Two distinctive themes come together in Hotot-En-Auge: a landscape shaped by the Dives Marshes and a rich architectural heritage. This includes protected manor houses, Saint-Georges Church and traces of local history. The various protected sites and the landscape offer different ways to plan your stay around culture, nature or a mix of both.
Dives Marshes and hiking route
The Dives Marshes shape most of the landscape around Hotot-En-Auge. They are classified as a ZNIEFF, a natural area of ecological, faunal and floristic interest. Another distinctive feature is that the flood-prone marshes consist of small islands whose number varies with the weather. The landscape is therefore characterized not only by its size, but also by this weather-dependent change.
The hiking route “Hotot-en-Auge, par vents et marais, sur la Route du Cidre” is 6.4 kilometres long and follows the Route du Cidre. The route description was updated on 23 December 2024. It rates the route as easy, gives a duration of two hours and describes panoramic views of the Dives Marshes. These details can help you plan your time; check the route information again before setting out.
Manor houses with different areas of protection
The Manoir de la Chapelle dates from the 17th century. It is fully protected, with the exception of its tower, which was added later. At the Manoir de Langle, also known as “Le Vieux Manoir,” the protection covers two outbuildings and a covered well as well as the manor house. These two examples alone show that protected ensembles can include not just the main buildings, but also additional features.
At the archaeological site of the maison forte du Ham, protection extends beyond the building: it covers the entire site, including the ground, subsoil and moats. For the Manoir dit Le Lieu Calice, specific parts of the building and interior rooms are listed instead: the façades and roofs, the ground-floor drawing room and the bedroom on the first floor, each including its furnishings, are protected. These differences bring Hotot-En-Auge’s architectural heritage into focus at various scales.
Saint-Georges Church and local cultural history
Saint-Georges Church has a Romanesque choir dating from the 16th century and a Renaissance bell tower from 1534. Two historic objects are also associated with the church: its sacristy contains a 14th-century high relief depicting a fortress, and the church also houses a chalice from the third quarter of the 18th century. Together, these details draw attention both to the architecture and to the site’s art-historical objects.
The Hotot White rabbit is also part of local cultural history: the breed was developed in 1902 and recognized in 1922. You can see the rabbit in the Roncheville orchard; check before your visit whether the animals will be on view. Another cultural point of interest is the studio of ceramicist Gérard Paturel, who has his workshop in Hotot-En-Auge.
Discover more destinations: Noyers-Bocage, Notre-Dame-De-Livaye, Biéville-Beuville, Caumont-L'éventé, Vignats, Longues-Sur-Mer, Courtonne-Les-Deux-Églises, Saint-Aubin-Sur-Mer.
For the broader travel overview: Calvados.
