EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

William the Conqueror, or William the Bastard as he is more commonly known over here, was born in FALAISE , 40km southwest of Lisieux. His mother, Arlette, a laundrywoman, was spotted by his father, Duke Robert of Normandy, at the washing place below the château. She was a shrewd woman, scorning secrecy in her eventual assignation by riding publicly through the main entrance to meet him. During her pregnancy, she is said to have dreamed of bearing a mighty tree that cast its shade over Normandy and England.

Falaise's castle keep, firmly planted on the massive rocks of the cliff ( falaise ) that gave the town its name, and towering over the Fontaine d'Arlette down by the river, is one of the most evocative historic sights imaginable. Nonetheless, it was so heavily damaged during the war that it took over fifty years to reopen for regular visits (daily 9.30am-6pm, English-language tours daily 11am & 3pm; 30F/¬4.57). Huge resources have been lavished on restoring the central donjon , reminiscent of the Tower of London with its cream-coloured Caen stone. A guiding principle was to avoid any possible confusion as to what is original and authentic, and what is new. Rest assured you'll be in no doubt whatever. Steel slabs, concrete blocks, glass floors and tent-like canvas awnings have been slapped down atop the bare ruins, and metal staircases even squeezed into the wall cavities. The raw structure of the keep, down to its very foundations, lies exposed to view, while the newly created rooms are used for changing exhibitions that focus on the castle's fascinating past.

The town itself was devastated in the war. The struggle to close the "Falaise Gap" in August 1944 was the climax of the Battle of Normandy, as the Allied armies sought to encircle the Germans and cut off their retreat. By the time the Canadians entered the town on August 17, they could no longer tell where the roads had been and had to bulldoze a new four-metre strip straight through the middle.

The tourist office can be found on the boulevard de la Libération (May, June & first half of Sept Mon 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-6.30pm, Tues-Sat 9.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-6.30pm, Sun 10.30am-12.30pm; July & Aug Mon-Sat 9.30am-6.30pm, Sun 10.30am-12.30pm & 3-5.30pm; mid-Sept to April Mon 1.30-6.30pm, Tues-Sat 9.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-6.30pm; tel 02.31.90.17.26, falaise-tourisme@mail.cpod.fr ). Most of the hotels stand along the main, noisy Caen-Argentan road. The Poste , near the tourist office at 38 rue Georges-Clémenceau (tel 02.31.90.13.14; 220-300F/¬34-46; restaurant closed Sun evening & Mon), serves good food on menus from 87F/¬13.26, while rooms and meals at the de la Place , 1 place St-Gervais (tel 02.31.40.19.00; 160-220F/¬24-34; closed Sun evening & Wed), are significantly cheaper. The three-star campsite , Camping du Château (tel 02.31.90.16.55; closed Oct-Easter), next to Arlette's fountain and the municipal swimming pool, is in a much better location.