Saint-Gatien-Des-Bois: Forest, Walking Trail and Church

Saint-Gatien-des-Bois can be explored through two very different local features: the Forêt de Saint-Gatien-des-Bois and the church of Notre Dame des Bois. These features can help guide your choice of a hotel in Saint-Gatien-des-Bois: forest and walking on the one hand, architecture and historic furnishings on the other.

Forest and Landscape

The Forêt de Saint-Gatien-des-Bois is the largest forest in the Calvados département. It covers 3,500 hectares and has a circumference of 28 km. The area and circumference describe different measurements: 28 km is not the length of the walking trail. The area is shaped by various tree species, clearings and valleys. These give you specific points of reference if the landscape is a key consideration when planning your trip. The figures characterize the forest as a landscape, while the walking trail is a specific activity with its own access requirement.

Walking Trail: Check Seasonal Access

The walking trail through the Forêt de Saint-Gatien-des-Bois starts at the church on Rue des Brioleurs in Saint-Gatien-des-Bois. It is accessible only outside the hunting season. Both the starting point and the seasonal access restriction are therefore important when planning. Before setting out, check the official route page and take both details into account. This will help you plan the walk with its starting point and the applicable seasonal condition in mind.

Notre Dame des Bois Church: Building Phases and Furnishings

The floor plan of Notre Dame des Bois church is in the shape of a Latin cross. The church was built in the 15th and 16th centuries; its choir was rebuilt in the mid-18th century. This sequence distinguishes the original church building from the later work on the choir. The Latin cross floor plan describes the layout of the building, while the choir’s renovation belongs to a later building phase. Another detail is the 16th-century wooden-vaulted ceiling, supported by a wooden structure decorated with simple pendentives. The church also houses a stone Madonna and Child from the 16th century; other statues date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The church thus brings together architectural features and works of art from different periods.

Off-Road Route at VAL DES CIMES

VAL DES CIMES has a pre-recorded off-road route that is 16 km long. A guide may be available on request under certain conditions. If having a guide is important to your plans, check the request and its requirements in advance. The two activities raise different planning questions: at VAL DES CIMES, the focus is on the route length and the possibility of requesting a guide; for the forest trail, it is the starting point and hunting season.

Getting There

Deauville-Normandie Airport is located on the RD 74 in Saint-Gatien-des-Bois. If you are considering using it for your journey, check the latest information before travelling, as details about airport operations may change.

Discover more destinations: Condé-sur-Seulles, Bonneville-Sur-Seulles, Lantheuil, Bretteville-L'orgueilleuse, Espins, Le Vey, Reviers, Louvigny.

Go to the regional travel overview: Calvados.