La Belle France: Paris, Normandy and the River Seine

Barely 30 minutes away from the bustling city of lights, the quaint village Auvers-sur-Oise is tucked away between the river Oise and a chain of rugged cliffs. During la belle époque, Auvers-sur-Oise was home to many painters such as Cézanne, Daubigny and Pissarro and today mostly famous for being the resting place of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo.

Immerse yourself in the life and legacy of this extraordinary artist and visit Van Gogh's burial place, located in the cemetery on a hilltop in the village.

Another highlight of the tour is s visit to the Château d'Auvers, built in the 17th century and immortalized by Van Gogh in his paintings. Join an immersive, multimedia experience, that shows what inspired Impressionism and takes you back to the era of the famous painters at the end of the 19th century.

The historical capital of Normandy and a prosperous medieval city, Rouen is known for its many monuments and architectural treasures. The historic city center is a “must-see”. Don’t miss its fascinating heritage with Gothic churches and mansions, restored, half-timbered houses and well-maintained public gardens. We will start the morning with a walking tour, including an inside visit to the magnificent cathedral that inspired Claude Monet, and the modern Church of Joan of Arc with its magnificent 16th-century stained-glass windows. Our local expert will explain the historical legacy of this city, made famous by such figures as the Vikings, the Dukes of Normandy, Joan of Arc, the writers Corneille and Flaubert and the artists Géricault and Monet.

The walking tour will also cover the “Gros Horloge”, the astronomical clock, pride of the Rouennais, and the Parliament of Normandy, one of France’s rare civil constructions in Gothic style in the late Middle Ages. The Church of Saint-Maclou, a striking, flamboyant church dedicated to a Breton saint and known as Malo, is considered one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Rouen. Following this exploration, we encourage you to spend your free time at the “Place du Vieux Marché”, the site where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

This afternoon discover a typical farm of Vexin Normand with its 17th century half-timbered buildings.

Le Pressoir d'Or in Boisemont is not just a cider house. It's a journey through time and taste. The visit will include the Orchard, the cellar and a museum dedicated to the old apple press and will end with a tasting of their production: cider, apple juice, apple jelly, cider confit, Pétill 'Pomme.

End your day enjoying some free time in Lyons-la-Forêt, known as one of the most beautiful villages of France. It was built on the site of a former fortress and has remarkable centuries-old architecture. This charming, picturesque village, tucked away in the heart of one of the oldest and largest forests in Normandy, invites you to simply stroll through the streets and admire the half-timbered houses decorated with flowers, antique stores and cozy tea rooms.  

Follow your guide and enjoy a stroll through the charming city of Honfleur. This gorgeous maritime city is a town of painters and Impressionism, and possesses that something extra that makes it irresistible. The changing light on the Seine estuary inspired Courbet, Monet, Boudin and many others. Your guide will lead you through its narrow streets, steeped in history, and in the footsteps of sailors, painters, artists and musicians. Stop at the world-famous Vieux Bassin (old port), the Lieutenancy building, from which Samuel de Champlain set out to discover Canada, the old salt stores and St. Catherine’s Church, with its unusual architecture and separate bell tower built by sailor-carpenters. Today, dozens of galleries.

Follow your guide and enjoy a stroll through the charming city of Honfleur. This gorgeous maritime city is a town of painters and Impressionism, and possesses that something extra that makes it irresistible. The changing light on the Seine estuary inspired Courbet, Monet, Boudin and many others. Your guide will lead you through its narrow streets, steeped in history, and in the footsteps of sailors, painters, artists and musicians. Stop at the world-famous Vieux Bassin (old port), the Lieutenancy building, from which Samuel de Champlain set out to discover Canada, the old salt stores and St. Catherine’s Church, with its unusual architecture and separate bell tower built by sailor-carpenters. Today, dozens of galleries and artists’ studios continue to display a wide range of classical and modern paintings. Honfleur is also the perfect place to find local arts and crafts and specialties such as cider, Calvados, caramels and more. Visit the local market or just spend your free time in one of the small cafes and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere.

20 kilometers (twelve and a half miles) north of Le Havre, situated on the coast of Normandy. Étretat is renowned for its coastal scenery, in particular its white cliffs. Both the cliffs and the village are scenic highlights of the region and should not be missed. Join us to feel the magic of this place, full of history and legends. This exceptional natural site will take your breath away. Begin with stunning views of the cliffs and rock formations from the clifftop path. Continue with a guided walking tour of the town.

Historically a fishing village with medieval houses and fishing cottages, Étretat became a popular seaside resort during the 19th century. Its popularity was enhanced by the large number of famous artists and authors who were inspired by Étretat. Monet, Maupassant, Victor Hugo and Flaubert were all lovers of the region around the town. Monet painted several well-known pictures of the coast and cliffs around Étretat. It is an attractive, small town where you will have some leisure time, allowing you to browse through the shops and perhaps purchase some souvenirs. From the pebble beach and the promenade you can enjoy the cliffs on either side once more.

Join us on a fascinating Norman journey, a land of farmlands, beaches, and towns with their picturesque, half-timbered houses: a bucolic scenery as a backdrop to the WWII tragic events. It is a land with a rich culinary tradition, based on its fine local produce like world-famous cheeses and apples from which cider and the brandy Calvados are made. Normandy also boasts many historic landmarks, such as the city of Arromanches, the closest harbour linked with the liberation of Western Europe after D-Day. The staggeringly big concrete blocks remaining from the Mulberry artificial Harbour bring the massive Allied operations here back to life.

