See www.france-voyage.com. This low-key little town at the northern tip of the region enjoys a burst of vitality every summer when fleets of kayaks and canoes launch from the banks of the River Orne in a flurry of glistening paddles. You can rent from the Kayak Club de Thury-Harcourt – www.kcth.fr. If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, the Orne describes an eccentric loop just west of town, known as the Boude du Horn, which makes a pleasant walk (about 5 km).

There are also some lovely woodland trails leading down to the river in the grounds of Château de Thury-Harcourt. The great ducal château was destroyed in 1944, but behind the blind, bricked-up fa√笵cade the dukes have cultivated a marvellous garden with steep banks of geraniums and bugle tumbling down to a huge lawn edged by herbaceous borders.

A popular drive leads from Thury-Harcourt to Clecy via the Route des Cretes.