Suggested by Ophelia
Reading time : 3 min

Take advantage of your holidays in the Falaise – Suisse Normande destination in Calvados to visit the villages of the Suisse Normande. From Clécy to Putanges via Pont-d'Ouilly, follow the thread of the Orne. Let yourself be surprised by the landscapes with steep cliffs that overlook the Normandy bocage.

Pont-d'Ouilly, a green resort in the Suisse Normande region

15 minutes from the fortified city of Falaise, gateway to Suisse Normande, join Pont-d'Ouilly. This bucolic village located at the confluence of the Orne and Noireau rivers occupies an ideal central position for exploring the Suisse Normande and its must-see sites. His guinguette at the edge of the water et his concerts make it an essential festive meeting place in summer.

From the banks lined with weeping willows, we watch the kayakers pass under the village's emblematic stone bridge. By its famous nautical base, Pont-d'Ouilly is the favorite playground for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

Epicerie du Coing, épicerie naturelle à Pont-d'Ouilly en Suisse Normande
The Quince grocery store – ©Clo and Clem / Calvados Attractiveness

On both sides of the shore, traders and craftsmen offer you all the products and services you need during your visit to Suisse Normande. Take a detour through theEpicerie du Coing held by Ruta and Nicolas. This atypical place offers you excellent Norman local products, a souvenir shop with designer objects and even the possibility of renting electrically assisted bicycles in summer. Exhibitions and concerts are invited there throughout the year.

La Roche d'Oëtre, a dizzying panorama

A few kilometers from Pont-d'Ouilly, discover the listed natural site of Roche d'Oetre in Saint-Philbert-sur-Orne. This natural belvedere, undoubtedly the most famous in Suisse Normande, overlooks the verdant gorges of the Rouvre. From the top of its precipice of 118 meters, it offers an astonishing panorama. On site, enjoy many hiking trails accessible to all.

Putanges and Lake Rabodanges

To the south of Roche d'Oëtre, Putanges-le-Lac extends along the banks of the Orne. With its traditional stone houses, the flowery village of Putanges-Pont-Écrepin promises a charming stopover at the gates of the Suisse Normande. Its church with a bell tower in the shape of an extinguisher located on the top of "la Roche" dominates the valley.

From the village, we gladly embark on a cruise aboard a boat trip on one of the largest bodies of water in Normandy: Rabodanges lake. Held in by a dam 17 m high and 160 m long, the lake extends over 6 km in the heart of the unspoiled landscapes of the Suisse Normande. It is currently the only natural bathing place.

Clécy, a village of character in the Suisse Normande

An emblematic village of Suisse Normande, Clécy remains an essential stopover during your stay in Normandy. Located on the left bank of the Orne, 15 minutes from Pont-d'Ouilly, Clécy promises an immersion in the heart of steep and green landscapes.

Surrounded by a remarkable landscape setting, the village is dominated by the Rocks of the Parks et sugar loaf, one of the highest points of Suisse Normande. Crowned with the “village of character of Calvados” label, Clécy has kept its stone and slate constructions reminiscent of mountain villages… In the middle of Normandy!

From here we venture on the ridge road with sumptuous viewpoints, with the Orne river below, and the recognizable La Lande viaduct. Nearby, the natural site of Eminence which culminates at 253 m and offers a superb view of the entire valley.

Author

Ophelia

Website & social media manager