Avranches

An attractive Norman town with good shops and colourful pavement cafes sited at the entrance to Brittany. As such it was strategically important during the Battle for Normandy - a Sherman tank stands on a roundabout to commemorate Patton's capture of the town and his army's breakout towards Rennes. From the top of the town there are fine views across the bay to Mont St Michel.

Bagnoles de L'Orne

Lovely spa town set round a lake with thermal baths where you can take health treatments or just taste the water. Not far from Domfront, the two together make a great day trip.

Battle of Normandy

La Locherie is about an hour-and-a-half from the D-Day beaches and the Peace Museum at Caen but there are many other reminders of the battle of Normandy closer to home. Nearby is the scene of a large arms drop before the landings. The aim was to arm resistance fighters, whose job was to slow the advance of German reinforcements from the south. There's a memorial to locals who were shot after being betrayed to the Nazis, and a street named after a British agent dropped nearby to help organise reistance as well as to giveassistance to the advancing Americans.

At St James is a poignant reminder of the cost of war, a beautifully-kept and peaceful American war cemetery.
St James War Cemetry

Bayeux

Home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman Conquest of 1066, it was the first town liberated during the Second World War, on June 7, 1944 and escaped undamaged. It has a fine cathedral, completed in 1077 and many old stone and timber-framed houses that have been beautifully restored.

Beaches

There are good beaches less than an hour's drive from La Locherie and an excellent range within 90 minutes. Closest is probably Genets just North of Avranches and the sandy beaches stretch from there up to Granville, which is a grand old resort.

Across the Baie du Mont St Michel the shady beaches start at St Anne and run non-stop west up to pretty Cancale, where you can see the oyster farmers at work and treat yourself to their harvest, either direct from the market stalls or al fresco at one of the fine restaurants lining the bay.

Further West you come on to the major resorts of St Malo and yachties' favourite Dinard (see entries).

Chateau Gontier

This is a beautiful ancient town, set on the Mayenne River. The Sunday morning market is worth a trip, selling everything you could imagine. Famous for its fish, beef and apple products, these appear on the menus of the auberges, set along the river.

Dinan

Fairytale old town with scores of mediaeval timber-framed houses and cobbled streets. From the castle watchpath there are fine panoramic views over the River Rance and the viaduct that spans it.

Dinard

The other side of the Rance estuary from St Malo, Dinard is a pretty old seaside resort with good shops and restaurants and a casino. Ryanair fly to the town's airport daily.

Domaine de la Petite Couere

An 80-hectare park at Nyoiseau, near Segre, Domaine de la Couere, with rides for children, wild animals to see, museums of cars, tractors and agricultural machinery, and reconstructions of life in past times. There are picnic places and riverside walks and a minature railway to carry you around the site.

Domfront

Beautiful old town on a hill with breathtaking views from the top and a castle ruin to explore. There are picturesque cafes set in the ancient streets and squares.

Ernee

The district's market town, Ernee has a wide selection of shops, including a parfumier, chocolatier, a terrific sandwich shop, a cutprice factory shop selling clothes and shoes, two large supermarkets and a Bricomarche (French equivalent of B&Q).

Fougeres

Fougeres is a gorgeous old fortress town. The largely intact castle was built between the 11th and 15th centuries making it probably the oldest in France in such good condition. The town has good shops and restaurants and a Carrefour shopping complex on the outskirts.

Gorron

Pleasant market town with a couple of supermarkets, and a very nice Breton creperie. There's a large English expat community in the area, so you can often find British products you may be pining for in the stores.

Granville

Imposing old Normandy seaside town with plenty of attractions. There are fine sandy beaches from here south towards Avranches, some in bustling resorts, some deserted.

Jublains

Remarkable old Roman town with well-preserved remains of a temple, thermal baths, theatre and fortress.

La Mazure

Leisure park of 2.5 hectares, on the shores of the picturesque Lac de Vezins, between St Hilaire and Ducey. It is a canoe and kayak centre, with all kinds of boats and pedaloes to hire. There are country walks, bikes to hire, with a bike circuit and tennis courts. There is also a good restaurant.

Lassay-Les-Chateaux

The well-preserved 14th century castle dominates this pretty medieval town. It is open to the public and guided tours are available.

