Updated on 19 October 2020
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If you’re looking for a little inspiration for your next cycling trip to Normandy, you’ve come to the right place. From short to multi-day rides, from foodie to historical trails, discover our full collection of cycle routes across the region. Find the perfect one for you by clicking on any of the cycle routes below to see a full breakdown of the route, distances, elevation, and heritage sites or hidden gems along the way. Feel free to download, print or share!
Author Information
La Vélomaritime - Voie verte de Caen à Merville-Franceville
Further information
Services
Green way, Shared lane, Bicycle path
IGN MAP
OPEN STREET MAP
Starting point
Port de Caen/Ouistreham - Port de Plaisance de Caen
At the end of a lively canal, an entire town awaits you. In the heart of Caen, the marina is a stopover offering a medley of history and modernity. Berth at the foot of William the Conqueror’s castle, amidst an urban decor of pubs, restaurants and stores. An entire city breathes and lives around your boat. And the road that takes you there is equally eventful: the canal, from Ouistreham, offers a tour of port facilities and historic sites, such as Pegasus Bridge and the Château de Bénouville. At just 3 knots, you slowly enter the region’s very lung.
Visite guidée du parc historique Ornavik
Ornavik Historical Park: a journey through time!
Immerse yourself in the history of the birth of Normandy during a guided tour. Explore medieval buildings reconstructed with scientific rigor, and discover the fascinating story that links Rollon the Viking to William the Conqueror.
Practical information
- Duration: 2 hours
- Free parking
- Continuous on-site catering during opening hours
Musée Mémorial Pegasus
The Pegasus Memorial Museum, located between Caen and the sea, tells the story of when the very first liberators from the British 6th Airborne Division landed on Norman soil on the night of the 5th to the 6th of June 1944. Period documents, films and objects. Guided tours of the museum, of Pegasus Bridge and of the reproduction of a WWII glider. Guided tour in French or English lasts: 1h30.
Novelty: you can now access all museum information on your smartphone via QR Codes on the panels inside the museum grounds.
Available in 10 languages: French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish and Czech.
L'estuaire de l’Orne
The département of Calvados' leading natural preserved site, the Orne estuary is of major ecological interest. It provides a habitat for a remarkable array of fauna and flora, including many rare species, protected regionally or nationally. Marked walking routes, orienteering tables, information panels and observatories offer visitors the ideal environment to discover the estuary.
In the heart of this natural site, the Maison de la nature et de l’estuaire (Nature and estuary centre), the property of the Calvados Council, invites you to discover the estuary's many treasures.
Maison de la nature et de l'estuaire
The Nature and Estuary Visitor Centre is the property of the Calvados Council and is managed by the CPIE Vallée de l’Orne. It is a genuine gateway towards nature for one of the vastest natural protected areas in Calvados: the Orne estuary.
This interpretation centre offers a fascinating insight into this preserved and highly diverse natural environment. It also organises temporary exhibitions associated with the coast and/or our region’s biodiversity, together with a programme of events, offering visitors a fun way to improve their understanding of nature! A certified ‘Family +’ attraction.
Come and get back to nature over a breath of Normandy’s fresh sea air!
Pegasus Bridge
The bridges of Ranville and Bénouville were recaptured in the early hours of the night of the 5th to the 6th of June 1944 by the British 5th Parachute Brigade, whose emblem was Pegasus. The bridge over the canal was renamed Pegasus Bridge in memory of this great military feat. Free access to the site, visit free of charge.