The sea: from the islands to the coast
Opening onto the English Channel, the sea borders four of Normandy's five départements. To the west, the Channel Islands bear witness to Normandy's special bond with England. Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Herm and Alderney are the main islands. They are characterized by steep, varied landscapes. The moderate oceanic climate is perfect for nature, which flourishes on these small pieces of land surrounded by water. Alongside them, numerous islets are revealed at low tide.
Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, has a distinctly British atmosphere. Its little sister, Guernsey, is wilder and offers superb views between dunes, coves and footpaths... A soothing calm reigns on this islet of land with a rich historical heritage. Alderney, Sark and Herm are also well worth a visit.
Much closer to the coast, the Normandy islands are better known than their Anglo-Norman cousins. Just think of Mont-Saint-Michel: in the bay of the same name, a stone's throw from Brittany, this island is one of the most visited in the world. Further afield, towards Granville, the archipelago of Chausey and its thirty inhabitants is one of a kind. Comprising 365 islets, which are revealed as the sea ebbs, Chausey boasts beautiful beaches that have retained their wild character. Fauna and flora thrive in this unspoilt setting. In the north-east of the Cotentin region, don't miss the island of Tatihou, which is accessible on foot during certain tides.
Normandy's coastline is characterized by its diversity. In Seine-Maritime, the Albâtre coastline and the granite and flint cliffs of the Pays de Caux are home to the port of Fécamp. In Calvados, head for the Côte Fleurie and Côte de Nacre to enjoy the magnificent seaside resorts. Trouville, Deauville, Cabourg, Courseulles-sur-Mer and Houlgate are just a small sample: you'll be spoilt for choice and scenery! La Manche is not to be outdone, with its crystal-clear waters, between large beaches and small coves, a delight for bathing enthusiasts. Carolles, Jullouville, Bréville-les-Bains and Vauville are must-see destinations.
The countryside: from the plains to the bocage
Many rivers cross the region: the Seine, the Eure, the Orne, the Risle, but also the Vire, the Douve and the Bresle. If they make the happiness of fishermen, they have shaped the Norman countryside which alternates between plains and hedged farmland. The countries of Ouche, Perche or Andaine in Orne, the south of Manche, the Virois territory in Calvados are characteristic of the bocage which is defined as a landscape of enclosed meadows and earthen levees planted with trees. The plains of Caen, Falaise, Alençon or Le Neubourg are representative of vast flat areas, which contrast with the beautiful relief of the region.
Between softness and humidity, nature blossoms
As the Normans will tell you, the climate here is mild... and humid. Temperatures average between 6 degrees in winter and around 18 degrees in summer. Rainfall is relatively frequent. Whether it's drizzle, drizzling rain or heavy downpours, the variety of adjectives used here bears witness to this ambient humidity, which, however, in no way detracts from the region's sunshine. In fact, it's this blend of mild temperatures and high humidity that suits nature so well, and gives the countryside its characteristic green. However, as a result of climate change, Normandy, like the rest of France, is now subject to heatwaves during the summer months, leading to periods of drought which have a particularly severe impact on crops and forestry. In the summer of 2022, temperatures approached 40°C on several occasions, much to the astonishment of the locals. In October 2023, the beaches were still full! However, the coastline still retains a welcome breeze of coolness, providing a safe haven in the event of soaring temperatures.
Quite a relief!
Do you love escarpments? This is the region for you. In Normandy, geography takes on new dimensions! On the countryside side, between Orne and Calvados, the Suisse Normande is representative of this pretty facet of the region, in particular the viewpoints of Pont d'Ouilly and Roche d'Oëtre. The latter, carved out of Armorican sandstone, rises to a height of 118 metres. The Signal d'Ecouves, located in the eponymous Orne forest, is the highest point in the region at 413 metres. It's just 4 metres higher than Mont des Avaloirs, just a few kilometers away, but on the Mayenne side! On the seaside, of course, the famous Calvados cliffs of Etretat are a must-see for those who like a bit of height to observe the beauty of nature. The same applies to the summit of the Vaches noires between Houlgate and Villers-sur-Mer, which dominate the seafront. In the English Channel, the Nez de Jobourg is a must-see destination. Its cliffs are among the highest in Europe.
