Solidarity on the green

From the first fruits of spring to the end of the summer, 150 golf courses in France and Belgium are opening their doors and greens for a good cause: the association Vaincre la Mucoviscidose (Beating Cystic Fibrosis). This event, organised thanks to the work of numerous volunteers, also benefits from the support of the Fédération Française de golf as well as the minister of Health and Sport.

In 2009, 365,000 euros were raised and 10,000 golfers participated in the event.

Music as a vector of history

The theme for 2010 is celebrations and creation. For the year of Russia in France, the festival wishes to rediscover the great Russian composers and to put the spotlight on the period around 1910 which was rich in artistic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Impressionism will also have pride of place across Normandy, the native land of this artistic movement. The festival will also celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Sées Cathedral with a day of exceptional concerts by Norman artists in homage to the people who constructed this building.
Come and celebrate to the beat!

Three days to make the difference.

The 3 Jours de Cherbourg association originated in 1991. A very active association, every year it organises a race: the trois jours de Cherbourg.
The cyclists come up against each other over three legs and each team will try to get in the lead to be invited to other races in the region.

High spirits in Caen.

The promontory or presqu'île will be celebrating with a great programme of free activities, sporting and cultural events, for all generations, in the port de plaisance au Cargö. Exhibitions, shows and street performances will be going on, not forgetting the crowd-pulling concerts in the evening. Conferences and debates will also be going on during this festive weekend in Caen.

A glamourous festival for film buffs…

Since its beginnings in 1975, some of the world's greatest movie stars have left their footprints on the red carpet of the Deauville American Film Festival: Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall, Tom Hanks, Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, Clint Eastwood, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Morgan Freeman... For autograph-collectors and fanatical movie-buffs, this festival on Deauville's esplanade is an unmissable event in the summer.

Only American productions are presented at the Festival du cinéma américain de Deauville. Though more low-key and less flashy than its big brother, the Cannes film festival, Deauville remains a major event with its fair share of international stars. This year's program is particularly eclectic with studio productions, independent films, tributes, documentaries and shorts.

Short and sweet!

The famed Off-Courts festival in Trouville-sur-Mer is dedicated to short films, animation and video productions. The productions are regional, national and international in scope.

This festival brings you a wide range of films to the delight of an ever-growing audience. You might be seeing an obscure production by one of the "greats" of the next decade.

One of the strong points of this events is the friendly and easygoing atmosphere which becomes outright festive during concerts, soirées and exhibitions… The event has gained a serious reputation over time and now is linked to other short film festivals (Victoriaville, Montreal, Clermont-Ferrand…).

A master of words.

Leonard Cohen is one of the biggest names in music. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen and his timeless "So Long, Marianne" and "Suzanne", came out in 1967. These were soon followed by Songs from a Room (1969), then Songs of Love and Hate (1971).

The titles taken from these albums prove beyond doubt that this artist has an incredible gift for song writing. Over the following decades, Leonard Cohen continued to create magnificent works; the most recent being Dear Heather (2004), Blue alert (2006) and Live in London (2009)

Motor sports in the Pays d'Auge.

The Pays d'Auge Automobile Club is organising the Pays d'Auge National Rally for the 8th year.
There will be various circuits on the Saturday and Sunday in the Augeronne countryside.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Parc des Expositions (Exhibition Centre) on Sunday between 17.00 and 18.00.

The dances which inspired creation.

The exhibition Le Grand Bal Dior, or the Great Dior Ball, invites you to step back in time to the era of the great dances and balls which were to inspire this famous designer. The exhibition will include all kinds of costumes, decorative objects, texts and manuscripts, extracts from old films, and musical accompaniment.
The exhibition opens with a display of modern creations by John Galliano.

Battle of Berlin.

This original exhibition focuses on the Battle of Berlin, the last combat which crushed Berlin and which left Hilter surrounded, leading him to commit suicide on 30th April 1945, thus putting an end to the Nazi regime. However, the price of freedom with this victory was high for the Soviet Union which lost 26 million men.
This exhibition has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, and the Central Museum of Armed Forces in Moscow together with the Caen Memorial. This is the first exhibition of this magnitude on this subject to take place in Western Europe.

Spotlight on Vauban.

In July 2008, Unesco included 12 Vauban sites to the World Heritage, including the towers of Hougue and Tatihou.
The exhibition, created by the Network of Major Vauban Sites, puts to the fore the physical and architectural facets of this engineer's fortification work, by placing it in its historical context for a better understanding of the importance of this work and its exceptional universal value.

A weekend celebration of the traditional fishing boat (the Granvillaise).

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Vieux Gréements Granvillais (Granville Traditional Rigged Fishing Boat) association invites you to a festive weekend at the end of September.
There will be gatherings of ancient Norman and Breton rigged fishing boats, exhibitions, nautical parades, activities, concerts and drawing competitions for the youngsters.
You will also be able to explore and discover these boats.

Artistic trade fair.

Come and explore the diverse expertise on offer: blacksmith, cabinetmaker, lacemaker, spectacle maker, painting restorer, jewellery creator, glass maker, tuner, decorative painter, etc.
Approximately 40 trained artisans and 10 organisations will present these expert trades and work in front of the visitors.
This event is organised by the Alençon CCI and the Orne Chambre de métiers et de l'artisanat, in partnership with the town of Alençon and the cité des Métiers de l’Orne.

Prints and engravings.

Tying in with the Normandy Impressionist festival, the Museum of Fine Arts in Caen is putting on this special exhibition of prints and engravings, most of which come from the National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale). You can admire plates by Edouard Manet, Marie Cassatt, Pissarro, Degas, as well as engravings by Berthe Morisot, Henri Guérard, American artist James Whistler and Guillaumin. Discover a little-known world of prints from the impressionist period.

