Seen from Paris, the idea of a weekend in Normandy too often boils down to simply taking a train to breathe a good bowl of invigorating iodine on the planks of Deauville in Calvados or even on the heights of the cliffs. of Etretat in Seine-Maritime.
Penetrating the land of this still preserved region and discovering the charms of its dense countryside, far from the beaten paths of the coast, has nevertheless become a pleasure within everyone's reach thanks to the "bicycle routes", which are more and more numerous there. .
Between bocage, orchards, marshes, traditional hedgerows and... gourmet stops, there are now nearly thirty marked and secure routes, on average 15 to 60 kilometers long, to take the time to (re)discover Normandy in a different way.
Everyone at their own pace.
By bike therefore,
Le Figaro
has selected three stages of different levels.
Read alsoCycling: electric bike, gravel, VTC... Which mount to choose
With the family: the "postcard" stage of the Manche, between Saint-Lô and Saint-Jean-de-Daye
In the English Channel, towpath from Saint-Lô.
Xavier Lachenaud / Attitude Manche
Level:
very easy.
Distance:
25km.
Elevation:
flat.
It's a bit of a postcard stopover: departing from Saint-Lô, take the towpath on the banks of the Vire to Saint-Jean-de-Daye.
Apple trees, cows and horses guaranteed along this green and tree-lined path almost entirely dedicated to cyclists and hikers.
Here, the vegetation, greasy and fragrant, varies with the seasons and the work in the fields.
A scent of tranquility floats between its sometimes century-old hedges and yet so fragile in appearance.
The beauty of a meandering stream in the middle of a meadow suddenly forces you to slow down your bike and your heart rate.
We stop.
We finally breathe.
Silently.
Tip:
before taking the train again at Saint-Lô station, don't forget to visit its famous national stud farm.
Read alsoHolidays in La Manche, why you have to (re)discover this corner of Normandy
With friends: on the paths of Calvados, between Caen, Ouistreham and Cabourg
Cycle route at the Pegasus Bridge in Bennouville in Calvados.
G. Wait / Calvados Tourism
Level:
easy.
Distance:
39 km.
Elevation:
flat.
It's the perfect stopover for, after an effort (however very measured with its…flat slopes) to treat yourself with friends to the little gourmet and festive comforts that Calvados knows so well how to offer: restaurants, trendy bars and casinos.
Arrived by train in Caen, take the old mining road, now converted into a green track, along the Orne to the port of Ouistreham (16 km).
Then, to Cabourg (23 km), you will follow the hinterland, in particular an ornithological reserve, a paradise for more than 400 species of birds, passing the famous Pegasus Bridge, immortalized in the film Un jour le
plus long
.
Tip:
follow in the footsteps of Marcel Proust, have a drink at the bar of the Grand Hôtel de Cabourg and book your Art Nouveau style room: 414.
Read alsoNorman stroll with Marcel Proust: find lost time in Cabourg
Between confirmed amateurs: sus on the heights of the Seine-Maritime, between Le Havre and Étretat
Coastal cycle route facing the cliffs of Fécamp.
SMA-V.Rustuel
Level:
difficult.
Distance:
44 km.
Elevation:
145 m.
A journey through history and literature.
After having walked the long avenues of Le Havre imagined by the architect Auguste Perret in a very post-war “reconstruction” taste, without forgetting a passage through the Oscar Niemeyer space, do not forget an oil to massage your calves.
Then head for the cliffs of Étretat, where the shadow of Arsène Lupin still hovers.
It is possible to take a bus, line 122, to cross the Normandy bridge.
The opportunity to revise your bike brakes before the last descent.
Tip:
before arriving, take advantage of the bucolic viewpoints of the Valleuse d'Antifer.
Read alsoLa Seine à Vélo: our guide to preparing for your trip to Deauville or Le Havre
Practical notebook
USEFUL
Websites of regional tourist offices (Seine-maritime-tourisme.com; Calvados-tourisme.com; Normandie-tourisme.fr) regularly updated.
Lavelomaritime.fr: itinerary and practical information.
GO
By car
, from Paris, allow 2 hours for Le Havre (200 km) via the A13, 1h50 for Caen (200 km), and 3h30 for Saint-Lô (300 km).
By train
, departing from Gare Saint-Lazare, allow a 2.5 hour journey to La Havre, and 2 hours to Caen.
For Saint-Lô, correspondence in Caen then plan another 1h20.
Read alsoFrom Mont-Saint-Michel to the cliffs of Étretat, our advice and itineraries for exploring Normandy by bike