Historic market halls, art venues and waterside activities give Dives-Sur-Mer several distinct highlights. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth asking what you would like to focus your stay on: architectural history and market tradition, art and puppetry, or maritime activities. These themes offer different starting points for choosing your accommodation and planning your stay.
Market Halls and Market Tradition
The Halles de Dives-sur-Mer were built between 1405 and 1423 and today measure 50 Ă— 12 metres. Their roof structure rests on 66 oak pillars. The proportions make the elongated shape easy to appreciate, while the number and material of the pillars provide a concrete detail of the construction. The market tradition continues at the Halles every Saturday morning. This brings architectural history and a regular market day together in one place.
Art Venues and Historic Traces
The Village d’Art Guillaume-le-Conquérant is free to enter. There, you can meet artists, restorers, antique dealers and craftspeople. These varied activities give the place its own artistic focus, distinct from its historic buildings.
The Maison Bleue de Da Costa combines a mosaic garden featuring motifs such as birds, snakes and deer with 27 years of Art Brut work. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1991. The Manoir de Bois-Hibout is a manor house built in the 17th century, also known as the « Lieutenance ».
The walls of the Église Notre-Dame de Dives-sur-Mer bear 400 graffiti dating from the 15th to the 20th century. The church’s history is linked to the legend of the Christ Saint Sauveur and to the origins of a pilgrimage site in Dives-sur-Mer. In 1862, a plaque listing the companions of William the Conqueror was also installed at the church. The legend, graffiti spanning several centuries and the plaque offer different historical points of reference.
Puppetry is also part of the cultural offering: since 5 October 2022, Le Sablier has been a Centre national de la marionnette (CNMa). Le Sablier supports projects at the Beffroi de Dives-sur-Mer and receives support from the town, among others. This provides another cultural focus to choose from, alongside historic buildings and visual art.
Maritime Activities and Planning Your Visit
Port Guillaume offers walks along the banks of the Dives and trips out to sea. You can enjoy the maritime setting with either a walk along the riverbank or an excursion out to sea. The École de voile intercommunale offers catamaran sailing, dinghy and Optimist sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking and sailing. Availability may vary by season.
CAPAC organises trips out to sea lasting around two hours, with an emphasis on traditional navigation. Check departure times before your trip. CAPAC also organises tours of the fishing harbour and the marina. These introduce local fishing techniques using documents and models, and offer insights into traditional knot-tying. The trips and harbour tours have different focuses: one centres on navigation at sea, the other on local fishing and maritime crafts.
RĂ©ciDives takes place every year in Dives-sur-Mer. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the latest programme dates in advance.
Discover more destinations: Truttemer-Le-Grand, Norrey-En-Auge, Courson, Basseneville, Crépon, Villers-Sur-Mer, Campigny, Mittois.
Return to the regional travel overview: Calvados.
