Called
Lower-Normandy or
Basse-Normandie, this administrative region is comprised of three departments, namely Calvados, Orne and Manche. The former duchy of Normandy, located south of the English Channel, along the French coast, was divided between British and French sovereignty since it was comprised of the British Channel Islands and northern French territories. The French territories were divided into two regions, namely
Haute-Normandie and
Basse-Normandie. Just shy of 1.5 million, the population of the
Basse-Normandie region is smaller than most others, yet it remains among of the most population dense regions in France.
Day visitors to the region are quite fond of the seaside resorts and towns along the coast. In picturesque Honfleur, the sea has withdrawn as a result of extensive siltation, causing the old houses that were once along the seafront to lie much further inland. The region is extremely accessible to visitors on account of a bridge erected in Honfleur. One very popular seaside resort, Deauville, is a former playground of the rich and the famous with its modern villas and smart casinos unlike its more down market neighbour, Trouville.
The department of Calvados is lined in great part by D-day beaches which are renowned for having taken the lives of more than 100,000 soldiers in 1944 on June 6. German shell holes and bunkers remain pitted into the beaches that are often times still called by their codenames during wartime: Juno, Omaha, Sword, Utah and Gold.
Away from the region's coast, you will find an incredibly fertile landscape of rich pastures, lush meadows and orchards which hide small villages populated with half-timbered houses. Allied troops in 1944 found great difficulty in permeating the area referred to as the bocage around the city of St-Lô. The densely wooded areas of the south of
Lower-Normandy are great for walking and the woods attract deer-hunters during the autumn.
The region is known for its filet mignon de porc normande which is pork tenderloin with apples and onions in cider served with caramelized apple rings, moules à la normande which is mussels in a cream and white wine sauce, and sole normande which is Dover sole poached in cider and cream with shrimp. Of course, these dishes must be accompanied by the traditional cider brandy Calvados.
Like other French regions,
Basse-Normandie has a rich agricultural industry, with production of dairy and apples, as well as the rearing of cattle being the main activities. Producing apples to make cider and apple-flavored liquor are very popular activities in the region. Production of cheese, butter and milk have suffered at the liquidation of many small farms and the stringent sanitation guidelines that forced quite a number of small traditional cheese factories into closure. Over the past two decades, the economy of
Basse-Normandie has become more complex, combining small and medium-sized industries and services with traditional output to create the growth of a very young population and increase the region's GDP.
For a second home or even to buy property and settle down, this region is affordable and yet gives one a wonderful natural backdrop.
