Normandy: the perfect blend of history, relaxation, art - and food and drink

Where to start on a visit to Normandy? This region of France has so much to offer – food, art, history, scenery, beaches, it’s all there to enjoy.

As the starting point for the Allied invasion of 1944, Normandy is filled with reminders of this momentous event. From cemeteries (the British sites are particularly poignant, with many headstones featuring personal messages from families) to museums (the new one in Arromanches is superb, telling the story of the floating harbours, with the remains visible from its windows) to artefacts such as the pummelled concrete gun batteries at Longues-sur-Mer, there is plenty to see.

A stroll on any of the beaches brings home the enormity of what happened on June 6, 1944. Those same beaches are also lovely spots simply to enjoy the scenery and an ice cream.

Charming small resorts are dotted along the coast, including Arromanches, with a favourite spot to eat being the friendly Creperie de la Plage, Courseulles-sur-Mer, featuring a bustling high street and wide sandy beach, Luc-sur-Mer, Lion-sur-Mer Oustreham and Houlgate, all with promenades, beaches, lovely old villas and some excellent cafes.

Close by is Bayeux, a charming small town, spared destruction because the Allies surprised the Germans by taking it so quickly. It has a spectacular cathedral, plentiful free parking near the centre, and in common with seemingly all French towns and cities, lots of excellent cake shops, cheese shops and bakeries. It’s a lovely place for an amble in the sunshine and a sit down with a drink outside a bar-tabac.

It is also, of course, home to a hugely famous piece of history – the Bayeux Tapestry. The detail and vivid imagery are well worth seeing, with an excellent headset commentary guiding visitors along its 230ft length.

The region’s food and drink is rich with the products of its leafy orchards and lushly grassed dairy farms. Sauces made with butter and cream are a delight and it’s a treat to wash them down with local cider and a drop of calvados, the fiery apple brandy.

Beyond Bayeux, there are plenty of other towns worth exploring. Port en Bessin is a small, thriving fishing port where we enjoyed excellent freshly made ham salad and cheese salad baguettes for four, plus delicious cakes and a big bottle of Coke for 23 euros.

St Lo is a town devastated by the battle over it in 1944. The  Church of Notre Dame is an arresting sight, missing one of its original twin towers and the survivor without its spire. We arrived at lunchtime, and chanced upon a bar-tabac and brasserie – La Rotonde – that was packed with locals on an ordinary Wednesday, all enjoying a hearty meal with friends, colleagues or family. The food was excellent (omelette for the veggies, chicken and rice in a creamy mushroom sauce for me, a fine burger for the boy), the service friendly and efficient and the atmosphere brilliant.

Caen, like St Lo, was reduced to rubble when it was fought over. Some guide books say it’s not worth a visit but we were charmed by the centre’s winding, narrow streets filled with interesting shops, bars and cafes. It also has a striking castle and is home to the tomb of William the Conqueror.

Normandy’s gently rolling countryside is perfect for cycling, with plentiful quiet lanes and charming towns and villages. Balleroy was a favourite, with its lovely chateau. The ‘bocage’ countryside, with its narrow sunken roads and high hedgerows made life difficult for the Allies. There’s still definitely something atmospheric about them 80 years on.