As a teacher, when travelling to a new destination you may find yourself looking for those authentic cultural experiences to take your students on. A school trip to Normandy could be just what you are looking for. With its rich history, classic French cuisine and beautiful countryside it represents that true authenticity you’d look for on a trip to France.
Stay at Travelbound’s 18th century Château du Molay and add to that French experience. Situated on a 38-acre private parkland in the heart of Normandy it accommodates 196 guests in 42 en-suite bedrooms and provides a perfect base for tours and attractions in the surrounding area. The Travelbound chateau staff are on hand to help with suggestions about the area, set up onsite activities during your stay, serve local French food in the in-house restaurant, and encourage your students to practice their French at meal times.
While staying at the Château du Molay, the surrounding area has so much to offer for your students too. Here’s our top picks for the true cultural experience of the Normandy region.
Time to get immersed in the hustle and bustle of daily French life. Students will visit a French market, bursting with delicious local produce, and be given an assignment to test their language skills. With 3 euros, they must buy ingredients to make a cold lunch back at the chateau. Once prepared, the lunch is judged by the chateau’s head chef. A great way to get students feeling like they are part of French everyday life.
French bakeries are renowned for their bread baking, so a trip to a traditional Normandy bakery can open your pupils’ eyes to this culinary skill. Students can actively participate and then eat in or take away what they help to create. Indulge in not just the delicious smells but also the great opportunity to practice French and learn some baking skills to take home!
Come discover how dairy products such as milk and cheese are produced on an authentic working goat farm. Meet the goats and learn about the cheese making process. It’s an excellent way to understand more about the traditional produce of the area and a good chance to practice those language skills. The visit includes a short educational film, a talk and a cheese sampling. Sounding tasty?
Ever thought about taking your students to a snail farm? It’s not such a crazy idea in Normandy. Open your students’ sense of adventure and appetite for local delicacies with a trip to the Odon Snail Farm. An opportunity to discover the unique French tradition of snail farming from field to fork. The tour starts with a walk through each area of the farm, from the workshop and parks to the laboratory, before offering your group a chance to taste escargots for themselves.
You can’t go to Normandy without visiting a traditional Normandy Caramel factory. Take a tour overlooking the factory floor where you can watch the process of soft toffee making and buy the yummy caramel products at the end. This is also a great opportunity for students to understand how the tourist industry supports local businesses.
Normandy has three best loved cheeses: Livarot, Pont l’Eveque and Normandy Camembert. Come visit the factory, located in Livarot, that has been producing these three cheeses since 1910 (and been run by the same family too). Discover the different stages of cheese-making with a view of the casting process, the maturing cellar and packaging. You can’t get more authentically French than this!
Ah France, famous for their cuisine that varies from region to region. Let students learn the preparation of local specialities given to them by a traditional French chef. This cooking class can be held in French or English, and some participation is encouraged. This is an excellent way for students to engage with the language, culture and local food.
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