Surroundings of Longueil are one of France's most bountiful regions offering a wealth of history and culture, a wide choice of outdoor activities, stunning coastal scenery, picturesque villages and bustling market towns. You wil can rest on the beaches, visit museums or gardens, or walk or go with bicycle along quiet ways.

Beaches :

The coast line - Cote d'Albatre (the Alabaster Coast) - provides very dramatic scenery as chalk cliffs give way to small fishing villages, sandy beaches at low tide, sheltered marinas and busy ports. Lying just behind the coastal plain are some of Normandy's most beautiful and rural villages.

Quiberville sur Mer is nearest, only 3 km. You can go walking by a small path that leave from Longueil. This beach is very busy. You can hire catamaran, kayaks... For young children, games on the sand. Each day the fishermen land their catch here and usually (early morning) one can purchase a variety of fish including lobster, mussels, sole, cod and skate

Saint Aubin sur Mer provides a wide sandy beach safe for bathing.

The villages :

Sotteville sur Mer , built upper the cliffs. Those who like sport can go to the beach... by 232 steps...

The picturesque town of Veules-les-Roses is enchanting with small cobbled streets lined with pretty cottages. Its claim to fame is that it has France's shortest river which meanders gently through the town and one can follow its course, via a mapped walk, out to the sea. The beach here is pebbly but offers good facilities for children by means of a play area and shallow swimming pool.

Saint Valery-en-Caux is the next town along the coast in a westerly direction. It has a picturesque yacht marina, a vibrant Friday market, a variety of small shops and good restaurants. On a sunny day it is relaxing to sit at one of the quay side bars with a drink and watch the yachts and small fishing vessels entering and leaving the harbour.

Further, Fécamp and Etretat must be visit if you stay in Normandy for a first time...

If you go in easterly direction, you arrive at Varengeville sur Mer, most famous village of Pays de Caux. A church on the cliffs, gardens, small paths... You must stay in this village for a day...

A fifteen minute drive in an easterly direction brings you to the cross channel port and historic market town of Dieppe which has much to offer. It is a seaside resort where the seafront has been carefully developed to provide a promenade and new indoor/outdoor olympic size swimming pool which is a fabulous amenity and a great place to take the children on a sunny or rainy day. There are also grassy lawns which provide space for many changing activities like the annual Kite Festival and several children’s play areas.

The swimming pool at Dieppe

Dieppe's streets are busy with shops and restaurants, and the weekly Saturday market brings colour and tradition to the central square. The town's fishing port reaches right into the town itself and seafood restaurants are plentiful along the quay. Dieppe was once an important port for the trading of spices and ivory, and its chateau-museum, prominently positioned on the cliff top overlooking the town, displays a collection of sculpted ivory worked by local craftsmen from as far back as the 16th century. The town never forgets that it is the oldest sea resort along the coast and it has proof that in 1578, King Henri III came to bathe in order to “cure certain itches”. Throughout the following centuries Dieppe became a fashionable town for the aristocracy to enjoy sea bathing. Dieppe, in later days, was equally popular with writers, musicians and artists and, in particular, Impressionist Painters such as Degas, Renoir, Monet and Gauguin. The museum still holds works by these famous artists.

This part of the 'Haute Normande' has attracted artists for over a century and was favoured by the early Impressionists because of its special quality of light. Today this is still evident as artists flock from all over the world to paint subjects previously captured on canvas by the great masters. During the summer months there are ‘Expositions’ in nearly every village and town.

For those that wish to venture further a field, a day trip could include the Normandy Landing Beaches, Falaise - the birth town of William the Conqueror, the Benedictine Monastery at Fecamp famous for its liqueur, the Bayeux Tapestry, Mont Saint Michel, Honfleur, Monet's Garden at Giverny or take a drive across the architecturally magnificent Pont de Normandie and visit the cider, calvados or cheese making regions of Normandy.

The promenade at Quiberville

If all this activity is too much, you may wish to stay closer to home with a visit to the famous Parc du Bois des Moutiers at Varengeville sur Mer. This house and garden combines the talents of the internationally acclaimed gardener and architect Lutyens and Jekyll and makes for a very enjoyable afternoon out. There are many other places of great interest including Guy de Maupassant's Chateau at Miromesnil. A 45 minute drive or 30 minutes by train from Dieppe is the capital city of Normandy, Rouen. Known as the City of Bells, it is beautiful and should not be missed. Rouen has an intricate history and it is intrinsically linked with the life of Joan of Arc, who fought and died at the stake, in the city. She died on the Place du Vieux Marché, now marked by a modern church built in the 1970's.

Normandy has so much for everyone.

The Pays Caux is France’s leading producer of linen fibre. In June, the blue fields of flax burst into bloom and make a dramatic impression on the landscape. There are numerous outlets selling products made of linen and Lin et L’Autre in Varengeville-sur-Mer is well worth a visit.

For those with an interest in history and, in particular, WWII there are endless sites, memorials and museums. The department is indelibly marked by the momentous events of June 1944, and the ensuing months leading to the eventual liberation of France and the rest of Europe. Museums and memorials throughout the region stand as forceful reminders of this decisive period during the Second World War. Visit www.memorial-caen.fr Nearly 30 cemetries (including American, British, Canadian, French, German and Polish) hold the remains of almost 100,000 young soldiers who never returned from their service in France.

The Spring, Summer and Autumn months feature regular festivals celebrating all sorts of produce, saints, and in fact, just about anything that can be celebrated. There is the Watercress Festival, the Herring Festival, the Festival of the Sea and the Festival of Bread to name but a few. There are fairs, circuses and carnivals, horse shows, dog shows and flower shows. There are markets galore.

The choice of activities are endless - horse riding, golfing, swimming, walking and cycling. Just on the outskirts of Caen is 'Festyland' (http://www.festyland.fr/) an adventure park for children. A little nearer to home is Le Parc de Cleres which has a zoological garden with more activities for the young (http://www.ot-cleres.fr/). At Fecamp there is an adventure park and more details can be found on http://www.arbreenarbre.free.fr/ Whilst in Fecamp there is Le jardin de Louanne (http://www.lesjardinsdelouanne.com/) There are dozens of options, so if the weather, does not cooperate, you will always find something to amuse!

For more information on local activities contact: http://www.dieppetourism.com/

For the less energetic or for those looking for peace, relaxation, glorious scenery, conviviality, harmony and perhaps a gourmet experience - look no further. C'est la belle vie ici!

Bienvenue en Normandie!