Jean-Paul BUTEAU

A route that will allow you to discover the lovely wooded park of La Fossette de la Folie Couvrechef, returning via Saint-Contest.

Situated at the foot of Hill 112, Baron-sur-Odon was at the centre of the fighting in June 1944. Bombed on 13 June, 66 per cent of the town was destroyed. Hill 112 was a strategic location for the combatants. As one German officer put it: “Whoever holds Hill 112, south-west of Caen, holds Normandy.”

Come and discover the often overlooked village of Rots, which stretches along the Mue valley. Its architectural heritage is very diverse, consisting of both noble residences and farmhouses typical of the Caen plain.

It was in Beaumont-en-Auge that the physicist and mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace was born. From his statue, you can enjoy the view over the Touques valley.

The legend of coal: for centuries, a stone in the commune of Feuguerolles intrigued many quarry workers. Black in colour, it became incandescent when burned. Thinking they had discovered precious "earth coal", wells were dug in the hope of finding a coal deposit. Unfortunately, the searches proved fruitless and were abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the coal of Feuguerolles is nothing more than a legend.

A lovely, very pleasant country walk through fields and woods starting from Meslay.

A pleasant country walk through the fields and then along the Laizon valley, starting from Rouvres.

Starting from Ranville, enjoy the surrounding countryside and walk to Amfreville. Then descend to the Marais de Cagny and follow the towpath along the Orne to return to the starting point.

As you set off from Cagny, enjoy the wide open spaces offered by the surrounding countryside. Along the way, discover the architectural, historical and industrial heritage of this charming village on the Caen plain.

Starting from Merville-Franceville-Plage, enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside and the marshes, but also soak up the seaside atmosphere of this renowned seaside resort. Along the way, you will discover the architectural and, above all, historical heritage, notably the Merville Battery, a key site of the June 1944 landings (9th Battalion of the6th Airborne).

Come and discover the diversity of the landscapes from Sainte-Honorine-du-Fay to Trois-Monts, enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside, let yourself be lulled by the gentle music of the streams and enjoy the calm of the Orne valley.

This route explores part of the architectural heritage of the Laize valley, which bears witness to the past wealth of this region, also renowned for its tanneries and iron mines.

A walk around the village of Placy. Come and discover the history of this charming village and explore the surrounding countryside. Along the way, don’t miss the Château de la Motte, overlooking the Cesny stream.

Starting from Fresne-Camilly, walk along the edge and then along the Thue valley, from Cainet to Bout de Haut near Amblie, then return, enjoying the unobstructed view of the countryside in this part of the Caen plain.

Starting from Hermanville-sur-Mer, enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside and marshes, but also soak up the seaside atmosphere of renowned seaside resorts. Along the way, you will discover the architectural and, above all, historical heritage of the towns of Hermanville-sur-Mer and Colleville-Montgomery, key sites of the June 1944 landings (Sword Beach).

Setting off from Moult, walk along the outskirts of Argences and then head up the Chemin des Crêtes. You’ll follow numerous wooded paths and round off this pleasant countryside route by walking alongside the River Muance.

A very pleasant countryside route along the Muance river, taking in numerous wooded paths.

Starting from Baron-sur-Odon, set off to explore the Caen plain between Esquay-Notre-Dame and Mouen, then enjoy the charm of the wooded areas of the Odon valley and, as you go, allow yourself to be surprised by an architectural heritage just waiting to be appreciated.

Route around Fontaine-Henry Castle. Halfway between the city of Caen and the D-Day beaches, Fontaine-Henry Castle overlooks the green valley of the Mue. Its vertiginously high roofs tower above the centuries-old trees in the park and crown a richly sculpted façade combining 15th- and 16th-century styles.

In September 1944, the Resistance fighter Jacques Vico, having returned to his property, found a jawbone in the ornamental garden. Three bodies were then located, and seventeen more were found the following spring. These Canadian soldiers, who had been brutally interrogated inside the abbey church, were murdered on 7 and 8 June. Their names are inscribed on the monument erected in 1984 in their memory.

Sannerville is the easternmost of the communes in Caen-la-Mer. This village, which was completely razed to the ground in 1944, is now influenced by Caen’s population growth whilst remaining in the countryside, which gives it a quality of life much appreciated by its residents. Sannerville lies on the edge of the Pays d’Auge.

"The territory of Saint-Martin-de-Sallen is one of the most rugged in the department. Sandstone, ancient schist and marble form its bedrock." (A de Caumont 1-165)

Enjoy the charms of Luc-sur-Mer, which will reveal its maritime and rural attractions to you.