Individual or team effort?

This event is part of Lower Normandy's Future Challenge and is open to youngsters (from 7 years) and adults. You can participate individually or in a team of three for a tri-relay.
Last year, 138 people took part.

Honfleur celebrates Impressionism.

The Eugène Boudin Museum in Honfleur retraces the history of painting in Honfleur from 1820 to 1900, through its own collections and some important loans.
The exhibition features works from pre-to post-Impressionism, from Corot to Vallotton, and highlights links which have often been blurred or forgotten.
This exhibition ties in with the "Impressionist Normandy" festival.

Historic lyricism.

The concept is simple: every summer the "Open Air Operas" brings a classic opera to historic sites throughout Ile-de-France and Normandy. This year, for the tenth anniversary of Open Air Operas, the opera in performance will be George Bizet's Carmen.

Based on the literary work by Prosper Mérimée, this story has become the archetype of the operatic love story. It tells the unusual destiny of a free, independent woman living in 19th century Spain. Her story is simple: she is a free-thinker who makes her own choices; neither her destiny, nor her death, are left up to chance…

Yachting over the years.

The exhibition traces the story of sailing, its official recognition in 1850 which led to the democratisation of this pastime as something for all.

From 3rd July 2010, to tie in with the traditional ceremony of the blessing of the sea on Wednesday 18th July in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, the museum will welcome visitors curous about the local history of major maritime events: regattas, benedictions, and sea festivals in Normandy.

Corot in Normandy.

In the Footsteps of Corot in Normandy is an exhibition which traces the links between the Impressionist painter Camille Corot and Normandy. You'll find works featuring landscapes of Normandy, with landmarks and sites which were particularly dear to the artist, and these will be complemented by photographs of artists from the nineteenth and twentieth century.
This exhibition ties in with the "Impressionist Normandy" festival.

The best of the best.

Outboard motor catamarans will set out at great speed across the Bassin de Calix the first week-end in September.
For the first time, the event will host the French championships for categories S 2000 and S 3000 with some of the best drivers in France. Among them is 2008 world champion Peter Morin, and two locals, Vincent and Sébastien Ducellier.

Landscapes of light.

To tie in with the Impressionist Normandy festival which is taking place all over the region this summer, the Museum of Fine Arts in Cherbourg is putting on this exhibition on Jean-François Millet and his landscapes of Nord-Cotentin. Oils, pastels and drawings from all over the world will be gathered together at the museum for this special occasion.
Millet's studies of light were to make him an important precusor to the Impressionist movement.

The forerunner of impressionism.

The exhibition is dedicated to Leon Riesener (1808 - 1878), and it is the Museums of Lisieux which together hold the most important public collection of his work in the world, consisting of paintings, graphic works and daguerreotypes. This exhibition will demonstrate how the stylistic evolution of this artist's work shows him to be an important precursor to the Impressionist movement.

Leon Riesener visited Normandy many times from a very young age, with his cousin Eugene Delacroix. In 1857, driven by the need for new impressions and some solitude, Riesener bought a mill in Benzeval, where he continued his research on colour and then on the division of tones. With his subjects and his style of painting, Riesener was to pique the interest of younger artists such as Berthe Morisot, Renoir and Degas. At his death, the Impressionists were to pay him a special tribute. Renoir engraved a portrait of the older artist on the front page of la Vie Moderne in the issue of 17 April 1879.

Matisse's books.

The exhibition presents an original facet to Matisse's creations: books. With Tériade, the most important art publisher between 1930 and 1960, the painter published his most beautiful illustrated books such as Mallarmés's poems orJazz. Books, drafts and preparatory drawings are exhibited.

Shellfish in the spotlight!

France's number one seashell fishing harbour will be hosting a special weekend this October. Shellfish are the blood and soul of the festival, and you will be able to sample a thousand and one of the best varieties. Since its first edition in 2002, the festival has been growing every year, drawing huge crowds with a taste for scallops and oysters and other rare underwater creatures…

There will even be a seafood cooking workshop, so don't miss out!

Once upon a time…. in America

In 2010, Caen international fair invites you to America, and more particularly to visit the Native Americans of the Wild West. In South Dakota, 120 years ago, a war broke out between the Wounded Knee tribe and the whites, who sought to take over their land. After the massacre of these people, a lot of these tribes have now disappeared.

Caen's Fair invites you to discover the collections, decor and history of the Conquest of the Wild West.

Seeing the world through prawn-coloured glasses!

Prawns are one of the specialities of Honfleur fishing. It was therefore only natural that this small crustacean would become the symbol of an event that demonstrates and celebrates Honfleur's maritime vocation: the Fête de la crevette.
This festival, organised by the town of Honfleur, is offering a very varied programme of activities: sea shanty concerts, scaling contests, numerous stands, old sail ships, and more.

Giddy-up!

The Journée du cheval attracted over a million people in 2009: an incredible success that more than justified a repetition of the event this year, with numerous activities, equestrian demonstrations, and opportunities to learn about horse-related professions and riding based sports etc. BR/>Pony and horse rides are organised for both young and old alike.
A great family day out!

Biking up the train tracks…

Take the time to enjoy yourself with the whole family or a group of friends visiting one of France's most beautiful regions. The viewpoint is what makes it interesting, as the entire tour runs along old train lines which take the scenic route at a leisurly pace. This easygoing tour is a whole lot of fun for the whole family! Be sure to try out the Vélo-Rail or "Bike Rail", for up to four people, an unusual design halfway between a train wagon and a bicycle…

Discovering the Cotentin.

