Lisieux

Travel Guide
Photo provided by © ATOUT FRANCE
Enjoy the bucolic charm of this quaint farming village, with locally made apple brandy, delicious cheeses and its very own saint.

Lisieux is a charming village in the heart of Pays d’Auge, a rich agricultural region in Normandy. The area is made up of hedged farmland where milk cows roam and cider apples hang from the trees. Although more than half of the town was destroyed in 1944, you can still see some fascinating historic monuments.

With fields of grazing cattle and abundant apple orchards, it’s no surprise that cider and cheese production is so popular here. Stop at local distilleries to try Calvados, the famous apple brandy named after the region. Learn about cheese-making at Domaine Saint Hippolyte, a beautiful country mansion. Take a tour of the estate, browse exhibitions where you can learn about cheese and other local products and taste samples.

Explore the Basilica of Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux, constructed in honour of St. Thérèse who lived and died in the town. It was built to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims coming to worship the new saint, after she was canonized in 1925. Admire the 300-foot (91.3-metre) high dome and descend to the crypt. Tour the convent where St. Thérèse trained as a nun and find artifacts from her life in the Room of Relics.

Lisieux’s Saint-Pierre Cathedral is one of Normandy’s first Gothic buildings and one of the town’s few monuments to survive the allied bombing in 1944. Admire the rib vaults and flying buttresses of this 12th-century church, as well as the Norman-style lantern tower and the western façade.

Other notable landmarks include the 15th-century castle of Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet. The castle, which combines medieval and Renaissance architecture, is located at the bottom of a picturesque valley and is surrounded by a moat and peacock garden. Inside, it is filled with elegant 18th and 19th-century furniture, various works of art and 16th-century frescoes. 

For a fun family day out, head to Parc Zoologique CERZA (CERZA Zoo), where you can take a safari train around the 148-acre (60-hectare) park. There are more than a thousand wild animals here, ranging from giraffes to kangaroos to lions.

Lisieux is a 30-minute drive from Deauville-Normandie airport and just over 2 hours’ drive from Paris. There are regular train services to and from Paris too.

 Brit Hotel Eden Spa Honfleur
Brit Hotel Eden Spa Honfleur
3 out of 5
Avenue de Normandie, Honfleur, Calvados
The price is S$137 per night from 4 Oct to 5 Oct
S$137
per night
4 Oct - 5 Oct
Stay at this 3-star spa hotel in Honfleur. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
9/10 Wonderful! (477 reviews)
"Il manque une machine à café dans la chambre, globalement la prestation reste très correcte !"

Reviewed on 24 Sep,2024

Brit Hotel Eden Spa Honfleur
Manoir de l'Eveche
Manoir de l'Eveche
14 Boulevard Carnot, Lisieux, Calvados
The price is S$147 per night from 6 Oct to 7 Oct
S$147
per night
6 Oct - 7 Oct
Book a stay at this spa aparthotel in Lisieux. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the property condition ...
9/10 Wonderful! (162 reviews)
"Good hotel. Nice breakfast. Rooms clean. Easy parking. Private pool to book out for FREE. Lovely town around to go and get dinner in. pull out bed a little bit uncomfortable."

Reviewed on 1 Sep,2024

Manoir de l'Eveche
Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville
Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville
5 out of 5
38 Rue Jean Mermoz, Deauville, Calvados
The price is S$468 per night from 16 Oct to 17 Oct
S$468
per night
16 Oct - 17 Oct
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Deauville. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa, and 2 beach bars. Our guests praise the room service in our reviews. Popular ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (556 reviews)
"Great location, excellent staff, nice rooms, right accross from the ocean."

Reviewed on 10 Sep,2024

Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Adonis Honfleur
Adonis Honfleur
3 out of 5
Route Departementale 579A, Avenue le Jumel, Equemauville, Calvados
Stay at this 3-star family-friendly residence in Equemauville. Enjoy free parking, an outdoor pool, and a garden. Popular attractions Old Harbor of Honfleur ...
7/10 Good! (981 reviews)
Basic but comfortable.
"This accommodation is basic. The kitchen woul be more useful with better utensils eg a sharp knife, veg peeler, chopping board. The beds were very comfortable with ample bedding and the bathroom and toilet were fine. The WiFi was hopeless. There is ample parking near each apartment. We had a very ..."

Reviewed on 22 Sep,2023

Adonis Honfleur
Manoir de l'Eveche
Manoir de l'Eveche
14 Boulevard Carnot, Lisieux, Calvados
Book a stay at this spa aparthotel in Lisieux. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the property condition ...
9/10 Wonderful! (162 reviews)
"Good hotel. Nice breakfast. Rooms clean. Easy parking. Private pool to book out for FREE. Lovely town around to go and get dinner in. pull out bed a little bit uncomfortable."

Reviewed on 1 Sep,2024

Manoir de l'Eveche
Kyriad Prestige Residence & Spa Cabourg - Dives-sur-Mer
Kyriad Prestige Residence & Spa Cabourg - Dives-sur-Mer
3 out of 5
5, Promenade De La Dives, Dives-sur-Mer
Stay at this 3-star beach aparthotel in Dives-sur-Mer. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (588 reviews)
"Tres bon voyage en famille Hôtel tres bien situé Facile d'accès et parkings pratique"

Reviewed on 7 Sep,2024

Kyriad Prestige Residence & Spa Cabourg - Dives-sur-Mer
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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Reviews of Lisieux

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Top destination
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4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

A town with a mixture of old and modern ok for a stop over but not a holiday desination.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

The Basilica was amazing with its very colourful mosaic decoration covering most of the interior surfaces. This decoration was equally spectacular down in the crypt..