Celebrated or Secret : 35 Abbeys to Discover in Normandy

Better known for its seaside resorts, like Deauville, Trouville, Cabourg, Etretat and Honfleur, Normandy is also home to other riches dating back to the 7th century, like its sumptuous abbeys. Witness to a whole age, this rich heritage, built by the aristocracy in the High Middle Ages at the heart of their family domains, makes up a fascinating resource for tourists.

Discover the Secrets of the Norman Abbeys

Along the winding Seine, from Bayeux to Caen, passing by Rouen and Evreux, the whole region is marked out with first-rate religious sites, some still consecrated. This monasteries allow us a glimpse of the daily life of their monks, Benedictines or Cistercians, and their relics.

In Caen, the Abbaye aux Hommes is one of the most important symbols in Normandy of the period of the Dukes. © DR

On the edge of the Forest of Lyons, the Abbaye de Fontaine Guérard rises up in an enchanting and bucolic setting. © DR

Overlooked by a vertiginous tower, the great room of the Abbaye Notre-dame de Hamby has preserved the traces of its mural paintings. © DR

Visiting, iPad in hand

Set in gentle valleys and luxuriant gardens, these unique Norman sites will let you see their former glory while tasting of their silence and bathing in the monastic chants. Behind the remarkable architecture, most of the abbeys contain religious art treasure and show off Gothic and Romanesque styles. To help you on your way, some of them now can be visited in 3-D format, with the help of an iPad.

The Montivilliers visit has been enhanced by a fun « Heart of an Abbey » itinerary. © DR

Restored and rebuilt, the Abbaye de la Lucerne houses collections of funerary effigies from the 12th and 13th centuries, a cellar and a dove-cote. © DR

A prime example of Romanesque architecture, the painted decors of the Abbaye de Cerisy la Forêt recall those of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. © DR