Breeds of Pays d'Auge
The Normandy orchard country of Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque, grazed by the spectacled Normande cow.
Breeds of this place
Best time: April to May for orchard blossom; September to October for apples.
The Pays d'Auge is a green, hilly corner of Normandy, with half-timbered farmhouses, apple orchards and grass. Its cows are Normande: brindled or spotted brown and white, with dark patches around the eyes that look like spectacles. Their milk has made the region's famous soft cheeses, its butter and its cream. Vimoutiers, near the village of Camembert, is a centre of the cheese country.
The Normande
Normande cattle are dual-purpose, giving milk rich in protein for cheese and good beef. The breed's herd book began in 1883. Cows graze under apple trees, and fallen fruit is part of their diet in autumn. The Normande has been exported to many countries, and Colombia holds one of its largest populations outside France.
Cheese country
Tradition credits Marie Harel, a farmer's wife from Camembert, with creating the cheese in the late eighteenth century. A statue of her stands in Vimoutiers. Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque, towns close by, have also given their names to cheeses. The region's apples make cider and calvados, and the cream is used in many Normandy dishes.
A trail idea for Pays d'Auge
- Vimoutiers The town with the statue of Marie Harel and a cheese museum.
- Camembert village The hilltop village that gave its name to the cheese.
- Livarot A cheese town with a working dairy open to visitors.
- Orchard lanes Normande cows grazing under apple trees.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Pays d'Auge" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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