A quarter of an hour from the château, a five-hectare cornfield turns into a giant maze every summer — and it makes one of the best children’s days out in the Cotentin. “La Clé des Champs” has been cutting its three kilometres of green corridors at Yvetot-Bocage, on the edge of Valognes, since 1996: you go in confident and come out delighted and pleasantly worn out, which is precisely the point.
The route is more than a puzzle. Fifteen panels along the paths carry you from one country to another — India, Senegal, Benin, Colombia, depending on the year — because the maze changes theme each season and gives part of its takings to a charity. Between dead ends the children find traditional Norman games, a big swing, farm animals and tunnels hidden in the corn.
It is an unpretentious, fresh-air outing: bring good shoes, water and a picnic (tables are provided). The season is short — July to early September — and hours vary, so check the opening dates on the maze’s official website before setting off. One afternoon here, and the whole family sleeps well that night.
Stay at the château
Make the château your base for this and everything else in the guide: four B&B rooms from €95 a night, four self-catering cottages from €100 a night, 35 minutes from the Cherbourg ferry. Best rate when you book direct.