France is truffled with drop dead gorgeous villages, and Normandy has an indecent share of them. This tour of charming Normandy villages will take you to three: Gerberoy, Lyons la Foret and Beuvron en Auge.

It is a celebration of a facet of France’s rural life, its hamlets, which is an essential aspect of Gallic identity, and one of its greatest charms.

You may object that Gerberoy is actually in Picardy, which is true, but it is close enough to Normandy to consider it Norman. Its tranquil setting and lovely half timbered buildings have been forgotten for so long, and they are so removed from contemporary France and the modern world that it is worth the hour and a half drive (from Paris) just to soak up its atmosphere.

That is what appealed to the post-Impressionist painter Henri Le Sidaner, who discovered Gerberoy in 1900 and was so seduced that he moved in and spent the rest of his life there.

Our visit explores its streets and alleys, Sidaner’s garden and takes in the gorgeous views of the surrounding Bray countryside that are visible in a promenade along its ramparts. For those interested, there are a few Sidaner paintings that can be seen at the town hall.

It is a short half hour drive to our next stop in this tour of charming Normandy villages, at catch-your-breath-beautiful Lyons la Foret.

It’s charm is so great that film directors Jean Renoir and Claude Chabrol both chose it as the setting for their film versions of Madame Bovary. Ry, the actual setting that inspired Flaubert’s novel, is near-by, but it is not nearly as appealing. Once seen, Lyons is a village that you will never forget, to which you will always want to return.

It is located in the heart of the largest beech forest in Europe, and it offers a nice selection of charming 16th to 18th century buildings, inviting inns and one of the most appealing covered market places anywhere in France, dating from the 17th century.

Its charms attracted Maurice Ravel who composed the “Tombeau de Couperin” and orchestrated Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” while staying in an imposing Norman mansion that you can still see there.

Our last stop in this tour of charming villages of Normandy is Beuvron en Auge which we will reach in a drive of less than two hours from Lyons. Beuvron is a focal point for typically Norman produce: Calvados, cider, Camembert and Livarot cheeses, and artisanal copper products.

It consists of about forty half timbered buildings dating from the 17th century and a manor from the 15th, neatly arranged around a central square where the old covered market used to stand, recently reconstituted with old building materials. It represents the quintessence of Normandy’s soul through its rustic architecture, local produce and wonderful floral decor.

Cost for 1-3 persons: 900 € per group
--- for 4-6 persons: 950 € per group
Includes driver/guide, luxury vehicle, fuel and tolls.
Meals, entry fees, drinks not included.

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