This another of the Norman riviera town very chic nice and great historical spot for a nice summer town/resort. We came here first on our road warrior trips along the coast and found Dives sur Mer, very nice find. I will do this introduction in my black and white series, no pictures, Therefore, let me tell you a bit on this is Dives sur Mer !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The town of Dives-sur-Mer is located in the Calvados dept no 14 in the Normandie region of my belle France, It is situated on the edge of the Dives estuary and the English Channel on the Côte Fleurie. The town is less than 2 km from Cabourg,less than 3 km from Houlgate, 21 km from Deauville, 32 km from Caen, 47 km from Honfleur, 207 km from Versailles, and 338 km from my current home from where we came along the N24 road to Rennes, then A84 highway dir Caen to connect with the A13 autoroute de Normandie dir Paris but get off in exit/sortie 30 by Dozulé to get on the D400 road to Diver sur Mer taking right onto Avenue de la Liberté and a quick left onto Avenue des Résistants follow centre City center to the village of William the Conqueror, Of course, the main road here is the A13 that is about 10 km from the town by Dozulé exit/sortie 30 ,also, if coming from Paris,
Other things to see other than the village (see post) are that on August 6, 1001, fishermen pulled a crucifix without a cross from their nets. The knee of the figure of Christ began to bleed when struck with an axe by an unbeliever. No craftsman was able to make a cross on which to place this Christ figure. Three years later, a cross found at sea perfectly fit the miraculous Christ. The legend of Christ the Holy Savior was born, the figure was placed in the chapel, and Dives-sur-Mer became a place of pilgrimage. In the 14-15C, the Notre Dame Church was enlarged in the Gothic style. During the Wars of Religion, the Christ figure disappeared, and the pilgrimage came to an end. The church offers visitors many points of interest: above the pediment at the entrance to the church, a list of William the Conqueror’s companions has been displayed since 1862; the stained-glass windows depict the story of Christ the Holy Savior; and outside, there is a leper’s window. Marcel Proust describes the region, and in particular the church, in his novel À la recherche du temps perdu or In Search of Lost Time. Among the early archaeologists, Arcisse de Caumont revived interest in its history: he is credited with compiling the list of 475 names of William the Conqueror’s companions that is displayed in the church. The Halles or market date from the beginning of the 15C, but it is likely that older market halles existed previously. The current market halles measure 50 x 12 meters. The Maison Bleu or Blue House is the work of a mason of Portuguese origin, Euclides Ferrera da Costa, and was built from 1957 to 1977. The artist used various recycled materials for his project, including glass, crockery, and earthenware, integrated into a cement base.The house was acquired by the town in 1989. The Bois-Hibout Manor house was built in the 17C by Leduc de la Falaise, valet to Louis XIV. Later, it became the property of a certain Sieur de Bois-Hibout, from whom it takes its name, the Bois-Hibout Manor was restored in 1975. The Port Guillaume marina with a tidal basin with a total capacity of 600 berths on pontoons, equipped with water and electricity, this marina is accessible for six consecutive hours per tide via a marked channel. There is also an SNSM ( Sea Rescue Society) station. The port is connected to the beaches of the neighboring towns: Cabourg 300 meters away by a footbridge and Houlgate 800 meters away by a coastal path. A fish market, open in the mornings throughout the year, offers fresh seafood for sale. There was also a post relay station on the road from Caen to Rouen along the coast.
A bit of history tell us that the town of Dives was known in Roman times, when its port was of great importance. As early as 858, the river was used by the Vikings, who sailed up the Dives to plunder Chartres. The history of Dives-sur-Mer is primarily marked by the preparations for the Norman conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy, William the Bastard (Conqueror). From August 1, 1066, William stationed a large part of his fleet at the mouth of the Dives, protected from an English attack by a narrow channel between two sandbanks, and established his camp on the heights of a plateau east of the port. After waiting from August 12 to September 27, 1066, for favorable winds, William was forced to move his forces further north. The crossing to the beaches of Pevensey, UK, was finally made from Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. In early August 1944, the Belgian and Dutch brigades landed at Arromanches and joined the British 6th Airborne Division with their armored vehicles under the command of General Richard Gale. After fierce fighting, on August 21, 1944, the Belgians of the Piron Brigade liberated Cabourg, Dives, and Houlgate. The Belgians, the Royal Ulster Rifles Regiment, and the Devons liberated Trouville and entered Honfleur triumphantly on August 25 1944.
The town of Dives sur Mer on its heritage : https://www.dives-sur-mer.fr/tourisme/patrimoine/
The local Normandie Cabourg Pays d’Auge tourist office on Dives sur Mer : https://www.normandie-cabourg-paysdauge-tourisme.fr/en/to-see/dives-on-sea/
The Calvados dept 14 tourist office on Dives sur Mer : https://www.explore-calvados.com/en/cultural-heritage/dives-sur-mer/
The ports of Calvados dept 14 such as Dives sur Mer : https://www.portsducalvados.fr/en/ports/dives-cabourg-houlgate/
There you go folks, another wonderful town in lovely Normandie and belle France, they are sublimes, Again, hope you enjoy this post on this is Dives sur Mer !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 