The village of Lessay is known for its abbey church, a remarkable example of Romanesque art, but also for its Sainte-Croix country fair which attracts a large number of visitors every year the second weekend of September.
On the west coast of the Cotentin, and the heart of the Manche department, lies the small town of Lessay. This town in Normandy has become over the years one of the main tourist attractions of the region with its historical and cultural attractions including. At the heart of Normandy, it offers to visitors a unique nature and various monuments of great interest.
Ranked in the European Natura 2000 network, including through its moorland and its haven situated not far from the sea, the city of Lessay also enjoys a unique ecological wealth that seduces as much as the many activities offered throughout the year in the streets of the Norman city.
Passing Lessay few days, visitors can also take the opportunity to discover the many local products and taste the seafood straight from the west coast of the Channel. A most enjoyable destination in the heart of Normandy to spend quiet and stress free holiday!
Green nature and cultural heritage are Lessay program and its surroundings.
Abbey Holy Trinity Lessay is the main focus of the small town of Normandy. Founded in 1056, it hosts the monks of the Abbey of Bec. After a peak in the heart of the Middle Ages to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it slowly declined until it became national property during the French Revolution. Destroyed during the bombings of World War II, the abbey was completely rebuilt and inaugurated in early 1950. A masterpiece of Romanesque art, it is now classified historic monument and houses several works of art also classified as objects.
Charles Lindbergh christened airfield, airfield Lessay is named after the famous aviator who first crossed the Atlantic Ocean by plane and who passed Lessay in 1927 before taking the boat to America. Built in 1923, the aviation center offers visitors introductory flights or baptisms to fly over the English Channel and admire the natural wonders of the region. Parachute jumps are also possible, as flights in a glider or microlight.
Sixteen hectares nature reserve, bog eyes Mathon offers hikers a beautiful variety of plants, some of which, such as sundews, are very rare. Guided tours are proposed by the Standing initiative center for the Cotentin environment.
Open to the public, the dairy-cheese factory Val d'Ay, founded in 1931, helps in learning more about Camembert produced in the manufacturing process there.
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If the city of Lessay is not huge, it still offers no less than several famous events throughout the region and the rest of the country.
Every Tuesday morning, every week of the year, a food market takes place in the center of Lessay, from 7:30 to 13h.
Founded in the eleventh century by Benedictine monks, the Holy Cross Fair Lessay runs for several centuries, the second weekend in September. Second fair of its kind in France, it welcomes more than 1500 exhibitors over three days and a funfair discovered by nearly 400,000 visitors each year. This is one of the most important events in Normandy, with various agricultural shows and other events of all kinds.
Every July and August, the abbey hosts musical Lessay hours since 1993. This international music event is fully focused on sacred music and offers various concerts of world famous artists. In an idyllic and solemn setting, this popular event features high-quality shows.
