Must-Visit Stops to Take on a Tour of Normandy
ACTIVITIES
La Seine à Vélo
Cycle along the banks of the River Seine from Paris to the sea – more than 500km – on mostly traffic-free cycleways, visiting attractions along the way. Finish at Le Havre or Deauville.
Private painting workshop at La Ferme Saint-Siméon
Enjoy a private painting lesson en plein air in the beautiful gardens of La Ferme Saint-Siméon, overlooking the Seine estuary. Be inspired by the surroundings of the great Impressionist painters before they were famous. No experience necessary.
www.fermesaintsimeon.fr/ecole-de-peinture
© MARIE-ANAIS THIERRY
Winter walk from Giverny to Vernon
Claude Monet and other Impressionists loved the winter light in Normandy. You can take a guided afternoon walk, ‘Impression, soleil d’hiver’, from Giverny to Vernon showcasing the countryside that Monet loved, and the nature that inspired him.
Available November 2026 to March 2027.
Paddleboard tours of the Côte d’Albâtre
View the famous cliffs at Étretat at sea level with a guided stand-up paddleboard tour.
tinyurl.com/paddleboard-normandy
Climb the Gatteville Lighthouse
Climb the 365 steps of the Phare de Gatteville, which was painted by Paul Signac. It’s the third tallest “traditional lighthouse in the world so you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the Cotentin Peninsula.
The Phare de Gatteville, © BEN COLLIER
Experience the magic of horses at Deauville
Deauville has long had equestrian connections, with Deauville Racecourse a significant feature of the town. Here, the beach is the focus as you experience ‘trotting’ across Deauville Plage.
ATTRACTIONS
Maison Natale Jean-François Millet
This small museum in the birthplace of pre-Impressionist artist Jean-François Millet, in the tiny hamlet of Gruchy, near Gréville-Hague, is well worth a stop. Self-guided walking tour’s showcase Millet’s landscape.
MuséoSeine, musée de la Seine normande
At Caudebec-en-Caux, discover the landscape and ecology of the River Seine from Paris to the estuary at Le Havre, as well as its industrial and social history. Learn what a gribone is and discover how modern cargo boats navigate the river: You will also find out how the river influenced leisure activities during the days of the Impressionist artists.
Maisons Satie
In Honfleur, visit the birthplace of composer Erik Satie, whose spare, unconventional style influenced the development of musical Impressionism in the late 19th century, alongside Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
The birthplace of Erik Satie, © MARIE-ANAIS THIERRY, BEN COLLIER, CAROLINE MILLS, DANIELLE DUMAS
Atelier Galerie du bord de Seine
Visit the galleries of a contemporary Impressionist artist, Michèle Ratel, whose exceptional artworks are displayed on the banks of the River Seine at Poses, the main subject, along with her riverside garden, of her paintings.
Atelier Galerie du bord de Seine, © MARIE-ANAIS THIERRY, BEN COLLIER, CAROLINE MILLS, DANIELLE DUMAS
EVENTS
There are many events throughout Normandy in 2026 with the focus on Monet and Impressionism, including a special edition of the Normandy
Impressionist Festival
with the theme The Gardens of Possibilities from June to September. For a full round-up of events in Giverny, Vernon, Le Havre, Rouen, Honfleur, Dieppe, and along the River Seine.
Visit: voyagesimpressionnistes.com/agenda
Avant les Nymphéas. Monet découvre Giverny 1883-1890
Until July 5
The Musée des Impressionismes Giverny is hosting an exhibition which focuses on Monet’s early years in Giverny.
Monet au Havre
June 5 September 27
The Musée d’art modern André Malraux, Le Havre, brings together 80 works with a focus on Monet’s early years in Le Havre from 1845.
www.muma-lehavre.fr/en/exhibitions
La Fête impressioniste costumée
June 7
On the banks of the Seine at Poses, the celebratory fête will feature period costume, contemporary artists, music, children’s painting workshops and a vintage car collection.
tinyurl.com/fete-impressioniste
Orne Art Festivals
In Orne, two art festivals are held each year during the Whitsun weekend (May 23-25 this year) in two villages classified as Petites Cités de Caractère (Small Towns of Character): L’Art à La Perrière Festival in La Perrière, in the Parc naturel régional du Perche; and Les Rencontres de Saint-Céneri in the riverside village of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei, in the Alpes Mancelles region.
From France Today Magazine
Lead photo credit : Stand-up paddleboarding by a natural chalk arch at Étretat, © DANIELLE DUMAS
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