Starting from the old church of Saint-Manvieu, explore the Caen plain to the west of the town, discover the architectural heritage of the commune of Cheux, walk along the River Mue and, as you pay your respects at the graves in the British military cemetery at Saint-Manvieu, remember that the freedom we enjoy today is largely due to the sacrifice of the Allied soldiers who died on our soil in 1944.

An exceptional site, Saint-Hymer, with its ancient priory—once a centre of Jansenism—charms all walkers. This circular walk, set in lush, wooded surroundings, ends at the square where the church, the cemetery (where Mère Denis is buried), the inn and the wash house are located.

The Fairies of the Baligot Rocks still have their legend, which has never ceased to be popular in Proussy. They lived in the Fairy’s Hole, on the side of a high rocky escarpment that rises at the edge of the Druance, on the road from Condé to Pontécoulant.

From May-sur-Orne, cross the fields, stroll through wooded areas, follow the Laize and Orne valleys and return via Saint-André-sur-Orne.

If there were a paradise for hiking, the Roche d'Oëtre Sensitive Natural Area and the Rouvre Gorges would certainly be well placed! A listed site and Sensitive Natural Area in the Orne department, La Roche d'Oëtre, located in the heart of the Normandy Mountains, is a must-see site and a meeting place for lovers of wild nature and hiking.

A walk from Ifs to Mondeville and the Vallée Verte or Vallée Sèche lake. This valley, which follows the course of an old river, has been developed as a greenway (for pedestrians and cyclists).

An urban hike that allows you to discover neighbourhoods and architectural heritage that are too often overlooked.

This walk will allow you to appreciate both the tranquillity of the marshes and the countryside, as well as the seaside atmosphere of the famous seaside towns. Along the way, you will discover the architectural and, above all, historical heritage of the towns of Colleville-Montgomery, Hermanville-sur-Mer and Ouistreham Riva-Bella, key locations in the June 1944 D-Day landings (Sword Beach).

Enjoy a pleasant walk along the Seulles Valley and through the surrounding countryside.

Hike around the Bellengreville-Chicheboville marsh, a remarkable wetland area, and along the way, discover some interesting architectural heritage.

Set off to explore the Thue Valley: Secqueville-en-Bessin, with its 11th-century church, fortified farms and white houses, and military cemetery. The bell tower of Secqueville dominates the horizon, watching over the Thue Valley, where the white houses of Bessin nestle.

During this route, enjoy not only the pleasure of a country walk in the bocage countryside, but also the bucolic charm of the Guigne valley. You can also appreciate an architectural heritage that is just waiting to be discovered.

Discover the charms of the wooded countryside on the edge of Swiss Normandy, stroll along its shaded paths, follow and cross its streams, and be captivated by its architectural and rural heritage.

Starting from Bonnemaison, walk through the meadows, make your way through the hedgerow countryside, descend into the Vingt-Bec valley, lined with woods, and discover the Valcongrain State Forest.

Discover the banks of the Orne River in Louvigny, the surrounding marshes and the charm of their rural landscapes.

Discover Fontaine-Étoupefour and the rural landscapes that surround it.

Set off across the fields and then enter more wooded areas to follow the valleys of the Laize and then the Orne, into which the Laize flows.

On this walk, combine the pleasure of a countryside stroll across the plain with the romantic charm of the Odon valley.

Allemagne is the former name of Fleury-sur-Orne before 1917. Below, the Orne river flows lazily at the foot of the hillsides, where numerous limestone quarries have been dug over the centuries.

Hike around the village of Espins. Come and discover the history of this charming commune through its hamlets and the Moulin du Traspy mill. On the way, don't miss the village of Moncel, built on the side of a valley.

The starting point of this route will charm you with its beautiful landscapes. You will set off to explore a valley where clear, fast-flowing streams run through often wooded slopes. As you hike, you will discover unique landscapes where emotion guides your steps.

Here is an easy walk that will offer you lovely views of the Orne valley and its small tributaries. Part of the route follows the greenway (a former railway line).

Our elders remember walking these often shady paths many times, which led to pastures and farms. Donkeys pulled carts along them at milking time, farmers drove their cattle up them from Croissanville, children in clogs used them to get to school or forgot to do so, and love blossomed there...

A pleasant hike, starting from Mutrécy, crossing the Caen plain and the Grimbosq Forest in turn. Please note that the final climb may prove difficult for some.

A beautiful and pleasant walk through fields and woods, starting from Saint-Sylvain, offering the chance to appreciate an architectural heritage just waiting to be discovered.

This hike will take you along the Voie Verte de la Suisse Normande (Greenway of Norman Switzerland) and the banks of the Orne river in the municipalities of Feuguerolles-Bully and Bully.

This walk passes through villages with striking architecture and also crosses rural areas along the Chiromme and the Mue.