Château de Bellefontaine 4*

In a wonderful location less than a mile from Bayeux, the pretty 18th century Château de Bellefontaine is in lovely extensive grounds complete with tennis court and a small river with ducks and swans. Traditionally furnished bedrooms are all personalised, each with their own unique charm, and a good buffet breakfast is available each morning. An evening restaurant serves regional cuisine and in cooler months a welcoming log fire burns in the elegant lounge where guests can sit and relax, perhaps with a pre-dinner drink or nightcap - we've heard the calvados here is excellent! Pet accepted 10€/night.

Home of the famous tapestry and the first French town to be liberated at the end of WWII, medieval Bayeux is a beautiful town bursting with history. There's the huge, well preserved Notre Dame cathedral with its impressive mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles; the British War Cemetery, the largest British military cemetery in France; and the superb botanical gardens with the infamous Weeping Beech tree. Wander around the charming old town where narrow cobbled streets are lined with half timbered houses and crossed by little canals with pretty watermills. There are fabulous art galleries and antique shops as well as quaint boutiques and little outlets all selling regional souvenirs and enticing local produce such as cheese and cider.

If you present your Brittany Ferries 澳洲幸运10十168体彩开奖网 ticket on arrival you will benefit from a reduced entrance price at the D-Day museum/3D cinema at Arromanches (about a 15 minute drive) and the Memorial de Caen, 30km.