PROFESSIONAL FAMILIARISATION TRIP SIGN UP FOR THE LATEST NEWS! 26TH – 30TH MARCH 2015 The Normandy Tourist Board will be pleased to meet you on Thursday, 26th March in the Mont-Saint-Michel. Being so easily accessible from Paris and with such a wealth of places to visit from medieval times through the UNESCO list of World Cultural and Natural heritage sites, Normandy is an obvious destination for your groups. We will travel in a fully equipped coach. During this Normandy famtrip we will take you in exciting places such as the Mont-Saint-Michel, “The Wonder of the Western World”, surrounded by a magnificent Bay, which is the theatre of the greatest tidal ranges in Europe. It was the first site in France to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, the high point of medieval architecture, constructed on a rock pinnacle, is the ideal view point from which to admire the limitless horizon of the Bay. During the Middle Ages, the Mont-Saint-Michel was an important place of pilgrimage with a mythical status. You will also have a complete knowledge of the recent changes of the new access as part of the venture to restore Mont-Saint-Michel’s maritime character, after a long term project. Today, an elevated new bridge and footbridge provide new access routes and thus, at high-tide, the Mont once again is transformed into a magical island. We will have the pleasure to stay one night at the Mont-Saint-Michel. On the second day, we will head to the charming Flowered Coast to Deauville and Honfleur. Deauville is hugely popular with holidaying Parisian’s in the early 19th century and a place of inspiration for many artists, including Coco Chanel who opened one of her first boutiques here, more recently many famous personalities, from Antonio Banderas to Robert de Niro, have graced the boardwalks of the glamorous seaside resort of Deauville at its annual American Film Festival. We will also visit the lovely port of Honfleur, next to Deauville, a gem and a key tourist destination in Normandy, which has inspired so many artists. Honfleur offers the warm welcome of a little town with its picturesque backstreets, old houses, little shops, charming hotels and typical restaurants, but also a variety of monuments and the wealth of a cultural and artistic heritage. On Saturday evening, we will cross the famous Normandy Bridge over the Seine River to reach the city of Le Havre. Le Havre is the largest city in Normandy which was severely bombed at the end of the Second World War. Auguste Perret, the famous architect, the “concrete poet” and innovator, rebuilt the town after the war and reinvent a unique 133ha center whose architecture is clear, airy, harmonious and resolutely innovative. In 2005, UNESCO listed Le Havre's city as a World Heritage site. In 2015, Le Havre will celebrate its 10 year anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage status. Le Havre is a Western Europe’s major seaport as well as a multipurpose port of commerce and the premier French cruise port of the European West Coast.
The Malraux Museum in Le Havre is worth a visit as it houses an impressive collection of Modernist works together with art from preceding centuries and contemporary art. It is also known for having the largest Impressionist collection outside of the Orsay Museum in Paris. It will be holding a major exhibition during the edition of the Normandy Impressionist Festival in 2016 (16th April to 26th September). Before heading to Paris we will end our Norman Trip in Rouen. Rouen is the historic capital of Normandy, world famous for its medieval architecture and its story with Joan of Arc. Its Cathedral has been immortalised by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet who painted its façade nearly 30 times. We will stay the last night in Rouen in order to enjoy a complete visit of the old town, included the brand new Panoramas XXL of Rouen, a new cultural project of international stature unique in France (opening December 2014), and the Joan of Arc museum. On Monday afternoon, we will leave Normandy to Paris for the Rendez-vous en France workshop.
During your trip, time will be allocated to visiting accommodation centres tailored to your groups. You will have the chance to meet up with local tourism professionals who will give you practical information and inspirational ideas to help you plan your next trip to Normandy. No trip to Normandy would be complete without sampling the excellent local hospitality and food and drink. Please rest assured these aspects of the famtrip will not be neglected! Transport, lunches, dinners and overnight accommodation for four nights are included courtesy of the Normandy Tourist Board and its partners. This trip is only open to operators and wholesalers who have tour programmes to France and is limited to one attendee per registered company.
We look forward to welcoming you soon in Normandy, this incomparably beautiful region of France.
Enjoy your stay in France, in Normandy! Bon voyage en Normandie ! For further information, please contact: Jérôme Mercier Papin, Marketing Manager Normandy Tourist Board Tel. +33 (0) 2 32 33 67 69 - Email: j.mercier-papin@normandie-tourisme.fr
www.normandy-tourism.org