Normandy Cider Route: A Picturesque Road Trip Around Northern France

• A guide to the Normandy Cider Route through the Pays d’Auge countryside.
• Discover key villages and producers to visit for cider, pommeau and calvados tastings.
• Explore cider’s central role in Normandy’s culture and daily life.
• Find practical tips on getting around, where to stay and local festivals.

France may be famous for its world-class vineyards, but in Normandy the apple is celebrated just as much as the grape. Here, cider is not just a rustic alternative to wine, but an everyday drink rooted in the land. The Normandy Cider Route offers a way to understand this tradition, following rural roads through apple orchards, quaint villages and working farms where cider, pommeau and calvados are still made as they have been for generations. If you enjoy regional cuisine and slow travel, it offers an immersive way to explore the landscape, lingering over tastings, long lunches and scenic detours.

The Normandy Cider Route is a 40 km trail through the heart of France's cider-producing countryside. East of Caen, in northwest France, it winds through the picturesque Pays d’Auge: a quintessential landscape of rolling hills, dotted with half-timbered houses, châteaux and manor houses.

The signposted route links nearly 20 cider farms and distilleries, identified by the “Cru de Cambremer” sign. This mark guarantees the origin and quality of the cider under the AOP (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) Pays d’Auge designation, which ensures that products are made according to the traditional methods of this specific region.

Much like a wine route, producers welcome visitors to learn about production, taste different styles and understand the role of terroir. Many cider producers are small, family-run operations, which feel more like visiting a local farm than entering a formal tasting room.

Normandy’s apple culture centres on three closely related drinks.

• Cider is a lightly fermented apple drink, typically around 4-5% alcohol, and is the everyday table drink in Normandy. It can be sweet (doux), medium (demi-sec) or dry (brut), and is usually lightly sparkling.
• Pommeau is a fortified apple aperitif made by blending apple must with young calvados and ageing the mixture in oak. Smooth and sweet, it's usually served chilled before meals.
• Calvados is apple brandy, distilled from fully fermented cider and aged in barrels for years. It is traditionally enjoyed after a meal, sipped slowly.

Unlike eating apples, cider apples are grown specifically for fermentation. They are often bitter and tannic – not especially pleasant to eat, but essential for structure and complexity in cider.

The following stops offer a well-rounded introduction to the region, with scenic places to visit on the Cider Route and beyond.

Set in the heart of the Pays d’Auge, Cambremer is widely regarded as one of the best places to begin. Surrounded by orchards, it's home to several respected producers and offers an overview of local styles. Tastings often include cider at different stages of production, from fresh juice to mature bottles. A highlight is the Calvados Pierre Huet estate, which has been producing cider, pommeau and calvados since 1865. The family-run estate grows more than 25 varieties of apples across 30 hectares and combines traditional methods with innovation, including a wood-chip-powered distillery, unique in Normandy. Pair your visit with the nearby Pays d’Auge Gardens (open seasonally) for a pleasant detour.

Calvados Pierre Huet

• 5 Av. des Tilleuls, 14340 Cambremer
• Open Mon-Sat 9 am-12:30 pm, 2pm-6 pm

A short drive northwest of Cambremer, Beuvron-en-Auge is frequently listed among the prettiest villages in France. Half-timbered houses frame a small central square lined with antique shops, galleries and boutiques selling local products, including cider, calvados and cheese. While Beuvron-en-Auge is not a production centre itself, it plays an important role in understanding how cider fits into everyday life – served casually with meals and sold alongside other staples. In autumn, the cider festival features traditional apple pressing in the village square.

Heading east towards Bonnebosq, the route becomes quieter and more rural. This area is ideal for discovering smaller, lesser-known producers scattered along narrow country roads. Many of these farms have been pressing apples for generations and offer an insight into cider-making as a way of life: look out for Ferme de la Vallée au Tanneur and Ferme Cidricole Desvoye (in Beaufour-Druval).

Ferme de la Vallée au Tanneur

• 200 Chem. de la Vall. aux Tanneurs, 14340 Auvillars
• Open Mon-Sat 10 am-1 pm, 2pm-6:30 pm

Some 15 km northeast of Bonnebosq, the lively market town of Pont-l’Évêque is worth a detour from the Cider Route. It's known for its namesake French cheese and has several small cider producers nearby. Head here to combine cider and calvados tastings with exploring local markets and traditional Norman architecture.

Further south, Livarot adds another dimension for exploring beyond the Cider Route region. Best known for its strong, washed-rind cheese, the town shows how cider fits naturally alongside other regional foods. Markets and small shops sell cider as a staple rather than a souvenir. Visiting Livarot helps place cider within the broader food culture of Normandy, where apples, dairy and long lunches are closely linked.

While it's possible to visit the route in a single long day, it works best over two or three days, allowing time for relaxed tastings and interesting detours. Public transport is limited, so consider joining a guided tour from Caen or Deauville. Cycling is also possible, although hills and narrow roads mean it's best suited to experienced cyclists.

The Cider Route can be visited year-round, but many producers consider autumn the best time, when you can see the pressing and fermentation in action. 

Caen makes a good base, with the Pays d’Auge just a 30-minute drive. Mercure Caen Centre Port de Plaisance Hotel is in the historic centre while Mercure Cabourg - Hotel & Spa overlooks the sea. 

While many cider producers welcome drop-in visitors, it's wise to check opening times, especially outside summer.

Yes. Many visits focus on orchards, production methods and heritage rather than tasting alone, and the countryside and villages are rewarding in their own right.

Many producers speak some English, but a few French phrases are appreciated and often warmly received.

The Normandy Cider Route offers insight into a landscape shaped by apples, the rhythm of rural life and a drink that reflects local identity. Following these quiet roads is one of the most rewarding ways to experience an authentic side to Normandy – unhurried, welcoming and traditional – with cider never far from the table.