The most distinctive landmark in Périers-En-Auge is Saint-Firmin Church, standing alone on a hill above the Marais de la Dives. The landscape stretches from the hills of the Pays d’Auge to the marshes; the village’s history also includes a specific event from the Second World War. This gives your travel planning clear points of focus: church architecture, landscape and history.
Saint-Firmin: Building History and Interior Details
Saint-Firmin Church was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and remodelled in the 18th century. Inside are a baptismal font, a rood beam and the gravestone of the parish priest Louis Morice, who was buried in 1749. The building phases, furnishings and gravestone offer different ways to explore the same place: you can admire the church’s architecture while connecting individual details with local history. Its isolated position on the hill above the Marais de la Dives also creates a strong link with the surrounding landscape.
Local History and Remembrance of the War
During the Second World War, the Horsa glider CN94 made an emergency landing in Périers-En-Auge, ten kilometres northeast of its intended landing zone. The glider carried 28 soldiers and two pilots. For visitors interested in cultural history, this event adds a much later chapter in the village’s history to the church’s building history.
Another specific place of remembrance is the cemetery near the church. It contains the grave of the English soldier Private Hedges. The place and the name provide a distinct point of reference for local remembrance of the war, separate from the history of the Horsa glider.
Hills, Wet Meadows and Natural Environment
The unspoilt natural landscape of Périers-En-Auge extends from the hills of the Pays d’Auge to the Marais de la Dives. The Marais de Varaville forms a distinct natural area: the national inventory for the ZNIEFF Marais de Varaville, dated 7 January 2025, also includes the municipality of Périers-En-Auge. The marsh consists of wet meadows criss-crossed by drainage ditches and artificial ponds. The area remains of ecological interest because of the animal and plant species found there. The ditches and ponds are just as much a part of the described landscape as the wet meadows themselves.
Coastal Connections and a Cycling Route
The heights of Périers-En-Auge offer panoramic views of the coast. The village borders Dives-sur-Mer and is close to the beaches of Cabourg. The views from above and the nearby beaches are two distinct ways to experience the coast: one is a panorama, the others are specific destinations by the sea.
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. Before cycling, therefore, check the current road surface and safety conditions.
Discover more destinations: Périgny, Eraines, Victot-Pontfol, Neuilly-La-Forêt, Écrammeville, Mandeville-En-Bessin, Colombelles, Villers-Sur-Mer
For the broader travel overview: Calvados.