Where the département of the Manche meets the Calvados, on the "threshold of the Cotentin", the Parc Naturel Régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin is made up of 27,000 hectares of marshland and polders set in a landscape of traditional bocage woodland and rolling meadows (90,000 hectares). Pastureland and hay-meadows, crisscrossed by ditches and dotted with the occasional peat-bog, are the distinctive features of this wetland area that opens out onto the Baie des Veys. With the advent of the winter floods, the marsh turns "white" as the Cotentin peninsula comes into its own.
Less extensive areas of moorlands, woods and forest plus the coastline add diversity to the landscape.

The residential palace of the Duke of Normandy.

Caen Castle was built under William the Conqueror in the middle of the 11th century to house the residential palace of the Duke of Normandy. The building still represents today the largest fortified enclosure in Europe.

It was within these walls that William, surrounded by his barons, made preparations to drive King Harold from England.
Over the centuries, the castle was gradually swamped by the city, suffocated by houses and forgotten by the city's people, until the bombardment of 1944.

Caen Castle today houses the Museum of Normandy and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Shortbread treats.

Created in 1904 by Charles Bansard, Asnelles shortbread continues to perfume the air of the town to this day. The factory also produces other shortbread cakes as well as cookies and financiers (almond cakes), still using traditional craftsman's methods. Visits (by appointment) explain the manufacturing process and production line.

Lest we forget.

In chronological order, the museum retraces the different stages in the history of the Second World War, from the exodus to the Liberation.
It stresses the primordial role played by the port of Cherbourg as a supply base for the Allied armies fighting to win back France.
The permanent collection has been reorganised and new displays created: prisoners of war, everyday life under the Occupation, and the victims of genocide. Whether this is your first visit or one of many, the Liberation Museum is well worth your attention.

A fantastic show.

The Hippodrpome de Cabourg is one of the city's main highlights, a place to meet others and witness some exceptional racing events. If you are staying in or around Cabourg, you won't be able to avoid it. Known for its professionalism and the great events organised there, the racecourse is the place where all emotions mingle in a joyous celebration.

The village church.

Listed as a Historic Monument since the 17 July 1926, the church towers and its high steeple towers above the small town of Branville.
This classical style church has a huge nave. Heavy buttresses ensure it is maintained and break up the sides, alternated with tall windows. A high steeple on the side of the church towers above the town.

A green monument.

The public park in Bayeux is a 2.6 hectare landscaped site created in 1859 by Eugène Bülher. Of the 400 trees in the park, the most spectacular is undoubtedly the famous "weeping beech", listed as a natural monument in 1932 and designated an "arbre remarquable de France" (a tree of special interest) in 2001.
The park is an integral part of Bayeux's heritage, with a signposted walk and information points providing the keys to an understanding of the gardens and the main plant species found there.

"A wondrous pyramid".

On the border between Brittany and Normandy, between Cancale and Granville, the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel is a fascinating place. The Mount itself, perched on a rocky outcrop, forms a tiny village whose Grande Rue (the main and, indeed, the only street on the Mount) climbs up to meet the Benedictine abbey at its summit.

The bay, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, is a land of history and legend, shaped over the millennia by the hidden forces of nature. It is here that you will find the highest tides in Europe.
Don't leave the village without tasting the delicious omelette de la Mère Poulard.

A delicious market display.

Honfleur's traditional market is a positive delight for anyone who appreciates the best fresh fruit and vegetables or fish, as well as for lovers of fine food looking for the best local produce (milk jam, honey, marmalade, garden vegetables, orchard fruit, chicken, rabbit, cheese, farmhouse butter, foie gras, oysters, etc.)

A convivial and healthy experience.

Local producers, businessmen and artisans are often regular salesmen at your local market. Every week you can wander the aisles, sampling this and that to find the freshest crop at the best of prices.

Quality is key and customer satisfaction is the number one priority, so go don't think twice and make your way to the local market.

Memories of war.

Close to the town centre of Colleville-sur-Mer 9,841 soldiers are buried in the American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach, near the locations of the Landings on 6 June 1944, as a tribute to the Allies in memory of the Second World War and the Normandy Landings.

On huge grassy mounds, rows of white crosses remind us of the courage and madness of mankind.

Remember the Landings.

During your visit, you will find out about the history and operation of the city's artificial harbour, a success in the Battle of Normandy and on which the site is built.
This pioneering museum of the Landings also offers a presentation of various stages of the Allied Landings, from the conception of the Port Winston artificial harbour to the liberation of the Normandy coast (models, animations, diorama, video, etc.).

A proud casino.

In 1912, the duke of Morny, who founded the seaside resort of Deauville in the 1860s, entrusted Eugène Cornuché, the director of the resort, and Mr Le Hoc, owner of the Trouville casino with the construction of a new casino in order to liven up the sea front.

The building was inaugurated on 11 July 1912 in front of 1 500 guests.
In 1975, the first Festival of American Film, held in the cinema and the reception rooms of the Deauville Casino Barrière.
In 2007, the Casino's game rooms were extended and the O² Sofa Bar opened.

In the footsteps of Marcel Proust…

By walking up the beach in Cabourg you cannot help but notice the imposing Grand Hôtel… This imposing palace, boasting no less than four stars, seems to embody the character and history of this beach resort from its darkest hours to its golden era.

Elegant, refined and imbued with a sense of prestige, this establishment brings to mind the French Belle Epoque and the beginnings of the sea-bathing craze, when Paris's high class flocked to the shores in summer. Marcel Proust, for example, was a recurrent holidaymaker in Cabourg.

Nature disciplined by reason.

Magnificent in itself, the Château de Brécy can also boast 17th century Italianate gardens magnificently laid out in terraces, culminating in ornamental wrought-iron gates by Isaac Geslin that seem to open onto empty sky.
Numerous sculptures and flower beds framed in embroidery-patterned box borders in the style of Claude Mollet make this a truly unique sight.

