France – Avranches (En)
Avranches, the town of La Manche, in Normandy, takes place on the southern coast of the department, in the heart of the Avranchin country. The one called the City of Manuscripts is facing the bay of Mont Saint-Michel. Avranches was largely destroyed during the Second World War, due to the Allied bombings of July 7, 1944. Once rebuilt after the war, it is striking to observe the similarity between the city’s buildings, all of which are made of stone.
Where to stay
We parked in the free motorhome area of the town (48.686401, -1.3677 lat, long) which is just a 10-minute walk to the city centre and has facilities for emptying the grey and black waters. You can have water for 2 euros. The area is quite steep, so you need to put ramps to level it off. Next to the area, you will find the Cultural Centre and a school from the end of the 18th century, with amazing views. Thanks to the city for setting up an area for motorhomes, we recommend arriving early because around 11 a.m. it was full.
What to see
The first thing when entering the city that catches your attention are all its stone buildings, you find a square where the Hotel de Ville and the tourist office are located. It is notable to find in many squares or parks monuments dedicated to the victims, combatants and liberators of the World Wars.
Soon you will see the Donjon listed as a Historical Monument, built in the early 11th century and raised on the remains of an ancient Roman castle, it collapsed in the 19th century after being crossed by a new street. A curtain and a tower adorned with battlements are still present today. At the end of the wall is the Scriptorial, which is a museum of manuscripts, dating from the 8th to the 15th century, presented in the treasure room, it is renewed every 3 months. It has more than 200 medieval volumes that include rich translations of ancient works by Plato, Cicero and Aristotle.
Built-in the middle of the 17th century, the Basilica of St. Gervais was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century in a charming neoclassical style, where you can see the supposed skull of Saint Aubert, who founded the village of Mont Saint-Michel in the 8th century.
The church Notre-Dame des Champs dates from the end of the 17th century. Very simple, it was completely redone in the second half of the 19th century because it became too narrow. Severely damaged by the bombings of 1944, it was reopened to the public in the early 1960s. Right in front of the church is the garden of plants offering a breathtaking view of the Sée and the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel which reveals the old well and the Romanesque portal of the Saint-Georges Chapel of Bouillés, both listed as Historical Monuments. We couldn’t go inside the gardens because dogs are not allowed and we got Asha.
We strolled through the picturesque streets of Avranches while taking in the small shops and cafes, as well as the many street markets where Ben bought a dozen fresh oysters for 6 euros! Then we sat in a restaurant to try the local cheeses, which were delicious.
We left Avranches and went to Mont Saint-Michel, a magical island topped by a gravity-defying abbey, which you can see in the next post!
