Saint Philbert Des Champs: Culture and hiking

Saint-Philbert-des-Champs offers several different reasons to visit: cultural heritage centred on the church, the history of a lavoir, a hiking route, and cooking classes and a cheese-making tradition. If you are looking for a hotel, you can start by deciding whether culture, outdoor activity or food should be your main focus. The details below will help you plan with specific information.

Cultural heritage in the church and lavoir

The protected statue of Saint Philbert is located in the church of Saint-Philbert-des-Champs. It dates from the 18th century and was listed as a protected cultural object on 22 December 1981. These two dates refer to different things: the 18th century is when the statue was made, while the date in 1981 marks its protected status. It depicts Saint Philbert with a bishop's staff, a calabash and the Rule Book of the Benedictine Order. In addition to the statue, the church's architectural design is another specific aspect of the local cultural heritage. It has a false transept, the left arm of which is occupied by a bell tower. The statue's attributes and a distinctive feature of the church's architecture thus offer two different points of interest.

The Lavoir de Saint-Philbert-des-Champs was built in 1906. Its rectangular concrete basin, original clay floor and surrounding brick wall describe the structure in terms of its form and materials. Its history of use differs from what one might expect of a washhouse: due to a construction fault in the water drainage system, it was never used for washing clothes. Instead, local residents drew drinking water there. The lavoir's design and actual use therefore offer two different perspectives. It is fed by the Fontaine des Boudards, also known as the Fontaine d'Anjou. The lavoir is on a walking trail and can be reached on foot or by bicycle.

Hiking route with distance and duration

The Entre la Touques et le Chaussey route passes through Saint-Philbert-des-Champs. It is described as an easy 7-kilometre hike taking about two hours. In the section through the commune, the route first follows a path that then joins a small paved road. This gives you both an approximate idea of the time required and a specific change in the path surface. Route information may be updated; check the current route before setting out.

Cooking class and cheese-making tradition

At La Maison du Chef Normand, cooking classes last 2.5 hours. Depending on the option chosen, participants prepare savoury or sweet dishes, which they can then taste on site. Dates and availability may change. If you want to make the class a firm part of your plans, check both in advance. Another culinary facet is the cheese made by the Spruytte family on their farm in Saint-Philbert-des-Champs: for three generations, they have been making a square cheese from the raw milk of their Norman cows. Alongside a cooking class with a set duration, this offers information about a production tradition maintained across generations.

The duration information for the hike and cooking class is similar: the hike takes about two hours, while the class lasts 2.5 hours. The class is therefore approximately half an hour longer; since the hiking time is only an estimate, this comparison is approximate too.

Discover more destinations: Lessard-Et-Le-Chêne, Lénault, Cambes-En-Plaine, Ablon, Arromanches-Les-Bains, Saint-Laurent-Du-Mont, Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Le Vey.

For the regional travel overview: Calvados.