Medieval Tour in Normandy

Suggested itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Paris airport and depart for Provins where you will enjoy a sightseeing tour of this medieval town. Much remains of Provins from its heyday, making it a very interesting and attractive town to visit. The half-timbered houses, the fortifications and churches, along with some subterranean galleries that were once the meeting places of secret societies, all combine to give the illusion of having entered a different world. The town boasts an extraordinary 58 listed 'historical monuments'.

Caesar's Tower is perhaps the highlight, towering above the town and having good views over the countryside, with the Tithe Barn - historically a covered market - running a close second, with room-by-room recreations of various middle-age trades.

In the afternoon : medieval workshop in Provins : coat of arms or calligraphy or stained glass windows. Dinner and overnight in Paris.

Day 2

Depart for Rouen and sightseeing tour of the city centre on one following theme :

- Daily life in the Middle Age – The builders of the Middle Age – On the footsteps of Jeanne d'Arc – The stained glass windows -
- Rouen under François the 1st - Corneille and the “Great Century” - Flaubert and the 19th century – History of the town - …

Guided visit of the cathedral and depart for Caudebec-en-Caux to visit the Maison dite "des Templiers". Return to Rouen, dinner and overnight.

Day 3

Depart for Les Andelys and enjoy a guided tour of château Gaillard. The castle was built by Richard the Lionheart in 1196, and remained intact until Henry IV had it destroyed in 1603. In the interim it had a colourful history, including the terrible siege of 1203 in which many hundreds died of hunger in the castle, part of the wars between England and France at that epoque.

Then visit Jumièges' abbey, one of the strongest Norman abbey with remarkable ruins, and guided visit of Saint-Wandrille's abbey before going on to Rouen. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4

Depart for Crèvecoeur-en-Auge and visit of the château. Experience the Middle Age in an original way. It’s 1457! Jeanne de Thibouville proudly shows you round her estate, taking in the farm, dovecote, chapel, and dwelling-place. She shares her tips on to be a good wife and an accomplished mistress of the castle. In the Botanical Garden, she reveals her magic remedies to treat minor ailments and high fevers. In the Great Hall, she initiates you into the banquet rituals and imparts her favourite recipes.

Then sightseeing tour of Caen (2h) followed by a guided tour of the Abbaye aux Hommes which was founded in the 11th century by William the Conqueror and his wife Queen Matilda. The site incorporates several buildings, such as the Saint-Etienne abbey church that was built in different periods (between the 11th and 17th century) and where William the Conqueror is buried. Dinner and night in Caen.

Day 5

Depart for Falaise for a visit and a workshop at the William the Conqueror's castle. Falaise Castle still stands high above the small town. Once a huge collection of buildings resembling a small town, today it consists of long defensive walls, the Talbot Tower built in 1207, the lower keep built around 1150 and the Great Square Keep built in 1123 by Henry, William’s son. He had modeled on the Tower of London that William began constructing in 1067, a building which was the perfect medieval fortress.

In the afternoon, visit the Bayeux Tapestry with headphones. Listed as a “Memory of the World” by UNESCO, the Bayeux Tapestry (Calvados) is an embroidery, 70 metres long, made in the 11th century. Celebrating the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy, this linen canvas was probably embroidered by monks in the south of England after the Battle of Hastings on October 14^th, 1066.

Then stroll around the Bayeux cathedral. Dinner and overnight at Caen.

Day 6

Coach transfer to the Paris airport.