A gîte near Camembert
for exploring the Pays d’Auge
Le Hameau des Prés-Verts lies at Les Champeaux, the next village to Camembert, about ten minutes’ drive away. You stay in a house of your own in the middle of the bocage (hedged farmland), close to the cheese-making sights of the Pays d’Auge.
Reinette Grise sleeps up to 6 and the Chalet Normand up to 4. Both houses have a fitted kitchen: a lovely way to round off a day of visits with a meal made from the local produce you bring back.
Discovering Camembert during your stay
The village and the Maison du Camembert
The name is known far beyond Normandy; on the ground, Camembert keeps the scale of a bocage village. The Maison du Camembert takes you into the history of the cheese and makes a good start to exploring the local terroir. Check its opening arrangements before you go, especially out of season.
The cheese dairies nearby
Local producers offer another view of camembert, closer to the way it is made. Nearby, the Fromagerie Durand and the Clos de Beaumoncel are among the places worth considering for your programme. Whether you can watch the cheese being made depends on production days and times: check directly with each producer.
To make the most of the outing, allow time for the village, a visit and a little shopping. As the Hameau is so close, you can come back to the house for lunch or keep the afternoon free.
Pairing Camembert with the other flavours of the Pays d’Auge
Vimoutiers and its Camembert museum complete the story. Livarot offers another take on Normandy cheeses, with its Village Fromager. Rather than squeezing every visit into one day, you can spread them over several mornings of your stay.
The Petit Marché de Camembert, late on Friday afternoons, also makes a tasty outing. Check its seasonal times before setting off. What you buy there can then become dinner in your gîte.
Choosing your house near Camembert
Reinette Grise has two bedrooms (one of them a master suite), a fireplace and a large private garden. The Chalet Normand has two interconnecting bedrooms and a heated pool for the sole use of its guests from 1 May to 30 September, sometimes a little longer if the weather allows.
Solo travellers and couples are welcome in both houses, as are families and friends, within the capacity of each. Pets are accepted. You can book breakfast as an optional extra. The hot tub at 38 °C is included in your stay, with a time slot to book in advance.
Where you will be staying
The Hameau is at Les Champeaux, at 1258 chemin des Manis, 61120, and not in the village of Camembert itself. A car makes it easier to travel between producers, villages and your house. Parking on site is free.