NORMAN NATURE AS YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT THROUGH SLOW TOURISM!
TOUR N°1:
NORMAN SWITZERLAND TOUR
Gain altitude and a breath of fresh air on foot or by bike with the Suisse Normande which will amaze you with its multiple landscapes and viewpoints!
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1 week, 60 kilometres, departure from Le Hom:
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Step 1: The Hom: crossed by the 2nd largest river in the Orne region, the village offers valleys and woodwork to explore by canoe, horseback, bicycle or on foot. Its exceptional nature is part of the Sensitive Natural Spaces
Stage 2: Clécy: also crossed by the Orne, the capital of Suisse Normande, Village of Character in 2018 and listed Natura 2000 in 2010 will surprise you with its rich natural heritage: the Rochers de la Cambronnerie, the Orne Valleys, its ancient Battle aqueduct, etc. You can practice hiking, sledding, paragliding, kayaking, horse riding and cycling with a 40 km greenway to Ouistreham.
Stage 3: Pont-D'Ouilly: also crossed by the Orne and the 630-kilometre Vélo Francette route linking Ouistreham to La Rochelle, the village offers an open-air resort which is the benchmark for nautical resorts in the Suisse Normande. You can practice paddle, kayak, hike, bike and tree climbing.
Step 4: Saint Philibert sur Orne: climb the Roche d'O ëtre which culminates at 118 meters in altitude offering a breathtaking panorama of the gorges of the Rouvre. You can practice climbing, hiking, cycling, horseback riding and tree climbing.
Stage 5: Putanges-le-Lac: the Orne crosses the village and since 1959 there has been a feat of landscaping: the 6 km long artificial lake of Rabodanges which is still used to produce electricity today. Explore the gorges of Saint-Aubert with its winding paths, crossing points of the GR36, the area is classified as a Natural Area of European Faunistic and Floristic Interest with the protection of the otter. You have the option of following the Chemin Gaston Lefavrais, a portrait painter who lived and died in the village. He had fun painting the magnificent landscapes offered by Putanges.
Step 6: Athis-Val-De-Rouvre: this group of municipalities offers a wide range of natural sites to see: the Vère Valley, made up of valleys and meadows, the pond of the Queue d'Aronde and the Chêne Muet which bears this name because according to legend a child deaf took refuge there so as not to be killed because its trunk is hollow. It is 20 meters high and between 300 to 500 years old. You can go cycling and hiking here.
Stage 7: Condé-En-Normandie: crossed by the Druance river, the village offers landscapes between meadows and valleys where you can picnic, cycle and enjoy lovely hikes.
Stage 8: Pontécoulant: discover the Cresme valley which is a tributary of the Druance from the castle. You can stroll through the gardens, cycle and hike through this idyllic setting.
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You can make your own green course using the attached map in PDF:
TOUR N°2 :
GR21 TOUR
Try the GR21 path approved since 1977 which leaves from Le Havre to Tréport and which will take you along the Alabaster Coast and the Channel through incredible natural sites.
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1 week or even 2 weeks, 179 kilometres, departure from Le Havre:
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Step 1: Port of Le Havre.
Stage 2: Etretat cliffs.
Step 3: Saint-Pierre-en-Port: this small fishing village attracted thalassotherapy bathers in the 20th century. It currently attracts many tourists for its charming coasts.
Stage 4: Saint-Valéry-en-Caux: the town offers both pebble beaches and large chalk cliffs. You can swim in complete safety since the quality of the water is checked every year.
Stage 5: Port of Dieppe.
Stage 6: Criel-sur-Mer: landlocked by the Yères valley and its viaduct and by Mont Joli Bois via its beaches, the most famous of which, Plage Mesnil-Val, the town is ideal for your hike to to have completely different points of view at each step.
Stage 7: Le Tréport: surrounded by the Bresle Valley, you will have a sublime view of the beaches and cliffs that make up the limit of the Côte d'Albâtre. With its famous port, the city offers an original marsh that you can visit, the Marais de Sainte-Croix built on a marsh that welcomes migratory birds.