18th century heritage.

Lovers of history, ancient buildings, open spaces and walking... welcome to Alençon and its surrounds.
An little-known example of local heritage is the town's private mansion that dates from the 18th century. Tours of the exterior on request.
Don't be shy!

Finest examples of Neo-Classical architecture in Lower Normandy.

The Palais d'Argentré was built by Joseph Brousseau for Jean-Baptiste du Plessis d'Argentré, the last Bishop of Sées under the Ancien Régime.
It is one of the finest examples of Neo-Classical architecture in Lower Normandy.
Events organised by the Office Départemental de la Culture.

The biggest forest in the département.

The forest of Ecouves, covering an area of 8,153 hectares, is managed by the French forestry commission, the Office National des Forêts, and is the largest in the département.
The ONF, which manages 27,000 hectares of state-owned forests in the Orne, is charged with preserving France's natural heritage by implemeting multi-functional management of the three main functions assigned to the national forests:
- economic activity, through the production of high quality workable wood;
- A choice of tree species and techniques appropriate to the ecological conditions (climate, soil, etc.);
- Sustainable game management;
- Recreational functions including:
- public amenity areas;
- environmental education in schools and for the general public;
- Opening of footpaths;
- An environmental function: with a programme of campaigns aimed at the conservation and/or rehabilitation of habitats and species of special heritage interest.

Help yourself!

Fine French and foreign foods, dinner + show, snacks, business functions, birthdays or get-togethers.
Whether in the centre of Cherbourg, around a table in one of the many restaurants of Haut-Cotentin or on the traditional markets, every day or for that special occasion, treat yourself to delicious old favourites or new taste sensations.

An historic beach.

On Omaha Beach itself, the museum exhibits a nice collection of uniforms, weapons, personal objects and vehicles in a surface area of 1200 m2.
Numerous scenes, beautiful archive photographs, maps, themed panels, a barge, a Belgian barrier, a 155mm canon named Long Tom, a Sherman tank etc, as well as a film with testimonies of American veterans will clearly explain the landings on Omaha and the Pointe du hoc.

Help yourself!

Fine French and foreign foods, dinner + show, snacks, business functions, birthdays or get-togethers.
Whether in the centre of Cherbourg, around a table in one of the many restaurants of Haut-Cotentin or on the traditional markets, every day or for that special occasion, treat yourself to delicious old favourites or new taste sensations.

36,000 hectares of unspoilt nature.

The Perche is an ancient French province enjoying something of a revival, and is distinguished by a strong geographical, historical, landscape and architectural identity. The Parc Naturel Régional du Perche, created five years ago, covers 118 communes divided between two départements, the Eure-et-Loir and the Orne. The Perche is characterised by a wide diversity of natural habitats: bocages (a mixture of fields, hedgerows and woodland), pastures, 36,000 hectares of forest, ponds and wetlands, hillsides and moorland supporting over 1,200 plant species and a varied fauna including some thirty species listed as of European interest.
The Perche also enjoys a remarkable architecural heritage: manor houses, splendid farms and picturesque villages. The identity of the Perche is also expressed in its customs, local events, traditional activities and popular arts and crafts.
The Manoir de Courboyer, standing in a 65 hectare landscaped estate, houses the Maison du Parc. The estate is a focal point for tourism and cultural activities, offering a range of events and activities: tours of the manor house, exhibitions, Perche produce stalls, a gastronomy centre, etc.

Celebrate the time of Impressionists

During the regional event “Normandie Impressionniste” (The Impressionists in Normandy), Serge Hureau and Olivier Hussenet invite you to come dance at Hangar 23 for the great Impressionist ball.
This party gathers all generations from the youngest to the oldest. The spirit of impressionist artists is transposed with the help of new technologies.
Dressed in white, the dancers can shake it with the Camargo company.
Let the party begin!

Summer of impressionism in Normandy.

The birthplace of impressionism, Normandy is closely linked with this artistic movement. This new festival Impressionist Normandy will run from June to September 2010.
Exhibitions, sound and light shows, recitals, concerts, conferences, dances and picnics will enliven many towns and rural areas in the region.
As part of this festival there will be a major exhibition A Town for Impressionism: Monet, Gauguin and Pissarro in Rouen at the Museum of Fine Arts in Rouen. You will also have the opportunity to discover the lesser known aspects of this artistic movement, with a print exhibition at the Fine Art Museum in Caen and ceramics of this period on display at the Ceramic Museum in Rouen.
Now you just need to decide what to see first!

Dieppe from all angles.

Since the 1820s, Dieppe has been a popular and well-known seaside resort. Over the years, many painters have paid a visit to this town, attracted by the sparkling luminous quality of its light. They have painted the cliffs, the port, the town and so on. The Château-Musée invites you to discover works by Eugène Boudin, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Claude Monet, which depict the Dieppe area.
This exhibition ties in with the Impressionist Normandy festival.

Impressions of light.

Weather Reports illustrates an artistic desire to explore contemporary forms through sunlight: three artists Spencer Finch, Ann Veronica Janssens (as yet unconfirmed), and Martin Oppel will show us how. Here the colour of a beam of light or a cluster of balloons appears to take on the colour of the sky. The artists' sensitive search for objects revealed by sunlight - an idea which was so fashionable in the 19th century - does not necessary bring the impressionist movement to mind. On the contrary, certain artists who employ this method might not even be aware that it was the impressionists who first touched upon this idea.

Lunching in the garden, impressionist style.

