Paris & the Heart of Normandy

Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. Long a hub of French culture and cuisine, Paris is one of the most romantic destinations in the world. Over the centuries, Parisian culture has been built on the wings of inspiration. Music, film, architecture, literature, dance and the visual arts all have their brilliant place in the museums, theatres, bookstores and remarkably preserved buildings of this magnificent city. At the centre of it all is the Champs-Élysées. With its inviting riverside promenade, graceful bridges and splendid views of all things Parisian, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre Museum.

One of the most pleasurable activities in Paris is whiling away the time in one of the city’s outdoor cafés. Whether you are sipping a café au lait or a kir royal, there is no better way to feel like a Parisian. The hub of social and culinary life, cafés have been part of the city’s fabric since the 1600s. During the 20th century, literary and artistic figures—such as Ernest Hemingway, Colette and Pablo Picasso—famously met over drinks to share their works and ideas. Today, thousands of cafés line the pavements and squares to connect with France’s culture and history.

The picturesque village of La Roche-Guyon lies within the verdant Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, bound between the meandering Seine River and a striking wall of white chalk. This idyllic setting is home to a number of historic monuments, including a 15th-century church dedicated to St. Samson; a 16th-century salt store; a public fountain presented to the village in 1742; and the town hall, inaugurated in 1847. The beguiling 12th-century Château de La Roche-Guyon, however, is undoubtedly the village’s most emblematic landmark, once capturing the attention of poet Victor Hugo, impressionist Claude Monet and composer Joseph Kosma, among many others. The castle and its breathtaking surroundings still mesmerize all who visit it.

The Seine meanders through the mellow vistas of Normandy. As it makes its sleepy and serpentine way to the English Channel, it winds along for 240 miles from Paris, more than doubling the distance of a crow’s flight. As you sail, swathes of fields unfurl toward groves of apple orchards, sources of the region’s famed Normandy cider. Calvados apple brandy is also a regional specialty, and a celebrated staple ingredient in Normandy cuisine. You will also gaze upon picturesque villages and historic abbeys on these bucolic banks.

History focused its sights along the coast of Normandy, France—notably Omaha, Juno and Gold Beaches—on the early morning of June 6, 1944, as American, Canadian and British troops made landfall in their first European incursion during World War II. The entire operation was termed Operation Overlord, the code name for the invasion of Normandy. The remains of the concrete structures and steel causeway of Mulberry Harbor, built by the British, can still be seen on the beach near the village of Arromanches. The Arromanches Debarkment D-Day Museum presents animated 3D scale models to help visitors grasp this exceptional harbor and its contribution to the battle—considered perhaps the single greatest innovation that ensured victory for the Allies.

Normandy is a region of northern France. Its varied coastline includes white-chalk cliffs and WWII beachheads, including Omaha Beach, site of the famous D-Day landing. Just off the coast, the rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel is topped by a soaring Gothic abbey. The city of Rouen, dominated by Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, is where military leader and Catholic saint Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.

Les Andelys is best known for its imposing castle overlooking the city, the Château Gaillard. Built in 1196 by Richard the Lionheart, the castle and the village’s strategic location bolstered the importance of Les Andelys throughout the Middle Ages. The town also gained notice for its Sainte Clotilde Miraculous Spring, where the wife of the first Frankish king, Clovis, turned well water into wine to serve the builders of her Benedictine monastery. Europe’s devout, upon hearing of the act, flocked here on pilgrimages until the end of the 19th century.

The origins of Paris can be traced back to a Gallic settlement founded during the 3rd century BC. By the time Napoleon III established the Second Empire during the mid-19th century, it had expanded into a large city and was in need of a major transformation. What transpired was a division of Paris into 20 arrondissements, starting at the Île de la Cité and spiraling out in a consecutive numerical order—the city’s present design. From the lively jazz bars of the Latin Quarter to the steep, ivy-clad streets of Montmartre, these charming districts are a delight to explore.

Bid farewell to your fellow guests and journey home. Or spend more time exploring, perhaps joining one of Viking’s extensions.