Information for your stay
Welcome to Château de Planquery – a place where time passes a little more slowly.
Feel the stillness of ancient walls, breathe the clear air of Normandy, and let your gaze drift across gardens, water, and sky. This house traces its origins to the age of the Vikings and has witnessed much – the coming and going of its inhabitants, the quiet shifts of centuries. Today, it is above all a place to arrive.
May small pleasures, beautiful encounters, and peaceful moments accompany your stay!
Below you will find all the essential information for your time with us – from the rhythms of daily life at the Château to practical details and recommendations for the surrounding area. Everything arranged so that you can enjoy your stay with ease and without a care.
This guide is updated from time to time, quietly and without fuss – almost as unobtrusively as things tend to change here in Planquery.
Of course, we hope you will never need these numbers –
but just in case, here are the most important emergency numbers in France:
Fire Department: 18
Police: 17
Emergency Doctor / SAMU: 15
European Emergency Number (EU-wide): 112
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Château Address: 691 Route de Cormolain, 14490 Planquery, Tel.: (+33) 0676393959
Electronic Toll (Flux Libre)
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In Normandy, the motorways have a new toll system called Flux Libre, which allows you to pass through toll stations without stopping. The toll is automatically recorded based on your license plate.
You have to pay online within 72 hours (sanef.com), at participating shops, or using a toll badge (e.g., Bip&Go, Ulys). Please ensure that the toll is paid on time to avoid additional fees.
Your room
Your room is carefully prepared before your arrival and put back in order after your departure. During your stay, we leave it undisturbed — so you can enjoy your time with us in complete peace.
If you need anything, simply let us know.
We use only biodegradable soaps and cleaning products, and our natural wastewater treatment system helps us handle water responsibly.
Thank you for supporting us in this.
To make your stay even more enjoyable, we offer a small selection of drinks:
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Cider (0.7 l) – €7.00
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Wine (0.7 l) – €10.00
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Mineral water (1 l) – €1.50
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Juice (1 l) – €5.00
Plans can change — we completely understand.
To prepare your breakfast with fresh and carefully selected ingredients, we plan and shop in advance.
If your plans change, we would be grateful if you could let us know as early as possible. Up to two days before the scheduled date, we can usually adjust or cancel your reservation without any problem. For later cancellations, we unfortunately have to charge 50% of the agreed price, as the purchases will already have been made.
Thank you for your understanding — and for thinking along with us.
Our salon and kitchen are always available for you to use.
If you do, we would appreciate it if dishes and cookware could be rinsed briefly afterwards — so the kitchen remains a pleasant place for everyone.
In the morning, however, these rooms are reserved for guests who have booked breakfast, so they can enjoy it in peace.
Thank you for your consideration.
In both guest rooms you will find a high-quality espresso machine, espresso pods, a selection of teas, and a small refrigerator.
The espresso machine can also be used to prepare hot water for tea. If you need more espresso or tea, just let us know.
You will find the rubbish bins at the front gate. To ensure collection takes everything, please separate waste carefully. Thank you for your help!
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Yellow bin: paper, plastic, and metal cans (we appreciate it if you flatten plastic bottles first—more will fit inside)
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Grey bin: residual/general waste
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Glass bottles: please take them to the glass container located on the small square up the road on the right
We are delighted if you make use of the postcards we provide free of charge and send a few greetings home.
Stamps are available from us at the official price of €2.25 — valid for international mail (all destinations outside France).
Shopping & essentials
In Balleroy (4 km away), you will find everything for daily needs: a bakery, butcher, pharmacy, cheese and wine shop, small supermarket, as well as a post office and ATM.
Shops are usually open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm, and on Sundays from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm (closed Mondays).
There is also a small pizzeria offering takeaway pizzas from 6:00 pm — perfect for a relaxed evening at the château.
The nearest larger supermarket is Super U Molay-Littry (Mon–Sat 9:00 am–7:30 pm). A petrol station is available there (24/7). Carrefour Contact is also open on Sundays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
Weekly Markets (It’s part of the experience!)
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A stroll through a French weekly market simply belongs to a stay here. Local farmers and producers offer their goods—from fresh fruit and vegetables to cheese and charcuterie, cider, Calvados, and handmade specialties. Markets are not only for shopping, but also a slice of French art‑de‑vivre: lively, colourful, and full of encounters.
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Molay‑Littry
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Day: Thursday
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Time: 08:00–13:00
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Place: Place du Marché, 14330 Le Molay‑Littry
A small but fine market with about 30 stalls.
Saint‑Lô
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Day: Saturday
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Time: Morning to early afternoon
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Place: Place De Gaulle, 50000 Saint‑Lô
A large market with around 160 stalls, ideal for fresh produce and regional specialties.
Bayeux
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Saint‑Jean Market (Wednesday): 07:30–13:30
Place: Rue Saint‑Jean, 14400 Bayeux -
Saint‑Patrice Market (Saturday): 07:30–14:00
Place: Place Saint‑Patrice, 14400 Bayeux
Two lively markets with a wide variety of stalls for fresh produce and local specialties.
Port‑en‑Bessin‑Huppain
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Day: Sunday
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Time: 08:00–13:00
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Place: Place du Marché, 14520 Port‑en‑Bessin‑Huppain
A small but charming market with fresh products from the region.
Local Products & Tasty Addresses
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Cave du Tronquay – a local producer with excellent ciders and Calvados. You can taste the specialties on site and learn more about how they are made.
