Périers-En-Auge – Nature, Coastal Views and Church History

You can get to know Périers-En-Auge through several specific points of reference: the Church of Saint-Firmin, the natural landscape of the Marais de la Dives, and the view of the coast from the heights. This preserved natural landscape stretches across the hills of the Pays d’Auge and the Marais de la Dives. The commune borders Dives-sur-Mer and is close to the beaches of Cabourg. This gives you different points of focus when planning your trip: marshland, church history or the coast.

Nature and the Coast

The entry dated January 7, 2025, in the national natural heritage inventory for the ZNIEFF Marais de Varaville also lists Périers-En-Auge as part of the area. The Marais de Varaville consists of wet meadows crisscrossed by drainage ditches and artificial ponds. It remains an area of ecological interest because of the animal and plant species found there. The description thus connects specific landscape features with the ecological significance of the species that live there.

The heights of Périers-En-Auge offer panoramic views of the coast. The views and the proximity to the beaches of Cabourg are different aspects of the coast that you can take into account when planning your trip. Local facilities and beach conditions are subject to updates; check the latest information before visiting.

Church of Saint-Firmin

The Church of Saint-Firmin was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and remodeled in the 18th century. It stands in isolation on a hill above the Marais de la Dives. Its construction history and location offer different points of reference for understanding the building: when it was built and remodeled, and its elevated position above the marshland.

Inside the church are a baptismal font, a rood beam and the tombstone of the parish priest Louis Morice, who was buried in 1749. These details include different elements of the church interior and complement its construction history with a burial associated with a named person and a specific date. Saint-Firmin can thus be viewed both through its building phases and through its specific furnishings and tombstone.

Wartime History and a Place of Remembrance

A local event from the Second World War involved the Horsa glider CN94. It made an emergency landing at Périers-En-Auge, ten kilometers northeast of the designated landing zone. The glider was carrying 28 soldiers and two pilots. The precise direction and distance distinguish the actual landing site from the intended destination; the number of people aboard gives a sense of the scale of the transport.

The grave of the English soldier Private Hedges is also located in the cemetery near the church. This is another named connection to local wartime history: alongside the glider incident, there is a grave commemorating a soldier known by name.

Route Information for the Véloroute

Near Périers-En-Auge, the Véloroute des marais de la Dives crosses the chaussée de Varaville (RD27); Périers-En-Auge is on the left. The route description was last updated in December 2013 and describes the road as rather dangerous. Check the current road surface and safety conditions before setting out.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Mittois, Combray, Sainte-Marguerite-d'Elle, L'Oudon, Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Saint-Martin-des-Besaces, Saint-Germain-Du-Pert, Saonnet.

For the broader travel overview: Calvados.