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You can make your own GR21 with the tourist guide at 16.30€ on the official ffrandonnée website: seine-maritime.ffrandonnee.fr/html/4651/gr-21-littoral-de-la-normandie .
A word of advice: a hike like this requires physical and mental preparation beforehand!
TOUR N°3 :
VÉLOSCÉNIE TOUR
This route will make you discover the forgotten landscapes of the Normandy region with, on arrival, Mont Saint-Michel as a reward!
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1 to 2 weeks, 180 kilometres, departure from Mortagne-au-Perche:
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Stage 1: Mortagne-au-Perche: this village in the heart of the Perche Natural Park has hills, heather forests and bocages (cultivated fields) that are nice to discover.
Step 2: Alencon: the city classified by UNESCO for its lace and a Remarkable Heritage Site, this is the second most important stage of the circuit. Surrounded by forests, it also has a natural park La Fuie des Vignes which is a wild natural area.
Stage 3: Bagnoles-de-l'Orne: relax near its lake by taking a pedal boat break or in the Andaines forest to enjoy its exceptional setting.
Stage 4: Isigny-le-Buat: cycle through its groves to discover its dam built to renature the village.
Step 5: Mortain-le-Bocage: stop next to its waterfalls, groves and rocks to rest between two stages.
Step 6: Parigny: regain your strength by eating apples and cherries that litter the orchards of the town.
Stage 7: Domfront-en-Poiraie: the third most important stage of the route, Most Beautiful Detour of France, Ville Fleurie and Remarkable Heritage Site, this medieval town will amaze you with a surprising natural heritage: the Andaine forest where you you can pick blackberries, the Tertre (cliff) Sainte-Anne from where you can land before leaving, Mont Margantin which you can visit on foot, the marsh of Rouellé where many frogs migrate and the pottery ponds of Launay d 'where you can admire the extraction of clay used for pottery.
Stage 8: Mont Saint-Michel.
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Come and discover the original 450 kilometer route from Paris and create your own thanks to the official website: veloscenie.com/ .
A word of advice: for amateurs, you need great physical preparation.
TOUR N°4 :
EUROVELO 4 TOUR
Try out part of the 4000 kilometers of cycle path linking Roscoff (Brittany) to kyiv (Ukraine) or 1400 kilometers of Normandy coast and discover atypical villages.
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1 to 2 weeks, 127 kilometres, departure from Vire:
Stage 1: Vire: this group of municipalities offers a wide choice of landscapes, each more beautiful than the next: Mont Cerisy with its 105-hectare park filled with rhododendrons, the Lac de Gast dam, the national forest of Saint- Sever of 1500 hectares made up of oaks, firs and beeches, the 43-hectare Dathée lake which shelters an ornithological reserve of 86 species of birds, the waterfalls of Pont-ès-retours, the park of Condé-sur-Noireau of 10 hectares, the Gorges de Vire crossed by the Vire river etc.
Step 2: Bures-les-Monts: go deep into the bocage and discover its castle surrounded by a large pond.
Stage 3: Saint-Lô: the first major stage of the route, also crossed by the Vire, offers multiple public landscaping facilities to recharge your batteries: the public garden, the urban park of Boisjugan, the Vallon de la Dollée and the square du Val Saint -Jeans.
Stage 4: Carentan: the second major Norman stage reveals unsuspected landscapes: marshes. The Marais des Ponts d'Ouve is classified as a Sensitive Natural Area and Regional Natural Park criss-crossed by valleys, ditches, lakes and a bay.
Step 5: La-Haye-du-Puits: stop at the Sangsurière and Adriennerie National Nature Reserve. It is home to 230 species of rare plants thanks to its peat bog (wetland where moss accumulates to form vegetal soil) since it is located on a marsh. There are also a hundred species of birds recorded.
Stage 6: Bricquebec: third important stage classified as a City of Art and History offers a bucolic landscape with its hedges, meadows and forests. It is at the crossroads between the seaside resort Barneville-Carteret and Cherbourg.
Stage 7 Brix: relaxation stage in the Brix forest crossed by the Ouve river.
Step 8 : Port of Cherbourg.