Address: Rue de Campigny, 14490 Le Tronquay
Phone: +33 6 50 59 94 35
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Caramels d’Isigny (factory tour) – in Isigny‑sur‑Mer you can watch how the famous caramels are made. During a 45‑minute tour you’ll learn about the ingredients— including Isigny AOP butter, cream, and milk— and see how the caramels are cooked and packed by hand. The visit ends with a tasting of various caramels.
Visitor centre: Rue du 19 Mars 1962, ZA Isypôle, 14230 Isigny‑sur‑Mer
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Beurre d’Isigny AOP – the famous Normandy butter, by some said to be the best butter in the world. Golden‑yellow in colour, creamy in texture, with the unmistakable flavour of fresh cream and a hint of hazelnut. Made from pure cream, traditionally processed and with a high fat content, it’s ideal for cooking, baking—or simply on fresh baguette.
Address: 2 Rue Dr Boutrois, 14230 Isigny‑sur‑Mer
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Fromagerie Graindorge (Livarot) – discover how traditional Norman cheeses are made. Walk through the production rooms along a glass corridor and see how Livarot, Pont‑l’Évêque, Camembert de Normandie, and Neufchâtel are produced. Videos, explanatory boards, and interactive games accompany the tour. The visit ends with a free tasting of the four AOP cheeses in the boutique.
Address: Le Village Fromager, Route de Saint‑Germain, 14140 Livarot
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La Maison du Biscuit – a paradise for food lovers. Visit the traditional family manufactory in Sortosville‑en‑Beaumont and discover a wide range of handmade Norman specialties—from delicate almond biscuits to regional delicacies and lovingly compiled gift ideas. Enjoy your visit!
Address: 1197 Route de Carteret, 50270 Sortosville‑en‑Beaumont, France
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France loves good food – and so do we! So here are our favorite restaurants.
To make sure you get a table: please don’t forget to reserve.
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Bayeux
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L’Alcôve. Behind the cathedral—refined, market‑fresh cuisine with great attention to detail and pleasantly fair prices. Recognised by the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand.
Address: 31 Rue Larcher
Phone: (+33) 2 31 92 30 08
lalcove-bayeux.fr -
Acte 2. Also at the foot of the cathedral—light, seasonal cuisine, marked by finesse and a very good price‑quality ratio.
Address: 35 Rue Larcher
Phone: (+33) 02 31 22 88 66
acte2restaurant.com
Saint‑Lô
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L’Intuition. Gourmet cuisine using local, fresh, seasonal produce. Awarded one Michelin star.
Address: 1 Rue Alsace Lorraine
Phone: (+33) 02 33 05 14 91
restaurant-intuition.fr -
Ferme du Château. Modern French cuisine in the former stable building of the Château d’Agneaux. Very good value.
Address: Avenue Sainte‑Marie, La Basse Cour, 50180 Agneaux
Phone: (+33) 02 33 74 20 14
lafermeduchateaudagneaux.fr
Englesqueville
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L’ÉPHÉMÈRE. Located in a former fortified 12th‑century farmhouse near Omaha Beach—steeped in history with a relaxed‑elegant guinguette vibe. The seasonal menu focuses on fresh, regional products.
Address: Château d’Englesqueville, Le Haut Chemin, 14710 Englesqueville‑la‑Percée
Phone: (+33) 07 57 85 06 34
lephemere-restaurant.fr
Enjoy Nature & the Sea
The beaches of Normandy are wide, peaceful, and perfect for fully immersing yourself in the beauty of nature by the sea. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, the water in the English Channel remains pleasantly mild.
Stroll along the beach at sunset or watch your dog play freely in the sand – a place where everyday worries can simply be left behind.
If you wish to visit the sea with your dog, we recommend going at low tide, when the beaches are spacious enough for dogs to run off-leash without disturbing anyone.
You can find a tide table for the Calvados department here:
To set the mood: a film recommendation for your stay
For those who would like to gently prepare for their stay in Normandy — and especially for a visit to the D-Day landing beaches — we recommend the film The Longest Day.
The film portrays the events of D-Day on June 6, 1944, from multiple perspectives: from the Allied side as well as from the German side. It largely avoids dramatic exaggeration and approaches the events in a more observational, almost documentary-like way.
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A brief overview
The film follows both the preparations and the execution of the landings in Normandy — from strategic decisions behind the scenes to the first soldiers arriving on the beaches. Different locations and characters interweave to form a broader picture of this historic day.
What makes the film particularly remarkable is its restrained, almost matter-of-fact style. Rather than presenting a simple “good versus evil” narrative, it focuses on processes, uncertainties, and human moments — often with a certain distance that leaves room for reflection.
For this distinctive approach, the film received several awards, including two Academy Awards (for Special Effects and Cinematography), and is still considered one of the most powerful films about D-Day.
Watching it before visiting the actual sites can offer a first sense of the scale and complexity of that day — without resorting to pathos.
Excursions & events
Here you will find a selection of lovely outings and small discoveries in the surrounding area — for days when there is something to see, and for those when the journey itself is already the destination.
Here you will also find a selection of particularly interesting local events, such as flea markets, the D-Day Festival, and medieval fairs.
Farewell
At some point, it is time to move on.
We thank you from the heart for being part of this house for a little while. Perhaps you will take with you a few quiet moments, a breath of Normandy air — and the memory of a place where almost nothing happens, and yet much remains.
If you wish, we would be delighted if you left a few lines in our guestbook. Words have a beautiful way of staying, even when one has long since moved on.
And if you remember your stay fondly, we would greatly appreciate it if you shared your impressions here.
On the day of departure, we kindly ask you to check out by 11:00 am at the latest — so the house can quietly prepare for the next guests.
Perhaps our paths will cross again one day…
Yours,​
Astrid & Günter Kaiser