Giverny is a village in Normandy where the painter Claude Monet lived from 1883 until his death in 1926. His pink house and two gardens are open to visitors. The flower garden is full of colour, and the water garden has the Japanese bridge and the pond of water lilies that he painted many times. A museum of Impressionism is nearby.

Rouen Cathedral is a Gothic cathedral in the capital of Normandy, built mainly from the 12th to the 16th centuries. Its iron spire, added in the 19th century, is the tallest in France at about 151 metres. Claude Monet painted its facade more than 30 times in different light. It holds the tomb of Richard the Lionheart's heart.

Étretat is a seaside town in Normandy famous for its white chalk cliffs and natural arches. The Porte d'Aval arch and the needle-shaped rock beside it are its best known sights. Paths along the cliff tops give dramatic views. The cliffs inspired painters such as Monet and Courbet.

Honfleur is a harbour town in Normandy at the mouth of the Seine. Its Old Basin is lined with tall, narrow houses with slate fronts, reflected in the water. The wooden church of Sainte-Catherine, built by shipbuilders in the 15th century, is the largest wooden church in France. Honfleur inspired many Impressionist painters.

Omaha Beach in Normandy was one of the five landing beaches of the Allied invasion on D-Day, 6 June 1944. American troops suffered heavy losses here. Above the beach, the Normandy American Cemetery holds the graves of over 9,000 soldiers in rows of white crosses and stars of David. A memorial and visitor centre tell the story of the landings.

Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island off the coast of Normandy, crowned by a Benedictine abbey. A monastery was founded here in 708, and the abbey grew over centuries into a Gothic masterpiece. A medieval village with ramparts climbs the rock below it. The tides here are among the strongest in Europe. A footbridge links it to the mainland. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Saint-Malo is a walled port city on the coast of Brittany. It was home to corsairs who raided enemy ships for the king. The old town, called intra-muros, was almost destroyed in 1944 and carefully rebuilt. Visitors walk along the ramparts above the beaches. At low tide they can walk to the island of Grand Bé, where the writer Chateaubriand is buried.

The Pink Granite Coast stretches along the north of Brittany around Perros-Guirec and Ploumanac'h. Huge pink rocks, shaped by wind and sea into strange forms, line the shore. The Customs Officers' Path runs along the coast past the rocks and the Ploumanac'h lighthouse. The colours are especially warm at sunset.

The Carnac stones in Brittany are one of the largest collections of standing stones in the world. Over 3,000 prehistoric stones, raised about 6,000 years ago, stand in long rows across the fields. Their purpose is still unknown. A visitor centre explains the site, and some of the alignments can be walked among in winter.