Trails in Normandy

What do the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) and Normandy have in common? Well no, not the cold, but the Vikings 🗡️ of course! These legendary warriors, straight from the far North, didn’t just invade France 🇫🇷 in the 9th century. One of the greatest among them, Rollo, a figure surrounded by legendary tales, is said to be at the origin of the Duchy of Normandy. William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, was even King of England 👑 from 1066 to 1087. That’s the big History, inseparable from Norman culture and that you’ll come across as you explore.

You can now chat with a Norman in complete peace of mind, while singing the praises of the cuisine 🧑‍🍳 with butter and cream 😄. Caen, Rouen, Cherbourg, Le Havre or Honfleur are very nice 🌆 towns to discover, with a rich cultural heritage, pretty half-timbered houses (like in Alsace!) and lots of places to visit 🔍. Remember to bring a rain jacket: Normandy has an oceanic climate ☔️, like England or Belgium. Le Havre, completely rebuilt after the bombings 💣 of the Second World War, is listed as a UNESCO 💫 World Heritage Site. Bocage landscapes and plains make up the scenery of Normandy, whose highest point ⛰️ (Signal d’Écouves, 413 meters) is located in the Orne, a rather hilly Norman department. The other departments of Normandy—Calvados, the Eure, the Manche and Seine-Maritime offer flatter terrain. If you like forests 🌳, you’ll be spoiled in Normandy, with in particular the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche and the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande. The D-Day beaches 🏖️ (Omaha Beach, Juno Beach, Sword Beach, Gold Beach, Utah Beach...) are must-see 💥 stops on a visit to Normandy, as is the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, open to runners and walkers. Watch out for high tides, no kidding. The Norman coastlines offer countless landscapes 🏞️: cliffs galore along the Alabaster Coast (including the ones at Étretat) or in the Pays de Caux, fine sandy ⛱️ beaches near Deauville or Trouville (Côte Fleurie)… A few islands are also part of Norman heritage, including Guernsey and Jersey. Yet you’ll indeed be on English soil 🏴. Another legacy from the time of the Duchy of Normandy!

So, up for a trail run in Normandy ? Run in Mont Saint-Michel by Harmonie Mutuelle is an unmissable race in Normandy, around a monument known all over the world 🌎. Among all the events planned by the organizers, a long trail called "Trail de l'Archange"... Doesn’t that make you want to? 🧐 We can’t resist pointing you toward the department of Eure so you can run the aptly named Trail des Rois Maudits. A forest race, qualifying for the UTMB® World Series. Heads up, there will be motivated runners! Still in this department, the Trail des 2 Amants 💍 takes you around Pitres to clown around 🤪. You might do it a bit less after running one of the 6 races on offer from the organizers... In the south of the region, in the Orne, in Alençon to be exact, the Trail d'Ecouves et du Pays d'Alençon is a great opportunity to explore the vast forest estate of Écouves 🌳, which has the highest point in the region. A forest race with a bit of elevation, then! Let’s switch things up a little. Head to Calvados for a killer night race ⚡️: the Trail de l'Angoisse! Le Hom is waiting for you with open arms, but with a little smirk! 😙 Surprises 👻 await you all along the route, which, for its part, has no tricks...

So, big ghoul, are you coming to rub shoulders with the Normans? 😎