Coutances: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Coutances is home to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, whose construction began in the first decades of the 13th century. The present building incorporates substantial parts of a Romanesque cathedral from the 11th century. Guided tours take visitors through the towers and galleries, showcasing Romanesque remains, the impressive lantern tower and the roof structures.

Culture

The Église Saint-Pierre also combines several periods: it was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century and in the 16th century, setting Flamboyant Gothic against Renaissance architecture. The Espace Saint-Nicolas is a former late Gothic parish church dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. As a secularised venue, it hosts exhibitions every summer and serves as a tourist information centre. Access is only possible during exhibition or event periods.

The Musée Quesnel-Morinière is housed in a 17th-century town mansion. Its permanent exhibition covers fine art, graphic art, folk art and sculptures. The museum also displays paintings and works of art that trace the life of Vieux-Coutances. Every year, it offers visitors temporary exhibitions.

Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Coutances is planning their own stay at the site of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame.

Nature

The Jardin des Plantes in Coutances is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Normandy. Its design combines formal French symmetry, English groups of trees and Italian terraces.

Other places: Carnet, Ponts, Sainte-Suzanne-sur-Vire, Saint-Sauveur-Le-Vicomte, Saint-Denis-Le-Vêtu, Gouvets, Saint-Marcouf, Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont

For the higher-level travel overview: Manche.