WALKING AROUND THE MUSEUM IN THE CARENTAN AREA

From the museum to Carentan

The visit of the museum is estimated at 1h30 to three hours depending on your way of going through it and your degree of curiosity.

Lunch at the A10 Canteen

If you come in the morning around 10:30 a.m., you can have lunch at the A10 Canteen restaurant just after this discovery. A retro-style brasserie/pizzeria, located within the walls of the museum and whose prices are affordable.

Or have lunch in Carentan and walk on the port

You can also go directly to Carentan (8 mins by car / 15 mins by bike) where many other places to eat are available, especially on the port, where we suggest you stroll around a bit. This marina is frequented by many boaters who like to find the tranquility of this small Norman town.

As you walk along the quays, you will probably come face to face with a boat from the depths of time: the Dreknor. In reality, it is a little more recent than you might think since it is a replica of a Viking ship, made by the association of the same name and launched in 2006. It is nonetheless exceptional and delightful for lovers of Viking culture!

Always along the quays, as in many places in our region, you will discover an authentic US landing craft, type LCVP (see the video on Youtube). Still called Higgins Boat, this boat is the only one still sailing in Europe!

If you want to walk a little, take the track along the canal to go up to the lock. You will then pass by a surprising work of art, the Carentan canal bridge where the road goes under water!

After this short tour of the port, go to the center of Carentan, on foot or by car (many car parks) for a short tour of a historic town which turned out to be strategic during the Battle of Normandy. Discover its medieval arcades, the Hôtel de Dey, the church and its organ, the house of the shipowner Sivard de Beaulieu and its magnificent coat of arms and several other architectural treasures. (Remember to go to the Tourist Office of la Baie du Cotentin) to get all the information.

Or have a picnic at the park house before a nature tour

If you like nature, birds, water and greenery, here is an outdoor program. After your visit to the museum, head towards the Maison du Parc (7 mins by car / 22 mins by bike) where you can open your cooler and have a bite to eat in the picnic area before taking your binoculars and sneakers to an ornithological discovery walk (a 1km course accessible to all and one of 5.5 km for the biggest walkers). Attention! We advise you to contact them before if you want to go there with an animal because the protected area is not accessible everywhere to our four-legged friends.

How about going on a cruise on the Taute River?

Not far from the museum (6 mins by car / 12 mins by bike), the Bateliers du Cotentin offer you trips aboard the Rosée du Soleil. A gentle walk with commentary on the Taute River in the middle of the marsh A discovery of the natural space but also of history. Please note: the cruise lasts approximately 1h30 and reservations are required as there are a few people in season.

Going back to Bayeux or Caen

La pointe de Brévands, a nature area facing the sea

Take the car (15 mins) or bike (30 mins) towards Pointe de Brévands for a view of the Baie des Veys. Facing the sea of Manche, depending on the tide schedule and the time you are there, you will contemplate the sea or the sandy foreshore, dozens of birds, a sunset or sea calves! A place of tranquility that invites meditation or observation.

The gourmet bonus, Norman’s secret;)

11 minutes from the museum by car or 36 minutes by bike, take the direction of Isigny-sur-mer and its well-known cooperative dairy (see how to get there). Don’t be put off by the industrial aspect of this flagship of the food industry and push on to the factory outlet where you can buy cheese but above all, wonderful Italian-style ice creams.

Do you know why Disney is called Disney? Because he comes from Isigny!

To discover the origins of Mickey’s dad, go to Isigny-sur-mer where the story will be told to you during a visit to the free museum for young and old.

And speaking of gourmet pleasure…

Do not leave Isigny-sur-mer without having visited the museum or the mythical Caramels d’Isigny shop! An opportunity to taste these delicious sweets and take a few boxes home! (You will also find the cooperative’s ice cream there).

Did you know? In the region of Isigny, butter and cream have been specialties since the 16th century! It was in the 1930s that one of the entrepreneurs in the sector decided to produce caramel-based confectionery.

Family activities

A historic escape game at the Blockhaus

If you’ve never tried the adventure, it’s now or never. The ultra-friendly team at the Blockhaus in Carentan (9 mins from the museum by car / 17 mins by bike) welcomes you to one of the three rooms they have imagined, designed and created themselves. The enigmas are very interesting, the team is always there to assist you, the settings are perfectly realized. As you will have understood, the museum team is a fan of the Blockhouse… Attention! Remember to book, quickly full in season!

A ride in an old military vehicle on the traces of history

From the museum, our partner, Florent Plana takes you every day for tours in a 1944 Dodge in the middle of the Normandy bocage and the thick hedges of the Battle of the Hedges. The opportunity to discover emblematic places that have witnessed history.

Two tours are available: “In the footsteps of the 9th Air Force” (40 min) and “In the footsteps of the 101st Airborne (1h15) – Find all the details and reservations on the museum website.

Do you plan to sleep there?

Remember to consult these two pages: where to sleep near the museum and where to eat near the museum.