Les Fontaines is located in the lovely town of Barbery, a 15 minute drive south of Caen. The property has a lovely garden, chestnut trees, and a charming country house. Andrew, our gracious and humourist host, is a transplanted Brit who's been living in France for the past 16 years.
We stayed in a huge room with lovely antique furniture and a great view to the back side of the property. The breakfasts were wonderful. Lots of fresh croissants and other baked goods, homemade preserves, cereals, yoghurt, orange juice, and great coffee.
The drive from Barbery to Caen is a pleasant one. We passed through and by other working/living towns with houses dating back hundreds of years.
As Canadians, our primary goal to Normandy was to visit the WW2 beaches and other related historical spots. Les Fontaines is a short drive (about 40 min) to Juno Beach and the Canadian Juno Beach Centre. The centre is rich in WW2 history and well worth a visit no matter which allied country you're from. The other WW2 beaches are also close by (+/- 10 min) . There's a well maintained Canadian Military Cemetary just 10 minutes from Les Fontaines on the way to Caen.
Dieppe, Bayeaux and Mont St Michel are also close enough from Les Fontaines to make them as day trips.
Lastly, make sure you stay for Andrew's fabulous home cooked dinners. We were served one evening a sumptuous 4-course dinner, coffee and wine for a very reasonable price of $26Euros each. Ask him which night he's not cooking and eat in Caen instead.
We think Les Fontaines makes a lovely base for any Normandy visit.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
Absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Older Travellers, Families with Teenagers, tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young Singles, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Museums / Cultural / Historical sites