Out and About
Les Aunaies is located in the Pays d’Auge area of Calvados in Normandy. The Pays d’Auge is a protected area because of its outstanding natural beauty and historical merit. It is typified by its ‘colombage’ (timber framed) houses, gently rolling countryside, green meadows full of cattle, acres of apple orchards and a pretty coastline.
If travelling from the UK, Les Aunaies is approximately 40 minutes by car from Caen, 55 minutes from Le Havre, 1½ hours from Dieppe and 3½ hours from Eurotunnel, Calais. For those travelling from Canada or the US, Les Aunaies is approximately 2-2½ hours drive from Paris Beauvais and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airports.
Les Aunaies is twenty five minutes from the coast, where you will find beautiful safe sandy beaches as far as the eye can see. The Normandy landing beaches spread from east to west along the northern coast, Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah. Nowadays the fashionable resorts of Deuville, elegant and luxurious and Trouville, more picturesque and simple
are hubs of activity with their Casinos and famous racecourse. Honfleur, a town of artists, writers and fishermen is within easy reach and Cabourg, the romantic's dream and Houlgate are the closest coastal resort to Les Aunaies.
The Pays d'Auge is bursting at the seams with pretty half-timbered villages. Two beautiful drives, La Route du Cidre and La Route du Fromage leads you through some of the prettiest countryside in Northern France and allows you to sample the produce at farms along the way.
La Suisse Normande, an area of outstanding beauty, where sports enthusiasts can try out all types of mountain sports such as hang-gliding, parascending, canoeing, bungee jumping and rock climbing is close by. Horse riding, golf and fishing are all well catered for too.
If you like rambling – leave the car behind and walk up into the woods behind Les Aunaies where there are numerous well signposted walks to keep you busy for a day (or seven)! There are numerous maps for ramblers at Les Aunaies, as well as suggested driving itineraries and a wealth of brochures.
Places of interest
Caen was the home of William the Conqueror and Falaise, his birthplace. Both have impressive castles. Apart from these two, the area has a wealth of chateaux, including Vendeuvre, 10 minutes from Les Aunaies, which has beautiful gardens with fountains and a museum housing a collection of miniature furniture made by master craftsmen.
St. Pierre sur Dives, three miles from Les Aunaies and the nearest town becomes a hive of activity every Monday when the biggest market in Calvados takes place in the huge market square. Livarot, in the opposite direction has a wonderful chateau which houses a cheese museum. Liseux, the capital of the Pays d’Auge is famous for its spectacular Basilica, dedicated to St. Theresa, one of the most beloved saints of the Roman Catholic church and the Basilica is a famous pilgrimage site. On a more wordly note Liseux has great shops too and a fast direct main line train station to take you to the centre of Paris.
There is so much to see in the area you will be spoiled for choice, but if it is tranquillity you are seeking, we know of no better place where you can 'feel at one with nature'. The pace is slow, nobody rushes here, Normandy people are wonderfully welcoming and are renowned for their 'joie de vivre'.
Gastronomy
Traditionally, Calvados is an area with a grand gastronomical reputation where restaurant owners, their chefs and local producers perform a refined culinary art using cream, cider, butter, cheese and Calvados all produced locally.
There are numerous restaurants in the area from simple bar/restaurants to top class restaurants such as Le Canton in Orbec where among its illustrious diners, Queen Elizabeth and the late Princess Diana are numbered.
Bon Appétit
A Little History
The history of Calvados is linked to the history of Normandy. In 911, the King of France signed the Treaty of Saint Clair sur Epte with the Normans, thus making the Scandinavian leader Rollon the first Duke of Normandy. Caen, today regional capital of Lower Normandy, became the Duchy's headquarters.
One century later, Normandy turned a new page in its history with William the Conqueror: the succession of Edward the Confessor opened the doors of the Kingdom of England to William, which he conquered by landing his troops and defeating his opponents at the battle of Hastings in 1066.
Shortly afterwards, his descendants were at the head of a huge kingdom, which included England, Normandy, Brittany, Anjou and Aquitaine. The King of France could no longer tolerate this progression and the struggle lasted over 100 years. At the beginning of the 13th century, Normandy lost its independence and fell under the control of the French crown. Normandy prospered from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
On the 9th January 1790, the French National Assembly created the Department of Calvados. Following the period of the French Revolution and the Empire, the fashion for sea-bathing gave some of the seaside towns their nobility and a reputation which has lasted until today: by the end of the 19th century, Deuville and Trouville were already only three hours from Paris thanks to French railway developments.
On June 6th 1944, the Calvados coastline provided the theatre for Operation 'Overlord'. 150,000 British, American and Canadian troops landed on the shores of Normandy. The battle of Normandy lasted over two months. In Calvados alone over 30,000 soldiers and over 20,000 civilians were killed. Out of 763 towns in the Department at that time, only two survived intact.
No visit to Normandy would be complete without a visit to the many museums and monuments dedicated to these brave men and women. Arromanches, where you can see the remains of the Mulberry Harbours just off-shore has an excellent museum and a 365º cinema. Caen too has an excellent museum. The war cemeteries, although terribly sad, are an incredible sight and of course beautifully maintained by the War Graves Commission.
If you would like more information about what there is to see and do in the area, visit the Normandy Tourism site.
For a route planner to Les Aunaies, visit This Site