Laval

County town of Mayenne with some good shops, including an excellent parfumier, and a Saturday market. Pretty views along the river. From here there is a super-fast rail service to Paris on the justly famous TGV.

Le Mans

Home of the famous 24-hour auto race, held each year at the end of June, this is a major city with the shops you would expect, but at its heart is the old town with cobbled lanes and stairways.

Les Jardins des Renaudies, Colombiers du Plessis

A must for the green-fingered, these flower gardens not far from Gorron, are the result of one man's dedication and hard graft.

Mayenne

Another pretty river town, with quaint streets and some good shops and restaurants. The wide Mayenne river, from which the town and the region get their names, flows through under handsome bridges, having already passed through Laval on its way.

Mont St Michel

A stunning, unforgettable, fairytale masterpiece, Mont St Michel is a granite outcrop in the bay of St Michel, which has been a religious site since the 8th Century and which, since the 11th has had an Abbey perched on top. Cut off from the mainland at high tide until comparatively recently, there is now a causeway making access easier.

Mont St Michel Webcam

Mortain

Dramatic hill town which played an important part in the later stages of the Battle of Normandy. There are pleasant walks beside two powerful waterfalls, Le Grand Cascade and Le Petit Cascade which are worth the journey alone. There is an open air swimming pool here, which has been highly recommended for children.

Parc de Loisirs Ange Michel

This aquatic park, set on the picturesque Lac de Vezins, has water slides, trampolines, quad bikes, tourist train, animal park, birds, billiards and a tea room - something for all the family. Click here to see their website.

Pontmain

Pontmain is the second most popular religious site in France and well worth the short trip. Once a tiny village, it became a major place of pilgrimage after the Virgin Mary appeared to several village children on January 17, 1871. Eleven days later an armistice was declared. A vast neo-gothic basilica, with twin granite spires and fabulous stained glass windows was built on the site. View the full story here.

Rennes

Ancient capital of Britanny, Rennes has fine architecture and brilliant shops including the Galeries Lafayette department store. Wander the old town north of the river then take the Metro south to the Columbiers indoor shopping centre.

Shopping

The closest supermarket is about four miles away and there are larger stores at Gorron, Ernee and St Hilaire. There's a huge Carrefour shopping centre at Fougeres and another at Laval and a Hyper U at Mayenne.

Gorron , Ernee and St Hilaire are pleasant market towns with a selection of shops well worth a visit. For a wider choice, particularly for clothes, try the larger towns of Fougeres, Mayenne and Laval. Better still, if slightly further away, is Rennes, which has many good shops, including a branch of the Galleries Lafayette department store. A day trip to Paris is possible via TGV train from Laval, if a really big city is required!

St Hilaire du Harcouet

St Hilaire is a pretty Norman town with one of the best markets in the area, held on a Wednesday. Here you can buy everything from fresh fish, meat and veg to tractor tyres. There is also a good swimming pool, which includes a health spa, in the town.

St James War Cemetary

(see Battle of Normandy) The pretty market town of St James is worth seeing while you are here.

St Loup-du-Gast

Pretty floral village which has, among its attractions, a velo-rail, where you can cycle specially-built buggies along the old railway line.

St Malo

Fine old port with 12th century ramparts with many old buildings that survived heavy bombing in 1944, or have been rebuilt. Lining the cobbled streets of the walled old town are many fine shops and restaurants.

Swimming

There are swimming pools in St Hilaire, Ernee and Gorron. An open air pool is situated in Mortain, a town which is well worth a trip. The Parc De Loisirs at Ange-Michel has water slides and pools and there is a large aqua centre at Vire.

Villedieu-des-Poeles

Literally God's Town of frying pans, Villedieu is an attractive town that as its name suggests is an important centre for the manufacture of copper pans. Many of the shops in the town centre sell copper goods, though probably at tourist prices.

Vire

Nice old town which was devasted by bombardment during the Battle of Normandy but has been sympathetically rebuilt. A medieval gateway and a few other houses survived the bombing.

Vitre

Ancient fortified town built on a spur at the gateway to Britanny, its pretty old Sstreets and ramparts have survived unchanged for more than 400 years.