Normandy

The Normandy Region

 

map-normandy
Click on the image to access the full tourist map of Normandy published by the Regional Committee of Tourism.

A few figures:

  • 5 % of the area of France (29 906 km²)
  • 5 % of the French population (more than 3 million of inhabitants)
  • 111 people per square kilometre (compared with 952 in Guernsey and 738 in Jersey)
  • 1 administrative region: Normandy
  • 5 departments (County councils) : Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne and Seine-Maritime
  • 3 major urban axes:
    • Rouen: 390 000 inhabitants, inland port between Paris and Manche
    • Le Havre: 248 000 inhabitants
    • Caen: 199 000 inhabitants.

 

The geography: characteristics of its « countries »

Normandy is divided into 2 “areas”: “Inlands regions” and “Coastal regions“

Coastal regions:

The Alabaster Coast, the Floral Coast, the Mother of pearl and Bessin coasts (landing beaches) and Cotentin.

Inlands regions :

Pays de Caux, Pays de Bray, Vexin Normand, Pays d’Ouche, Seine Valley.
Cotentin, Orne’s forests, Perche, Pays d’Argentan, Bocage Virois, Swiss Normandy, Pays d’Auge.

 

A brief history

We list here just a few of the most important dates in the history of the region:

  • 820: First Norman raid on the Manche coast
  • 911: Rollon, first duke of Normandy
  • From 10th to 12th century: Normandy became practically independent of the kingdom of France
  • 1027: Birth at Falaise of William the Conqueror
  • 1066: Battle of Hastings. Conquest of England. William becomes King of England..
  • 1087: Death of William the conqueror
  • 1204: Normandy is reunified with the Crown of France
  • 1417/1450: Normandy is occupied by the English
  • 1450: Normandy is recovered after the victory of Formigny and capture of Cherbourg
  • 1469: Charles of France, last duke of Normandy, is stripped of his dukedom.
  • 1795-1800: Normandy uprising.
  • June 6th 1944: Allied forces land on the coast of Calvados and Manche

 

Tourist Information Contacts

Regional Tourism Board

Comité Régional du Tourisme
14 rue Charles Corbeau, 27000 Evreux
info@normandie-tourisme.fr

Counties Tourism Boards

Calvados Attractivité
8, rue Renoir – 14054 CAEN
Tel. : 0033 (0)2 31 27 90 30
tourisme@calvados.fr

 

Agence de Développement Touristique de l’Eure
3 bis rue de Verdun F – 27000 EVREUX
Tel. : 0033 (0)2 32 62 04 27
info@eure-tourisme.fr

Latitude Manche, Agence d’Attractivité
Maison du Département – 98 Route de Candol – 50000 Saint-Lô
Tel. : 0033 (0)2 33 05 98 70
manchetourisme@manche.fr

TOURISME 61, Conseil Départemental de l’Orne
27 Boulevard de Strasbourg – CS 30528 – 61017 Alençon Cédex
Tel. : 00 33 (0)2 33 28 88 71
tourisme61@orne.fr

 

Seine-Maritime Attractivité
28 rue Raymond Aron – B.P.52 76824 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex
Tel. : 00 33 (0)2 35 12 10 10
contact@sma76.fr

Tourist Offices

List of all Norman Tourist offices

 

Administration contacts