Nice places to have a picnic

You’ve bought some local fresh products from a local village in the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel and you picked up that wonderful freshly baked bread where they make it like they used to! Now you’re looking for somewhere perfect to settle down for a picnic lunch. How about Saint-Jean-le-Thomas? The spot known as la place de Pignochet is right by the dunes and has plenty of room for picnickers. Before you is the vastness of the bay, the famous sheep on the salt-marshes, and the majestic silhouette of the Mont-Saint-Michel and Mont-Tombe.

The hill of Sainte-Catherine was where Claude Monet painted his panoramic view of Rouen. It’s quite a climb – some 525 steps to the top, but you can see why he loved it – the view is splendid. And after all that work, you will feel fully justified in enjoying a high-carb lunch with a glass of wine to boot!

Mortain is famous for its waterfall, the largest in western France, and is a perfect place to set up your picnic. By the little Chapel of Saint-Michel there’s a picnic area ready for you, and from there, on a clear day, you can even see the Mont-Saint-Michel in the distance.

We recommend a pleasant walk by the Saint-Samson-de-la-Roque lighthouse and there you can set up your picnic at one of the picnic tables provided. Take in the view of the Normandy Bridge linking Honfleur and Le Havre, Marais Vernier marshes and Pont de Tancarville bridge upstream.

The little country road that takes in the thatched cottages and unique landscapes of the Marais Vernier marshes (a meander of the Seine that dried up millennia ago) is perfect for a family day out, whether on foot, by bike or even in a car. The Observatory of the Grand’ Mare, which overlooks the lake of the same name, is a good spot to have a picnic. With ducks and wild geese for company and picnic tables provided, what could be better?