This exhibition of contemporary photographs focuses on the theme of the garden, with a special tribute to the theme of the déjeuner sur l'herbe ("lunch on the grass"), from Manet's famous painting of this name up until the Grande Jatte by Seurat, covering many impressionist renditions of leisure and picnics in the garden in between, including Monet's famous lily pond garden in Giverny.
Some video footage will also accompany the works in this exhibition.

Major gathering of second-hand goods dealers.

The largest flea market fair in the west of France, the Puces rouennaises (Rouen flea markets) have been able to gain their fine reputation by offering reliability in the quality of the merchandise presented, whether we're talking about ornaments, earthenware, vintage linen, furniture, collectors' books or post cards.

Originating from all over France but also from neighbouring countries to the north exhibitors present in Rouen a great choice of objects including some unusual ones.

At each ''Puces rouennaises'' event, exceptional items are expected and benefit on site from the service of experts always valued by visitors, with free consultation to get advice about the objects, furniture or earthenware.

The aisles of the largest flea market in France are there for bargain-hunters who are looking for rare and remarkable objects, from collectors' furniture to lace cloth not forgetting cuddly toys and silverware, old watchmakers' papers to jewellery, ceramics to vintage linen.

Here's one I made earlier…

Whether you are a newcomer seeking fresh ideas, an experienced artist wanting to perfect your craft, or a professional hunting out the latest trends and materials, the Salon Créativa is the place for you. The real selling point of the fair is its focus on workshops. Professionals will be there to demonstrate the latest techniques and products, answer questions and give tips and advice.

Four permanent workshops run throughout the week where you can try out one of the 70 crafts on offer, from dressmaking to patchwork or mosaics.

The fair brings together 160 exhibitors in a 8 000 m² exhibition space - you will find specialists in sewing, handicrafts, fine-arts, floral decoration, children's activities, etc.

Experience the satisfaction of having something crafted from your own two hands.

Impressions on the river.

For the first time the Maritime, River and Port Museum in Rouen will organise an exhibition on the theme of pleasure boating on the Seine in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This exhibition ties in with in the Normandy Impressionist festival, and will be complemented by a remarkable collection of pleasure craft, never before exhibited in public. This exhibition will be accompanied by a gathering of boats on the Seine.

Something for everyone.

This fair has been drawing crowds for 45 years. Here, you can find a bit of everything at all kinds of prices: shoes, clothes, plates... A piece of advice before coming, wear a pair of trainers because the fair is so big that two days might not be enough to discover it all.

An exceptional crossing.

Since 2009 the Tourist Office in Le Havre has continued with its annual project to transform the promenade by the beach, beside the beach huts, in to an open air gallery dedicated to photography during the summer months.
After last year's exhibition Visitors to Le Havre, this year's display will focus on the Normandie, the legendary French ocean liner. On 29th May 1935, 75 years ago, this jewel of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique was officially launched on her maiden voyage to New York, from Le Havre.
The newpapers dispatched their finest writers to cover this event (Blaise Cendrars, Colette, Claude Farrère… ), and VU Magazine was not to be outdone, sending Roger Schall to photograph this momentous event. Sixty large format photographs will be on display here, for passers by to witness the exceptional atmosphere of the launch of this famous ship.

The young Flaubert.

Gustave Flaubert was born in 1821 in the Hôtel-Dieu in Rouen. His father was a surgeon in the hospital there and it was in Rouen that he was to live his early life. The Hôtel-Dieu has now become the Museum of Flaubert and the History of Medecine, and the institution invites the public to discover the youth of Gustave Flaubert. This temporary exhibition will take place in the room in which the writer was born. It will feature works little-known by the general public, depicting the writer and his family, and will plunge you into the literary world of the young Flaubert.

Night lights.

After the stunning success of the previous show, entitled Cathedral: from Monet to Pixels, Rouen has once again commissioned the Skertzo company to put together a magical show.

Their latest production, entitled Impressionist Nights will once again take the city's architectural heritage and show it in a completely new light. There will be a projection on the façade of the Museum of Fine Arts, which itself has an Impressionist exhibition on at the same time. Note that there will not be an installation in front of the cathedral this year. This is something to light up your nights in Rouen!

This concert will finish in true Normandie Impressioniste 2010 style.

This is how the first occurrence of "Normandie impressionniste" will close. With an opera by Debussy dating from 1902. Pelléas et Mélisante is a rearrangement of the Tristan et Yseult (Tristan and Isolde) legend: the story of the impossible love of a young couple which could only be declared in death. This opera marks the end of the first "Normande impressionniste" festival.

Enchanted countryside.

This exhibition entitled "The Meanders of the Seine" covers the countryside nestled in the looping meanders of the River Seine. Between Rouen and Le Havre, these loops ("boucles" in French) gave their name to a regional park which aims to preserve the delicate balance between a fragile environment and human activities. Each loop has its own particular topographical, ecological and cultural qualities but the river is a geographic structure and part of the collective imagination.
Maxence Rifflet has put together this photographic portrait, freely documenting this special area. The monuments - natural or built - will be recognised by those who know the area. Two abbeys, a vast forest, monks, a beekeeper, quarries, an ex-voto, forestry workers, interlacing charms, a little girl near a pond, fish flitting through the waters… discover this enchanted countryside of a slowly meandering river.

A photographic trip down memory lane.

The Evreux museum invites you to discover, under the umbrella of the Impressionist Normandy festival, this exhibition entitled A photographic campaign in the Eure at the time of Impressionism.
The works exhibited are photographs which were taken by an Evreux resident, Bertrand, who in took these pictures in 1860 at the request of the General Council of the Eure. Contemporary photographs will be displayed alongside those taken by Bertrand.

Heaven for Sunday drivers and high-speed racers!

