical bases: Caen offers a renovated medieval castle, a top World War II museum and contemporary public art for its 1,000th birthday; Deauville delivers a 19th-century leisure atmosphere, an annual American film festival and a famed boardwalk. Nearby highlights include Etretat's cliffs and Rouen's cathedral. Regional markets and restaurants showcase local oysters, cheeses, beef and an evolving food-and-drink scene across cafes, bars and market stalls.
Spending a night each in the towns of Caen and Deauville offers the full Normandy immersion and is a fine precursor to other regional highlights, like the high cliffs of Etretat and the grand cathedral of Rouen. To celebrate its 1,000th birthday, the university town of Caen, home to France's finest World War II museum, has renovated its medieval castle (built by William the Conqueror) and organized events and public installations from Olafur Eliasson and other contemporary artists.
Around 40 miles away, beachfront Deauville a purpose-built, 19th-century leisure haven hosts the annual Deauville American Film Festival in early September. Deauville's boardwalk, Les Planches, is perfect for seaside strolling. The Sunday market in the town of Trouville-sur-Mer, next to Deauville, sells regional produce and crafts, like De L'O a la Lumiere's lamps made from coastal detritus and Madame Henry's vintage tourism prints.
Magma, in Caen, serves an ever-changing Normandy-centered menu in an arty, contemporary space. Caen's L'Hydropathe bar stocks French wines and whiskeys, while Boumbap features minimalist-cool decor and Normandy beers. Also in Caen, Arbuste serves banana bread and coffees from a global array of beans roasted on site. Augia, a rustic-chic new Caen restaurant, serves a wallet-friendly three-course lunch. Along Deauville's beach boardwalk, Bar de la Mer provides drinks and sea views.
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