La Verdoyante : de Falaise à Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives

Come and experience history at first hand. Discover the castle in virtual reality with the aid of a touchscreen tablet. Falaise Castle is a solid stone fortress dating from around 1000. Built by the first Dukes of Normandy, it was enlarged after the conquest of England in 1066. In the12th century, William’s descendants built two square, typically anglo-norman, keeps using the foundations of the original castle. These buildings show the Dukes of Normandy at the height of their powers. They are most sophisticated of the Royal Dukes’ palace/keeps and best preserved of their fortresses in France. The virtual reconstruction breathes life into the palace, taking you back to the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. You go back to two different eras with the two circuits: The outside circuit shows you the first fortified enclosure and the daily life in the basse-cour (lower town) in the 12th century. You go inside for the real immersion in the history of the castle. Through your touchscreen tablet, the rooms of the keep appear before you as they would have been in the 13th century. You are plunged straight into the splendour of the Anglo-Norman court - how the people lived in the castle, how their lives were organised, what they all did as part of the daily life of a fortified castle. Images of the people who once lived here appear to tell you their stories with the sounds that accompanied their lives.

The Battle of Normandy started on D Day - 6 June 1944 - lasted 3 months and put 2 million soldiers in a corner of France that had about a million inhabitants. 150,000 Normans had to evacuate their homes, with an estimated 20,000 killed, mainly as a result of the bombardments. The Falaise area paid its price. The dreadful fighting in the Falaise-Chamois Pocket which marked the end of the Battle of Normandy and the beginning to the rout of the German army, is remembered as among of the most bloody of the war. The Second World war marked a turning point with 30million combatants and 35 million civilians killed: for the first time in the history of modern warfare the civilian dead were more than those of the military. The acknowledgement of the military sacrifice and the need for rapid post war reconstruction, meant the fate of the civilian population was largely forgotten. But now, to remember and pay homage to these millions of civilians, the local government organisations of Falaise and its surrounding countryside, have joined forces to create a memorial to civilian life in the war. Set in the heart of Falaise, next to William the Conqueror’s castle, in one of the major buildings of the first stage of Falaise’s postwar reconstruction, this new museum tells the story of civilian life in the Second World War. The painstaking reconstructions, put together by the Caen Memorial, are put into context by the memories of those who lived through it all.

Andre Lemaitre (1909-1995) was born in Falaise. Inspired by nature, this painter in the great French tradition, produced some 4,000 paintings mostly of the Normandy countryside between Falaise and Honfleur. Andre Lemaitre: a traditional painter This museum, dedicated to him in his native town, contains around 90 of his works and reflects his life and art in all its diversity. All four major periods of his work are represented in the museum.

Paris between 1920 and 1950, as soon as December comes, crowds gather and line up outside the window of the big department Stores. With their noses pressed against the windows, children and parents look in all directions. Passers-by are fascinated by dozens of automatons. At Automates Avenue, visitors can travel in time and in space, dream with these fabulous window-actors and see a fairyland of past times coming back to life. The streets of Paris have been revived for 300 Automatons featured in 16 large animated original window stores coming back into action, as they once did, in an extraordinary setting.

This 18th Century listed Historic Monument is still home to the Vendeuvre family. Inside the castle, discover life in the 18th Century thanks to a series of moving subjects. In the basement, the kitchens bear witness to day-to-day life in this fine residence. The Orangery houses a Miniature Furniture museum - the world's very first collection. Exhibition of 17th to 19th Century dog kennels. In the gardens, "surprising" fountains punctuate the visitor's stroll. In April, the Tulip Festival. Unaccompanied visit lasts 1h30/2h.

The Orangery is home to the first collection of miniature house furnishings in the world: models, maquettes, mini-masterpieces, ivories, silverware all minuscule. This collection of small scale objects includes over 800 pieces of furniture, and thousands of other objects. The Chateau retains its original furnishings and decor. Visit an interior where family paintings, games tables, dog beds and automata follow cheek by jowl. The family atmosphere, the furnishings and the curios, take you back to a bygone age. The Chateau kitchens boast over 500 copper pots as well as revealing a number of Chef Maurice’s best kept secrets. In the gardens, a pyramid icehouse, and an amazing water garden full of surprises, where water is everywhere: Chinese bridge, Muses’ grove, crystal tree, turtle waterfall and the grotto of 200,000 shells.

The Chateau de Grisy, on the banks of the Dives, consists of the fortified farmhouse, farm buildings, a pond, and attached orchards. A harmonious group of buildings in a tranquil setting full of charm. Built in the 16th century, and enlarged in the 17th, it has long elegant facades, and one of the farm buildings has a massive, complete cider press.

Normandy’s first vineyard: an incredible adventure where nothing was left to chance. The land remains the common denominator throughout the visit. The example of a former quarry offers an introduction to the site’s geology. Then, from the vineyard heights, an appreciation of the surrounding landscape. And of course, some information on wine growing. Finally, a taste of our Normandy wine in the cellar reception area, offering panoramic views across the vineyard. At Les Arpents du Soleil you are sure to appreciate the beauty and the harmony of the site, as you relish in a taste of our wines, grown in total respect for nature and the land. Certified High Environmental Value. Open from Monday to Saturday from 2 to 6pm. Visits every Thursday at 2.30pm from April to mid-November. Visit lasts: 2 hours. Booking required. For visits on Saturdays and public holidays, refer to the ‘Actualités’ (News) pages of the website or give us a call.

Unaccompanied tours of outdoor areas, the park and the dovecote. Located on the banks of the Dives and surrounded by a moat, the 17th century-early 18th century Château de Carel was built on the site of a previous dwelling. The buildings around the castle comprise an elegant classical architectural group that highlights the clean lines of its 16th century dovecote. The site is a listed historic monument.

The Abbey of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives is a Benedectine abbey founded in the 11th century. It offers one of the most comprehensive illustrations of monastic architecture in Normandy. Rare medieval paving.

The site presents the vegetables, 'medicinal' plants and flowers that are traditionally grown in the Pays d'Auge since the 1960's. Discover their different uses and associated techniques and beliefs, via a new visit entitled "Jardin de femmes en Pays d'Auge" (Women's garden in the Pays d'Auge).

The "Halles" or indoor market comprise three naves with 13th century framework supported by stoneworked gables. A vast and picturesque market is held every Monday, along with an antique fair on the first Sunday of every month. The market is closed the week prior to Easter.

Maison Jort is one of the oldest traditional cheesemakers in the Pays d'Auge. Come and discover our Camembert de Normandie AOP, Pont l'Evêque and Livarot cheeses. The store will advise you on the best way to serve, mature, preserve and enjoy these famous Normandy cheeses.