| This old Normandy seaside town will be fun for all the family |
On a rocky outcrop to the north of Mont St Michel sits the historic town of Granville. It has long been a fashionable seaside resort, and judging by the number of visitors it attracts today, its charisma hasn’t waned.
1. SHOPPING AND STROLLING
On entering the town follow signs for the Office de Tourisme and the adjacent car park on the Cours Jonville where you can leave your motorhome. The streets of Granville are full of shops, particularly in the heart of the town, and beg to be explored on foot. There are plenty of places to eat, too, so once you’ve had your fill of the shops, give your feet a rest and enjoy some refreshment at a local café or restaurant.
2. THE WONDERS OF NATURE
Return to the car park and from it turn left into the one-way traffic system, following signs for Le Phare (an excellent restaurant specialising in seafood) and the Aquarium Musée which is situated on the rock at the most westerly point of the town. Leave the motorhome in the space opposite the Aquarium.
It’s just as well that parking is free here, for you can expect to be absent for several hours once you begin to explore the wealth of museums and other attractions. Start off with the Aquarium, which displays a wealth of underwater fauna including fish from the local waters and multicoloured specimens from warmer seas.
A popular thrill is manoeuvres of the huge sea lions in the outside tank. At the adjoining marine museum allow plenty of time to fully appreciate the many scale models and specimens.
The nearby Féerie des Coquillages (Shell Fairyland) will leave you truly agog. Here, in a cave containing over three tons of corals from around the world, are fabulous scenes created entirely from millions of individually
selected shells. A replica of a single Japanese engraving involves 50,000 shells, while each of the 2000
flowers covering one wall represents two hours’ work.
Whole years were spent on the sculptures of mythological and imaginary animals on display in the La Palais Mineral (The Mineral Palace). The frescos in the Astrology and Egyptian rooms are certain to impress, and the
spectacle of the black cave, made from over 300 kilos of pink quartz, is a truly dazzling sight.
The finale in this museum complex is Le Jardin des Papillons (The Butterfly Garden). Here you can watch tropical butterflies in a faithfulre-creation of their natural rainforest habitat.
3. OLD TOWN
Leaving the motorhome in the Aquarium Musée car park, continue on foot along the Boulevard Vaufleury and stop to admire the Eglise Notre Dame, which dates from the 15th century. Now make your way through the quaint streets of the old town by way of the Rue du Nord which will take you in a clockwise direction to Rue Lecarpentier and the Musée du Vieux Granville. This museum, located behind the Grande Porte in the former Logis du Roi, houses a collection of the town’s art and historical effects. En route you will pass the Musée Richard Anacreon, whose collection includes a number of Impressionist paintings.
Walking along the town ramparts takes you past rows of ancient houses, some of them curiously squat with tiny windows and weathered doors and shutters. The view of the town from this elevated height is quite superb.
The view of the harbour is, by contrast, something of an eyesore. The tides around the bay are the among the most powerful in Europe, and through the centuries royal merchant ships and fishing trawlers have found refuge here. Today trawlers and whelkers still unload their catch on the quay, and every morning lorries leave the port crammed with seafood destined for the tables of France.
4. LOOKING SHIPSHAPE
Return to the car park at the Aquarium and on leaving it follow the one-way system via Avenue de Cap Lihou and Rue du Port to the roundabout at the bottom of hill. Take the second exit into Boulevard des Admiraux Granvillais where you will see the sailing school on your right. Park in the car park opposite the school and cross road to visit it.
Recreational sailing takes pride of place in this area, and the impressive Centre Régional de Nautisme de Granville (Granville Regional Sailing Centre), with its many craft moored in the harbour, its smart accommodation and buzz of activity, suggests a top-class establishment. It is open all year and caters for every age and level of sailor. Dinghies, catamarans, windsurfing boards and sea kayaks can all be hired here, although some visitors may prefer to take the 45-minute boat trip to the Chausey islands, departing from the Gare Maritime de Granville facing the sailing school.
5. FOLLOWING FASHION
Turn right out of the car park at the sailing school and at the roundabout take the second exit into Rue Saint Sauveur. Pass the tourist office on the right and bear right into Cours Jonville. At the T-junction turn left, then take the second turning on the right into Rue J. Michelet, soon after bearing left into Avenue de la Libération and taking the second turning on the left immediately after passing the Protestant Temple, also on your left, following the sign for Musée et Jardin Christian Dior. Park in the museum’s car park.
A touch more glamourous than the sailing school is the Musée Christian Dior. It is housed in the delightful pink stone mansion where Dior lived as a child and which commands wonderful views of the sea from its cliff-top location. The museum was created between 1992 and 1997, while 2001 has seen the restoration of the 1920s garden created by Christian and his mother which inspired so many of the famous couturier’s creations.
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Time 7½ hours
Start Cours Jonville
Finish Musée Christian Dior
REFRESHMENTS
Le Phare
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 50 12 94
Restaurant Le Herel
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 90 44 52
Le Borgalino Pizzeria
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 50 02 99
ATTRACTIONS
L’Aquarium Le Roc
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 50 19 83
Centre Regional de Nautisme
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 91 22 62
Gare Maritime boat tours
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 50 31 81
Musée Christian Dior
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 61 48 21
INFORMATION
Office de Tourisme
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 91 30 03
RECOMMENDED PARKS
Camping Municipal Sainte Mère Eglise, 50480 Sainte Mère Eglise. Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 41 35 22. Charges: per
person FF9.50-11.50; child (0-7 years) FF4.00-5.00; small tent FF10.00; extra vehicle FF5.00; pet FF12.00; electric hook-up FF10.50-13.50
Camping La Campière, Vimoutiers, Bvd. du Docteur Dentur, 61120 Vimoutiers. Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 39 18 86. Charges: per
person FF14.70; child (0-10 years) FF7.40-8.10; pitch FF9.20-11.40; car FF7.40-9.20; pet FF5.60; electric hook-up FF17.90 in winter. |
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