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You can create your own route using the official website: francevelotourisme.com/itineraire/la-velomaritime-eurovelo-4
A word of advice: for amateurs, this circuit requires physical preparation.
TOUR N°5 :
GR223 TOUR
Try the GR223 which initially covers 446 kilometers from Isigny-sur-Mer to Mont Saint-Michel with 23 stages.
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1 to 2 weeks, 143.5 kilometers, departure from Hatainville:
Step 1: Hatainville: the beach is bordered by dunes but swimming is not supervised, be careful because the currents are dangerous.
Step 2: Port-Bail-sur-Mer: this stranding port is accessible by a channel (a natural or artificial access to a seaport).
Step 3: Saint-Germain-sur-Ay: this estuary haven allows you to take a picnic break near the sand dunes.
Stage 4: Pirou: come and soak your feet in the English Channel at low tide.
Stage 5: Agon-Coutainville: this seaside resort classified as a European Blue Flag and Green Station will amaze you with its beach and its tip of Agon which is a stretch of sand classified as a natural site since 1989 where its lighthouse is located.
Stage 6: Regnéville-sur-Mer: its largest fine sand haven in the Cotentin with its 8 km depth is classified as a remarkable European natural site and Natura 2000 . It is also a Natural Area of Floristic and Faunistic Ecological Interest with its 1800 hectares sheltering protected species of fauna and flora including migratory birds.
Stage 7: Sain-Martin-de-Bréhal: the fine sandy beach adjoining its 1.5 km promenade allows you to take a short swim break.
Step 8: Jullouville: this Blue Flag seaside resort offers fine sandy beaches near Mont Saint-Michel. In addition, it contains a Sensitive Natural Area, the Cent Vergées peat moor, where 150 plant species are protected, such as carnivorous plants and faunal species such as birds, bats and butterflies.
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You can make your own circuit using the website: manchetourisme.com/gr223 .
A word of advice: this hike requires mental and physical preparation.
TOUR N°6 :
VAL DE SAIRE TOUR
Discover the North of the Cotentin with a walk between land and sea.
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5 days, 30 kilometres, departure from Tourlaville:
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Step 1: Tourlaville: its beach is located next to Cherbourg.
Step 2: Fermanville: discover the Tocquebœuf marsh with an area of 23 hectares with its meadows and ditches sheltering rare species of migratory birds. Also enjoy its wild beaches but beware they are not supervised.
Step 3: Saint-Pierre-Eglise: located not far from the sea, the town is also close to bocages where you can take a break for photos of its granite houses.
Stage 4: Gatteville-le-Phare: take a good bowl of iodine near the dykes of the Val de Saire with its granite rocks, its lighthouse and its market gardens.
Stage 5: Barfleur: the Channel is omnipresent in one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The port was built around it. The city is home to a natural treasure due to the tides: the foreshore which is a set of rocks or pebble beaches sheltering a marine ecosystem. Discover its marshes, its ponds and its Regional Natural Park of Cotentin and Bessin, classified Natural Area of Faunistic and Floristic Ecological Interest welcoming migratory fish. Stroll also on its dunes, its moors and bocages.
Stage 6: Montfarville: this fragmented hamlet will surprise you with its many landscapes: groves, waterways, beaches.
Stage 7: Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue: the basin is known for its quality oysters as well as its fishing port which has become a renowned seaside resort thanks to its large pier. Attached to the city, the island of Tahitou will amaze you! Visit its garden of discoveries existing since 1992 grouping dunes, valleys, rocks and meadows and its maritime garden of 3 hectares in excavations since 1996 since vestiges are still found today. 3 hectares of plain were taken by the ornithological reserve in 1990 to observe 150 species of birds including gulls. It is also not recommended to venture there without a guide because the reserve serves as a nest. Finally its islet 72 meters long and 52 meters wide and an isolated islet during high tides housing a barracks since 1689, currently integrated into the ornithological reserve.
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You can create your own circuit of the Val de Saire thanks to the website: cotentin-tourisme-normandie.fr/circuits/discovery-tour-of-val-de-saire/