This year, the Auto-Moto ("Car and Bike") Show in Rouen will be welcoming an estimated 12 000 visitors from the entire region. Those looking for good second-hand deals will definitely get some useful information from one of the 30 professional auto clubs.

The programme includes a market, a number of exhibitions (miniature models, prototypes, material,…), and so much more!

300 hours of film on impressionism

French cinema can be proud of itself. Thanks to the genius of Charles Pathé and Léon Gaumont, a lot of film fiction and documentaries on impressionism saw the light of day. And the festival "Normandy Impressionism" is the ideal opportunity to share them with film enthusiasts. Some 14 000 hours of film have been edited into film themes enabling us to discover Normandy in an era when painters were inspired by it.

A cabinet of curiosities

Find hoards of photographic treasures at the Rouen Retrophoto market! Running for 20 years now, this event allows photography enthusiasts to track down old and new material.

A cabinet of curiosities, a swap meet, a huge second-hand market, Retrophoto brings back camera bellows and latter-day films. But digital will not be outdone. Second-hand cameras on the market for less than a year will also be on sale...

Heritage in the spotlight.

The Musicales de Normandie is a festival that aims to put Normandy's architectural heritage in the limelight by organising a series of classical and traditional concerts, in cultural venues such as Rouen Cathedral, Jumièges Abbey, Parc du Bois des Moutiers, Château d’Etelan, Manoir de Villers, Abbatiale Saint-Ouen, Evreux Cathedral, Château de Gaillon, etc.
Every week, music in a variety of styles will be filling the soundwaves thanks to a great team effort by local businesses and municipal workers.

Contemporary art at the Orangerie.

Zsuzsanna Salzmann’s exhibition is at the Orangerie, a pink brick building built by the President of Acquigny in 1746 at the foot of the church.

Her Mediterranean garden where the lavender blue and topiary Arizona Cyprus sculptures delicately harmonise with the rose alleys, the pink brick walls with pomegranate trees, fig trees, jasmine, vine, passion flowers and yellow flowered fremontodendron, indigo, silk trees…

Impressionist themes in video art.

Landscapes, intimate scenes, perception, the city ... These themes so dear to the impressionists are taken up by young artists who exhibit their work at the department civic building in Rouen. Their main aim? To express themselves differently from their predecessors while keeping this link to Impressionism. Their weapons? Light, colour, and ephemeral qualities. These 20 video artists from all over the world also aim to show that the artists of the 19th century were surprisingly modern.

Impressionism on pottery.

Discover around a hundred pieces at this exhibition entitled Impressionist Ceramics, which explores the idea of expressionism within the artistic field of pottery and ceramics.
Between 1872 and 1881 the Parisian experimental ceramics manufacturer, Haviland de Limoges, run by Félix Bracquemond, produced slip eathernware pottery which was then decorated by painters from the impressionist circles.
With the help of coloured slip, or liquid clay, applied with a brush, the artists could work as if on canvas: with impasto, depicting fleeting moments and brilliant landscapes.

An exceptional collection of drawings.

In 2004 Hélène Senn-Foulds donated a collection which belonged to her grandfather, Olivier Senn, to the Malraux Museum. This passionate collector with refined and sensitive tastes amassed a noteworthy collection of the art of his time.
Among the 205 or so works by artists such as Courbet, Delacroix, Corot, Pissarro, Renoir, Monet, Sisley, Sérusier, Vallotton, Bonnard, Marquet, Matisse and Derain, the collection also includes an exceptional selection of drawings and pastels by Degas, many of which have never before been exhibited in public.

Most of these works were executed in the artist's youth: preparatory drawings for major works. This is a collection which bears witness to the original and refined taste of this collector who did not just buy at random but sought out a coherent collection of works which appealed to him, in which a love of line comes through as the dominant theme.
In this exhibition organised by the Malraux Museum these 47 works will be accompanied by others belonging to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

A great treasure hunt with a real treasure to be won…

Tying in with the Impressionist Normandy Festival which is going on all around Normandy, this sixth Great Treasure Hunt will take on an impressionist colour scheme. The ultimate prize is to be a pendant jewel (worth 2,500 euros) designed by artisan jeweller Claire Cachelou, and which was inspired by Manet's early impressionist painting Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe.

Seeing is believing…

The Voir, Savoir exhibition is in essence a study of the relationship between academic research and the image… The core concept was to map out the usage of images throughout Western history, in particular their usage in educational contexts.

More than 300 documents will be on display and set up so that the visitor can discover them chronologically. From the first prints to our current image-saturated culture, learn the truth behind the expression "seeing is believing"…

Paintings and pictures.

The omnipresence of light is the most important part of the heritage: the thin "estuary light" stands out in pictures, and reveals the painters’ temperament. New subject matter, irony and misquoting are equally intrinsic to the work.

Through the variety and quality of paintings on display, this exhibition seeks to show the vitality of Normand artists.

Villequier reveals some unpublished Impressionist works.

The exhbition Contre l'Impressionisme, tout contre (Against impressionism, everything against)...on four panels. The first panel allows the visitor to discover the generic links and the journalistic context of the period through, in particular, l'Evènement, an opposition newspaper created by Auguste Vacquerie helped by two Victor Hugo's sons. Emile Zola, an art critic of that time, defended the Impressionnists in it. The second panel shows the Seine seen from different points of view expressed in an innovative way by the Impressionist mouvement. The third panel offers visitors the chance to have a direct comparison between the physical landscape actually seen and its painting. And the last panel in the exhibition is an invitation to re-discover certain plants and vegetation.

Views of Rouen.

