In Winter, the marshlands situated to the West of Bessin offer incredible landscapes, where water and sky seem to merge. It is the "white" season. The abundant winter rain causes rivers to overflow, and the wetland turns into a great lake mirroring the light.

Bessin, with its long coastline, is a favourable region for oyster-farming. Normandy is in fact the first French region for oyster growing, with 25% of the national production. In Bessin, oysters from the areas "Isigny-Baie des Veys" and "Asnelles-Meuvaines" have distinctive aromas, and are used in the preparation of deliciously generous dishes.

Land of natural treasures, Bessin offers a great variety of landscapes. And so autumn is the ideal season to take a walk in the Forest of Cerisy. Situated to the South-West of Bayeux, it used to be the hunting grounds favoured by the Duke of Normandy and later by the King of France. A walk in the trees will sharpen your senses as you take in the forest smell, go mushroom picking or when you hear the stag bellowing...

In 911, King Charles the Simple, overwhelmed by Viking raids, granted the lands of Lower Seine to their chief Rollo. The Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte was signed and marked the birth of the duchy of Normandy. The Vikings turned the concession into a prosperous and powerful State, which reached its peak when William, Duke of Normandy became King of England in 1066.

"As we have no harbour at our disposal, we shall bring ours": Those were Winston Churchill's words to Lord Mountbatten a little before the landing operations in Normandy in June 1944. True feats of engineering, the artificial harbours of Arromanches and Omaha Beach were the key to the Allies' victory in Europe. This is the story of the most important operation of military engineering since Antiquity!

The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is about to host an outstanding exhibition, from 31st March to 30th December 2011, recognised as being of national interest by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication: "Emakimono and the Bayeux Tapestry, animated cartoons from the Middle Ages".

The Bayeux Tapestry was listed as « Memory of the World » by UNESCO in 2007, thus ensuring its conservation and its registration as an artefact of universal interest. Saved many times from destruction during history, the "Tale of the Conquest" continues to reveal its secrets.

Bessin is a true gourmet destination. Apples, dairy and seafood are its greatest assets. On the menu: Label Rouge scallops, oysters from Baie des Veys, Bayeux Porc, Isigny cream and butter, washed down with local cider or aged Calvados.

Since the creation of the Duchy of Normandy in 911 by the Vikings, the history of Bessin has set itself in stone: Many fortified farms, many manor houses and châteaux are nestled in the verdant countryside of Normandy, often hidden away. To discover this exceptional patrimony is to set off on a voyage through time, in search of the men and women who left their mark on these lands.

Today, families want to make the most of their holiday and leisure by spending time together. Bessin is the ideal holiday destination to enjoy memorable instants of complicity between parents and children. Here, a summer break offers much more than sun-bathing and building sand castles !

Each year around 6th June, the holiday destination of Bayeux - Bessin - D-Day beaches becomes the scene for many events and festivities in commemoration of the Battle of Normandy. The military cemetery of Colleville-sur-mer, American territory in the heart of Bessin, welcomes over a million visitors each year and is a key site on this historical journey.

The arrival of Spring is the opportunity to discover or rediscover gardens, set in the popular destination of Bayeux - Bessin - D-Day Landing Beaches. With the first rays of sunshine, the gardens slowly reveal their subtle hues and poetic designs. A guided tour through landscaped treasures.

At the heart of Basse-Normandie and at the west of Caen in the Calvados, the Bessin is a rich destination where is mixed Normandy tourist sites and places more intimate, unusual and surprising ...