A quick look at the geology
Land evolution has shaped the geography of Normandy as we know it. Its identity is split into two parts by a vertical line from Bayeux to Alençon: to the west, the Armorican Massif, and to the east, the Parisian Basin.
The Armorican Massif is actually an ancient mountain range. Of course, it is no longer a mountain range today, but its soil composition and steep massifs are still characteristic of it. In Normandy, the Roche d'Oëtre (Orne) and Mont Pinçon (Calvados) are perfect examples, as is Mortain (Manche) with its great waterfalls. In the Armorican massif, the soil is mainly sandstone.
The Paris Basin is a vast sedimentary basin whose origins are mainly marine and lagoonal. Its soil is very rich in limestone, chalk, gypsum and sand... These resources enabled the construction of many of the capital's buildings.
Identity card of the five departments
Normandy comprises five departments: Calvados, Eure, Seine-Maritime, Manche and Orne. With just over 3.3 million inhabitants (Source: Insee - January1, 2021), the region represents around 5.1% of the French population (metropolitan France). The départements are what are known as natural regions, i.e. territories of limited extent with homogeneous physical characteristics.
Thanks to the variety of its landscapes, the Calvados département can be divided into 6 natural regions: the Pays d'Auge, the Bessin, the Caen plain, the Norman Bocage, the Falaise countryside and the Suisse Normande. The relatively mild climate is closely linked to the tides, while the borders of the department are colder in winter and hotter in summer. Calvados has 120 km of coastline, from the mouth of Vire to the Seine estuary (near Honfleur). With a surface area of 5,548 km2, it is the smallest département in Normandy. The main city, Caen, with just over 100,000 inhabitants (and 200,000 in the metropolitan area) is also the prefecture.
Thanks to its proximity to the Île-de-France region, the Eure département is strategically well located. It is a highly attractive region. Its prefecture, Evreux, has a population of almost 50,000. Characterized by a landscape of plains, it comprises five natural regions: the Seine valley, the Vexin normand, the Eure plateau, the Pays de Lyons and a final group of landscapes to the west (Pays d'Ouche, Lieuvin, Auge and Roumois).
In the north-east of Normandy, the coastline, cliffs and large conurbations make Seine-Maritime a land of great variety! The region's largest département in terms of surface area (6,278 km2), almost half of its population lives in communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants. The Rouen metropolitan area is a major attraction.
Situated to the west of the region and bordered by 355 km of coastline, the English Channel can be divided into three main geographical zones, reflecting the diversity of its geography. These are Nord-Cotentin, Saint-Lois and Coutançais, and Avranchin and Mortainais. It's a rural department, with half its population living in communes with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. Its prefecture is Saint-Lô, although in terms of population, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is by far the most populous, with almost 80,000 inhabitants.
Located in the south of the region, Orne, Normandy's least populous département, is characterized by its bocage countryside and plains. Three-quarters of its inhabitants live in communes with fewer than 500 inhabitants. Despite its low population density, the region is extremely diverse. From the Domfrontais to the Pays d'Andaine, via the Pays d'Auge, the Pays d'Ouche and the Pays du Perche, the landscapes change as the miles go by. Alençon, the prefecture, has a population of 25,000. The department is home to Normandy's highest point (413 meters, see above).
Four regional parks
The region preserves its natural, heritage and cultural wealth through four regional nature parks: the Parc naturel des boucles de la Seine normande between Rouen and Le Havre, the Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine in Orne and Manche, the Parc naturel régional du Perche in Orne, and the Parc naturel régional des marais du Cotentin et du Bessin near Carentan-les-Marais, straddling Manche and Calvados. Each of them represents a different facet of Normandy.
Industry and agriculture
It's impossible to talk about the geography of Normandy without mentioning two of its main economic sectors, which have shaped the region's morphology over the centuries. As the world's busiest maritime axis, with its 600 km of coastline opening onto the English Channel, Normandy is obviously characterized by its port activity in Le Havre, Cherbourg, Dieppe and Caen. But it's also home to the major industrial clusters that have sprung up around its major conurbations. Not forgetting, of course, agriculture: thanks to the richness of its characteristic landscapes, Normandy has always been a land of terroir. It's also worth noting that the region's geographical proximity to the Paris Basin has long contributed to its development. Finally, fishing and tourism are Normandy's other two economic lungs.
