Vascoeuil Castle

Nestling at the heart of the Norman countryside, at the edge of Lyons Forest, the 15th and 16th-century Vascoeuil Castle contains a Centre of Art and History, made up of contemporary art exhibitions on the one hand, and a museum dedicated to Jules Michelet, a famous 19th-century French historian who stayed at Vascoeuil several times, on the other. It was here, in the identically restored study at the top of the octagonal tower, that the author wrote much of his work, including the History of France and History of the French Revolution. Based in an 18th-century half-timbered outbuilding, the Jules Michelet Museum tells the story of the writer's life and work with a large collection of memorabilia.

When it comes to contemporary art, the estate park, a real outdoor gallery, is the permanent home of a superb collection of fifty or so sculptures by famous 20th-century artists, such as Braque, Cocteau, Dalí, Vasarely and more. As well as the sculpture park, temporary exhibitions of modern art and special events are on offer from mid-March to mid-November.