The Norman Vélomaritime from Caen to Mont Saint-Michel

CAEN

Arrive on your own to Caen, easily accessible by train. Caen, city of William the Conqueror, offers a concentrate of medieval heritage between the ducal castle, the abbey to Men and the Abbey to the Ladies. Learn more about 20th century history with the Memorial for Peace.

From CAEN to BAYEUX 52km 420m

You take your bike to ride to the Canadian Reviers Cemetery through tiny country roads. Join Juno Beach, the Canadian part of the landing: do not miss the Juno Beach museum depicting the landing but also the history of Canada during the war. Continue to Arromanches and its Mulberry Harbor and visit the Landing Museum in downtown Arromanches or the famous 360 museum made of original films. From the 360 ​​museum, enjoy a view of the entire bay and realize the magnitude of the Mulberry project. To end this day full of history, you take small roads to Bayeux.

• For a few more km 61km 300m

  You leave Caen on the banks of the Caen Canal to the sea to join the Vélomaritime at Pegasus Bridge. This name was given by the troops of British paratroopers whose emblem was the winged horse Pegasus. You continue towards the port of Ouistreham and ride along the seaside passing by Sword beach.

From BAYEUX to CARENTAN 65km 380m

You cycle to Port-en-Bessin and the ocean. From this charming little fishing port, you ride along the Côte de Nacre toward the American cemetery, Omaha Beach and the Pointe du Hoc. These three historical sites help you better understand the difficulty of the landing and the important human losses on D-DAY. You then enter a unique landscape, the Regional Natural Park of Cotentin. You spend the night in a charming hotel in the small town of Carentan, in the heart of the Regional Park. You arrive in Isigny-sur-Mer, known for its dairy transformation activity such as the famous “Caramel d’Isigny”, and its fishing acticity with its “caïeux”. Then ou cycle through the traditional wooded countryside. You finally arrive in Carentan where you spend the night.

From CARENTAN to SAINT-LO 41km 190m

You leave the Cotentin marshes and its canals to reach the landscapes of the Norman bocage. The landscape evolves towards meadows where horses are kings. Indeed this region is reputed to be the capital of the horse. The Vire Canal accompanies you by winding up to Saint-Lô where the National Stud Farm is located.

From SAINT-LO to VIRE 54km 630m

At the exit of Saint-Lô, a peaceful and luxuriant nature surrounds you in the Vire valley which formerly welcomed the navigation of barges and gabarres (flat-bottomed boats). The meadows of sheep, horses and green pastures follow your route on the towpath to the Roches de Ham. This rocky outcrop rising over 100 meters in height offers a unique panorama of the surrounding countryside. At Pont-Farcy, you leave the Vélomaritime to reach Vire by small country roads. Vire and its Porte-Horloge is a pleasant stopover town situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the Vire.

• For a few more km 67km 800m

  In Pont-Farcy, you continue your journey on the Vélomaritime on a challenging route taking a succession of small roads on the Norman hills. Your efforts will be rewarded with sumptuous views of the Norman countryside … and descents! Before reaching Vire, you will discover the Souleuvre viaduct.

From VIRE to SAINT-HILAIRE-DU-HARCOUET 56km 450m

The Vélomaritime heads west out of Vire before plunging south through the authentic landscapes of the Norman countryside. A cool stop inviting you to daydream is a must in Mortain to admire the Little Waterfall, at the confluence of the Cance and the Cançon. Here the river runs down the rocks over a height of more than 30 meters before continuing in a narrow canyon with white water that is crossed from footbridge to footbridge. From this crossroads between Vélomaritime and Véloscénie, you continue your ride until Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët where you can make the most of the numerous leisure infrastructures (swimming pool, cinema, equestrian center, …).

From SAINT-HILAIRE-DU-HARCOUET to MONT SAINT-MICHEL 48km 300m

Towards the sea and the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. The Vélomaritime joins the mouth of the Sélune river on a charming and pleasant greenway. The Norman bocage leaves room for the salt meadows of the Bay. In the distance, you can see the majestic Mont Saint-Michel. An additional effort then awaits you, on foot this time, to reach the heights and the famous abbey.

MONT SAINT-MICHEL

It’s the end of your stay after breakfast. You are able to enjoy a morning to visit to the Abbey which sits at the top of the Mount!