Not everything has been said about impressionism and there remains a major historical subject to be explored: that of the role played by the city of Rouen in the development of this artistic revolution.
The Impressionist Normandy festival which will go on all over the region has prompted this major exhibition which ambitiously tackles the subject of Impressionism in Rouen, focusing in particular on the work of Monet, Pissarro and Gauguin.
Monet was to act as the trigger for this movement in Rouen: he was active there from 1872 and his work culminated in his Cathedrals of twenty years later. You might be less familiar with the paintings executed by Gauguin during his stay in 1884. As for Pissarro, his series of views of the quays and bridges of Rouen, are true masterpieces of the urban landscape genre.
The works of these great masters of painting will be set in the context of the many other painters who worked in Rouen at this time, from Corot to Marquet, via Jongkind, Boudin, Guillaumin and artists of the School of Rouen.

Keep your head in the clouds.

The first ever kiting meet in Dieppe took place in September 1980, with about a half a dozen countries represented by a group of strange men who liked to play with hankerchiefs and string... Now three decades later this number has been multiplied by five and the number of spectators went from an approximate zero to almost half a million.

Over 30 national teams will be putting on a one-of-a-kind show for the 450 000 expected visitors at this Festival International des Cerfs-volants. Expect music and dance, some spectacular aerial performances with flashy ultramodern kites soaring expertly among the clouds, and also some mindblowing shows with GIANT KITES.

It is said that kites were first used by navigators, and it was often thought that kites appeared in China 2 000 years ago. However recent research suggests that Indonesian navigators, keen observers of wind patterns, had flown the first kites over 3 500 years before our time.

Academians of the 18th century were quick to transform the kite into a scientific research tool - the salient example being Benjamin Franklin's silken kite which, carrying a key into a thunderstorm, demonstrated his theory that lightning was in fact electrical power.

The development of the aeroplane nullified the scientific potential of the kite but marked the beginning of kiting as a leisure activity.

One of the most notable aspects of this kiting festival is the fact that it is an international event. Every two years, 8 hectares of space between the city and the seafront are dedicated to kite-flyers from around the planet and numerous visiting spectators. This ideal natural setting is the perfect stage for such an event.

This exciting festival gathers the best teams and "pilots" in every field of kiting, the most talented kite-designers, but also the more traditional kite-flyers who never fail to make an appearance.

The international kiting festival is completely free of charge and allows visitors to learn about kite construction thanks to workshops, and about kite-flying techniques with the help of professionals. Certain activities are specifically tailored to children, school outings, and disabled persons.

Dieppe's International Kiting Festival is the largest and most impressive kiting festival in the world, and it would be madness to miss out on all the fun!

Eure at the time of impressionism

A member of Belgium's Royal Academy since 2008, Georges Rousse exhibits 250 photographs of the Eure to Vernon this summer. You may ask why? The act of picturing that he manages to reproduce with photography. Painter, sculpture and architect, Rousse seeks to discover every detail about this profession in order to capture this particular act of picturing. In Vernon, it is impressionism and creation of modern painting that are once more put to the fore. But this time, with the precise aim of finding a new image to the department. Acts of picturing are for example expected to take place with school children from Vernon. A way for Georges Rousse to pass on his art to an area he is particularly fond of.

Solidarity on the green

From the first fruits of spring to the end of the summer, 150 golf courses in France and Belgium are opening their doors and greens for a good cause: the association Vaincre la Mucoviscidose (Beating Cystic Fibrosis). This event, organised thanks to the work of numerous volunteers, also benefits from the support of the Fédération Française de golf as well as the minister of Health and Sport.

In 2009, 365,000 euros were raised and 10,000 golfers participated in the event.

Rouen's conservatoire develops impressionist cycle.

In parallel with the "impressionist Normandy" festival, Rouen's conservatoire tunes with summer. Works from the late 19th and early 20th Century will be played by Rouen's orchestra as well as Hamburg's, Rouen’s twin city. Chamber music and choirs will be presented to audiences. Also on the program, are illustrated conferences or cultural musical lessons on the theme of impressionism.

Gentleman burglar.

The Clos Arsène Lupin, which opened to the public in Etretat in 1999, recounts the life and memory of Maurice Leblanc, creator of the famous Arsène Lupin.
The visit is divided into 7 stages to create an original, entertaining adventure in the footsteps of the most famous and most charming of burglars.

Bowling late into the night.

Looking for an evening out with family or friends where you can relax and have fun? Look no further. Parvis Bowling in Evreux is open for bowling until late into the night.
There are plenty of other facilities to enjoy, too, including a bar, restaurant (closed Sunday and Monday except for groups), an ATM, TV screens, etc.

The cathedral of the famous.

Located in the heart of the right bank, the high silhouette of Rouen’s Notre-Dame cathedral dominates the city. Construction of the Gothic cathedral was undertaken in the middle of the 12th century, replacing the Roman cathedral (the crypt being preserved). A hundred years later, the cathedral had been completed but it was modified and enhanced over the course of the following centuries.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame houses, in the ambulatory and Chapelle de la Vierge, some famous tombs (recumbent statues of Rollon, the first duke of Normandy and Richard the Lionheart).

A rich natural heritage.

The Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande lies between Rouen and Le Havre, in the Eure and the Seine-Maritime départements. Shaped by the meanders of the Seine, the area provides glorious panoramas and sweeps of well-watered meadows. Plateaux, valleys and hillsides carved out by the river make up the landscapes of the five natural regions of the Park: the Seine valley, the Pays de Caux, the Roumois, the Basse Vallée de la Risle and the Marais Vernier.
Three abbeys, rural museums, châteaux and thatched cottages forge the identity of the Park's cultural heritage. The wetlands, the Park's ecological highlight, sink into soft silences, punctuated by pollarded trees.
There are natural sites to be visited in the Marais Vernier and the Basse Vallée de la Risle, with or without a guide. These habitats, which are of vital importance to the Park as a whole, are the subject of special awareness and preservation campaigns.

