La Maison Noble - Large Family Gite in the heart of Calvados, Beaufour-Druval

Local Attractions

La Maison Noble is on Normandy’s Cider Route which offers a choice of cider tastings and locally produced pear and apple ciders along its 40km length. Some 20 producers open their doors to visitors and offer tastings/dégustations.

Beuvron-en-Auge (10m) Enjoy strolling through the lanes of colombage (half-timbered) houses and visit the shops packed with local produce, or call into the many craft workshops and see local artisans at work. The 16th Century Vieux Manoir and the 18th Century former inn the Auberge de la Boule d’Or are worth seeing. If you visit in the Autumn, you can see the wonderful Fête du Cidre and watch the great apple pressing take place in the village square.

Honfleur (30m) welcomes you with historic tall houses overlooking classic boats in the Vieux Bassin, and be beguiled by the exquisite chocolate shops, cafés and restaurants. Honfleur’s Saturday market is one of the best for local produce and there is also a weekly organic market. Look out for signs for marché bio.

Deauville (23m) & Trouville (26m) Deauville has long attracted a glamorous clientele, with grand hotels and elegant Belle Époque buildings along the glorious wide sandy beach. It oozes style and hosts prestigious polo matches and horse races. Trouville is also fashionable with a wide boardwalk along the seafront and a vibrant fishing port with restaurants along the front selling freshly landed seafood. Away from the stunning wide sandy beach are quiet winding lanes with art galleries and crêperies.

Pegasus Bridge (30m) is just a 30-minute drive away and from here you can visit the D-Day Landing Beaches and war graves. The strategic bridge over the canal at Bénouville was recaptured by the British 5th Parachute Brigade on 5th June 1944. Their emblem was Pegasus and so the bridge over the canal was renamed in their honour. This part of Normandy has a wealth of sights, memorials and museums to discover about the decisive WWII battles fought and won here.

Lisieux (22m) is full of colombage buildings. The town has Roman origins and in medieval times became an important Catholic seat for bishops. Since the 19th Century, many pilgrims have visited the town in homage to inspirational Saint Thérèse who from a young age wrote about her spiritual experiences.

Mont St Michel (1h 40m) is not to be missed! This breath-taking medieval isle is topped by a glittering statue of Archangel Michael as though hovering over the gravity-defying 11th century Benedictine abbey. Wander the narrow streets, have a world-famous omelette at Madame Poulard’s and enjoy the views over the sea to Brittany and Normandy.

Villedieu-les-Poêles (1h 15m) is home to traditional copper making with fine cooking utensils and decorative wares in the pretty shops. You can take a day course in copper-smithing and visit the bell foundry where some of the world’s biggest church bells have been made.

Le Haras du Pin (1h 10m) This spectacular stud farm is unlike anything you’ve seen! Housed in a palace built for the Sun King Louis XVI it’s no wonder it is known as the Equestrian Versailles. There are regular events and a Discovery Trail, horse races and craftsmen at work. There are regular guided tours which are well worth going on for the extra info, such as seeing the stunning Arab bred by the wife of Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts. Some tours are conducted in English but if you miss them you can tag along with the French group and use the Engliah information sheet for what you don’t understand. Every Thursday at 3.30, you can see the entertaining hour-long Equestrian Spectacle. Highly recommended for the whole family!

Giverny (1h 30m) Visit the home of Monet at the end of the 19th Century, and see the specially created lily pond that inspired so many of this impressionist’s paintings. Visit the Monet museum and explore the beautiful village on the banks of the River Seine.

Bayeux (50m) To see the entire length of the Bayeux Tapestry is a sight you will never forget. Up close the intricate, painstaking needlework depicts the 1066 Battle of Hastings and makes William the Conqueror and King Harold come alive.