Continue your morning, at Longues-sur-mer impressive sight with its artillery battery. It has the only German coastal defense battery classified as an historic monument on the D-Day landing beaches. Enjoy a traditional Norman lunch break in Bayeux facing the famous Cathedral. Step into the story of the remarkable ascent of the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror in the city of Bayeux. The city boasts a fabulous historic center as well as its world-famous, UNESCO-listed 270-feet-long tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066. In the afternoon enjoy a visit and a Calvados tasting to a traditional distillery. Discover the richness of Calvados, its history and production secrets, in the heart of Pays d’Auge. Your Norman journey will end in Caudebec where you will board the ship.

Fécamp is a seaside resort on the alabaster coast in the department of Seine-Maritime, surrounded by the tallest cliffs in Normandy. An attractive setting, the city became a favorite with the Dukes of Normandy and was their home until 1204. This quintessential fishing port has beautiful seaside resorts, a religious pilgrimage site and is home to the famous Bénédictine liqueur.

During your tour enjoy a visit of the Palais Bénédictine, a Gothic-Renaissance architectural masterpiece. The palais was built at the end of the 19th century for Alexandre Le Grand, a wine merchant from Fécamp who rediscovered a recipe for Bénédictine, which was left at Fécamp Abbey by a Venetian Monk, in the 16thcentury. Le Grand began producing the liqueur and claimed it to have medicinal properties – creating a bestseller. View the extraordinary art collection from the 15th and 16th century left by Alexandre Le Grand, and visit the only distillery in the world still in operation producing the Bénédictine liqueur.

Step into the past with a short drive to the white stone remains of the English king’s stronghold: Château Gaillard. It was built at the end of the 12th century on a limestone promontory, overlooking the Seine. You’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the river and surrounding countryside. Our expert tour guide will share stories of the erection of this fortified castle by Richard Lionheart and of how Blanche and Marguerite, the adulterous daughters-in-law of the king, were imprisoned here.

Continue to Giverny, its vividly colored flora and gentle atmosphere being a source of inspiration for one of the foremost Impressionist painters: Claude Monet. As he glanced out of the window of his train and caught sight of the village, he decided then and there that this was where he wanted to live and work. And so he did, from 1883 until his death in 1926. Enter the intimate world of this great epicurean. Hear about the affection Clemenceau had for his friend and about the exchanges and verbal jousts with contemporaries Berthe Morisot, Marie Cassatt and Paul Cézanne. Tour the various rooms reflective of the personality of Monet.

West of Paris, surrounded by a beautiful green setting, the Château de Malmaison invites you into the intimate life of Josephine de Beauharnais, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. The “small” mansion that Josephine purchased in 1797 was just a run-down estate in desperate need of care and devotion when she set her eyes on it while her husband Napoleon was off fighting in Egypt. And that is precisely what Josephine brought to the property, transforming it into a “source of riches for all of France”. Napoleon Bonaparte took there many major decisions for France from 1800 to 1802. Josephine continued to live in the Château of Malmaison even after her divorce and did not cease to develop it until her death, turning the rooms and park into a real gem of the First Empire period.

Your Guide will lead you in the discovery of their daily life during the consulate and First Empire. Discover the music room and the council room shaped like a military tent where receptions, dances and country-style games took place. You will also visit Josephine’s bedroom where she died in 1814, passing through the Marengo room and its weapons that belonged to Napoleon.

Enjoy some free time in Josephine’s cherished gardens. She cultivated a nostalgia for the luxurious island of her childhood. Upon her arrival at the Château de Malmaison, she wanted to replicate the landscape of her native land Martinique <span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"></span>with its rich flowers and birds. She called upon Europe’s best gardeners and soon bundles of flowers arrived from all over the continent. Daffodils, hyacinths, camellias and tulips still flourish in her garden. The property achieved enduring fame for its rose garden,where Josephine grew all varieties of roses known at the time.

Josephine Baker sang “J’ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris“, referring to her two great loves: her country and Paris. She sums up how most people feel when visiting the French capital, which is one of the most romantic and fascinating cities in the world. The endless number of things to do and places to see means that every­one can find something fascinating to discover in this singular, magical and majestic city. Let your imagination wander as you pass through the streets of this capital, which are imbued with the memory of those who shaped the history of France: Joan of Arc, Louis XIV, Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Your guide will share the daily life of Parisians, and reveal all the secrets and marvels of the “City of Lights”. On the tour you will, of course, see the most important monuments in Paris. The sightseeing program includes the incomparable Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, famous as the burial place of Emperor Napoleon I, the fabulous Louvre Museum, the famous and elegant Champs-Elysées, the Jardin des Tuileries, former palace gardens laid out in the French style and much more.

The hill “la butte Montmartre” is located in the 18th arrondissement and boasts a magnificent, panoramic view of Paris. With its narrow, winding streets peppered with steep stairways and charming lampposts and its cobbled squares filled with watercolor painters and sketch artists, Montmartre is the picture-postcard idea of Paris. Montmartre also includes the hillside vineyard on the Rue des Saules, the festive Moulin de la Galette, where Renoir came to paint in the open air, and the Bateau Lavoir studio.

Stroll through the sinuous streets of the tallest hill of the capital with your guide, just like artists such as Picasso, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Utrillo have done since the end of the 19th century. You’ll sense the contrasts of this legendary and picturesque place, where wine flowed freely and romance alternated with madness.