545 hectares of beautiful woodland.

The Evreux Forest is made up of 545 hectares of beautiful woodland, perfect for any number of walks and rides, from the Mare aux Biches to former quarries. Maps are available from the Tourist Office.
Take a walk with family, friends, or by yourself.

A prestigious collection.

Follow, in chronological order, the course of artistic and stylistic development from the 15th century until the present day, through a vast range of works of art and objets d'art in various media, from all schools of art.
The collection includes works by Perugino, Gérard David (the famous Virgin among virgins), Clouet (Le Bain de Diane), Martin de Vos, Veronese, and an exceptional collection of Russian icons dating from the 16th to the early 19th century.
The Fine Art Museum in Rouen boasts one of the most prestigious art collections in France.

Straight to the heart of the town's heritage.

Here is a circuit that will fascinate all ages, stepping into the history of Evreux: its cathedral consecrated in 1076, its town hall (in particular the marriage room) and former bishop's palace.
Walk classified as "easy" by the Comité Départemental de Randonnée Pédestre.

Learn, understand, pick, enjoy!

Picking fruit and vegetables fresh from the garden is such a pleasure... But it's important to know when, where and how. All will be explained during this fruit-picking event: when to pick and how, because picking is not as easy at is might seem.

There is a method to the harvesting process, particular to each fruit or vegetable, in order to avoid damaging your hard-earned goods. Instructive, healthy and value for money: pick-your-own is a winner on every count.

A choice of three circuits.

Here's a completely unheard-of way to explore the countryside and rural heritage of the Eure county. The train runs along the Eure Valley tour line, a stretch of the former Rouen-Orléans axis. Visitors have three circuits to choose from.
Every care has been taken to re-create a historic atmosphere: ticket offices, weighbridge, the goods shed, all the buildings that made Pacy one of the biggest stations on the Acquigny to Saint-Georges-Motel section of the line.
Adults enjoy it, and children are thrilled to play train-driver!

A great idea for a family outing...

Unrivalled in Europe.

Since 1921, the church of Saint-Laurent (15th and 16th century) has housed a collection of wrought ironwork that was and is a reference of its kind in Europe.
Its donor Henri Le Secq des Tournelles made over to the city of Rouen the first methodical collection of ironwork, begun in 1862 by his father Jean-Louis Le Secq Destournelles (1818-1882).

The latter, a member of the Mission Héliographique mounted by Prosper Mérimée to take photographs of outstanding monuments on behalf of the French Monuments Historiques department, was at once a practical, hands-on man, a painter and an art-lover. His was the original idea of taking an interest in hitherto overlooked objects: he began acquiring, from demolition sites as well as on the art market, every article of outstanding ironwork that he could find, with the exception of arms and armour, which others were already collecting.

Frances historic port.

The Maritime Museum Association of Rouen was founded in 1980, having taken up residence in an old port hangar since 1989. The hangar was renovated over time until 1999 when the museum, named the musée Maritime, fluvial et portuaire, opened its doors to the public.

This establishment has been hosting permanent exhibitions from the start, boasting a total of 2 000 objects related to the world of sailing and man's relationship with nature. Boats, scale-models, whale skeletons, boat motors, tools, materials and instruments that have their place on a ship…

Discover a rich heritage spanning from the 18th century to the present day.

Tolysland = Toyland!

Swings, pools, slides and even a tour train! This is the kind of fun-filled cocktail you can expect to find at the Tolysland leisure centre in Tosny. Think of the great memories to be made in the ball-pits (with ball-cannons!), on slides or taking pony rides. And even if the weather isn't on your side, there is a whole range of indoor activities to keep you busy!

Open space and animals

This is a wonderful day out for all the family. Find out about the heritage of the region while the children find out all about the farm animals.
The farm is six hectares big, and contains a maze, flower gardens and a whole farmyard menagerie.

Japanese Impression.

Since 1980, the property of the artist Claude Monet has belonged to the Claude Monet Foundation.

The impressionist artist lived from 1883 to 1926. See the collection of Japanese prints collected by Claude Monet inside this house.
After visiting the house, the garden invites you to enter its Clos Normand and its Water Garden.

Changing in harmony with the seasons, this natural area is known mainly for its Japanese bridge, which you can spot on several canvases painted by the artist.
"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers", said Claude Monet; visit Giverny and you will understand why.

The thrill of a lifetime.

Are your kids tired of smog and concrete? Do you dream of giving them fresh air, old-fashioned fun and a sense of adventure?

Well look no further, your answer is right here: acrobatic tree-climbing activities in the thick of the forest! Here old and young will be able to swing, climb, scale and jump from one tree to the next. Each circuit is perfectly suited to a certain age-group and general fitness. Let the little ones take to the trees as children have done since time immemorial. Thrills to be expected.

Equatorial temperatures.

Feel like taking time out for relaxation, whether you live in Evreux or are just passing through?
The Equatorial Sauna, an open-minded gay and lesbian establishment, offers a sauna, hammam (steam bath), jacuzzi, relaxation area and alcohol-free bar.
Relax and recharge your batteries alone or with friends.

What time is it?

Rouen’s Great Clock is a key landmark in the Norman city. It comprises a Gothic belfry, bell, Renaissance archway and classical fountain. It was the first to be built to house the city bells, whose mechanism is one of the oldest in Europe.
From the outside you can admire the sculpted archway, a Renaissance masterpiece, and restored sundials.

Relaxation and sports.

The gardens are an ideal setting for relaxing, strolling and playing sports.
Against their splendid natural background, take advantage of the mini-golf, the exercise circuit, the BMX track, playgrounds and picnic spots.