88 | Cycling World
Sample Day.
Amiens to Albert – Day Two
After collecting your bicycle, you head eastwards, following the river
Somme, to Villers Bretonneux where, in 1918, between the 24th and
the 26th April, the Australian expeditionary army corps saved the city
of Amiens by stopping the advancing German troops.
The Coast of Calvado – 5 days
This charming coastal route takes you along the coast of Calvados to
see the emotional WW2 memorials, the pretty sandy beaches, William
the conqueror’s Château of Caen, the glamorous villas of the 20’s in
Cabourg and Vaudeville, the half-timbered houses of the Pays d’Auge
and two of the most stunning and historical towns of the province -
Bayeux and Honfleur.
Sample Day.
Day 5 – Caboug to Honfleur
Continuing eastwards, you will cross the Hamel battlefield and the riv-
er Somme to Albert - the epicenter of the great battle of the Somme
and the principal Ancre Valley. The Somme museum, here, which was
established in an anti-aircraft underground shelter, retraces military life
during the First World War.
Western Normandy
Through Cabourg and Houlgate, you can admire some of the greatest
Anglo-Norman architecture before riding inland to the typical village
of Beaumont-en-Auge to see half-timbered houses From there you can
choose how you want to get to Honfleur and your accommodation;you
can either cycle along the coast from Trouville or through the cool for-
est of St Gatien
Brimming with history, Honfleur was once a strategic port and the
starting point for many navigators to the new world. The town has
preserved much of what made Honfleur so great, including churches,
the old port, the bell-tower, ware-houses, 500 year hundred years old
buildings, and cobblestone streets.
Western Front from the Somme
to Belgium Flanders
The people from Northern France are known throughout the country
for their warmth, generosity and hospitality. Their cuisine tends to use
only the finest quality local products and their draught beers are both
excellent and fresh.
This tour gives you the opportunity to cycle through two of the most
important sites of Normandy, the landing beaches and the great Bay of
Mont-Saint-Michel. In between those areas, you will ride through the
unbeaten tracks of the province, visiting such places as the American
cemetery at Omaha Beach, the Old Abbey of Hambye and the Com-
monwealth War Museum at Bayeux.
Sample Day - Day 3 – Bayeux to Carentan
Joining the new cycling way, you will ride through a very nice part of
the Bessin to get to Omaha beach and its impressive American ceme-
tery at Colleville Sur Mer. After la pointe du Hoc, you will ride on quiet
road south, passing near the German cemetery at La Cambe before en-
tering the Regional Nature Park of Cotentin and Bessin Marshes. Your
accommodation is in the center of the small rural town of Carentan
Normandie Rando look after everything, - circuits, accommodation,
baggage transfer, break-down assistance, and good quality bikes. Even
when you are out cycling there will always someone near by to give
support if needed.
http://www.normandierando.com/