Lion-sur-Mer
Encyclopedia
Lion-sur-Mer is a commune
in the Calvados
département in the Basse-Normandie
region
in northwestern France.
, more precisely on the Côte de Nacre (Mother of Pearl Coast), about 15 km (9.3 mi) North of Caen
.
The beach is made of fine sand and is bordered, to the west, by middle-sized cliffs.
The town is served by 2 bus services : line No. 1 of the Bus Verts du Calvados
and line No. 62 of Twisto
.
A ferry of Brittany Ferries
links Ouistreham
(5 km from Lion-sur-Mer) to Portsmouth
in England.
with:
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
département in the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie
Lower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in northwestern France.
Geography
Lion-sur-Mer is located on the edge of the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, more precisely on the Côte de Nacre (Mother of Pearl Coast), about 15 km (9.3 mi) North of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
.
The beach is made of fine sand and is bordered, to the west, by middle-sized cliffs.
The town is served by 2 bus services : line No. 1 of the Bus Verts du Calvados
Bus Verts du Calvados
Bus Verts du Calvados is a network of interurban buses in the département of Calvados, France. The network is operated on behalf of the Conseil Général du Calvados by Keolis Calvados, a subsidiary of the French Keolis transport group....
and line No. 62 of Twisto
Twisto
Twisto is the brand name under which buses and guided buses are operated in the Norman city of Caen. The CTAC owns the buses and has been commercialising services under the Twisto brand since 2002. Its bus depots are in Mondeville and the Industrial estate of Hérouville-Saint-Clair....
.
A ferry of Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
links Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
(5 km from Lion-sur-Mer) to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in England.
History
- 6 June 1944 : The D-DayD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
of the Battle of Normandy during World War II. British soldiers landed on the beach of Lion-sur-Mer which was a part of the Sword BeachSword BeachSword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
sector.
Population
Sights
- The beach, its promenade (La digue) and its villas from the beginning of the 20th century
- Saint-Pierre church (Tower from the 1st half of the 12th century)
- Lion-sur-Mer castle (Closed to the public)
- The "le Castel Louis" house (listed building), ancient casino built in 1866–1868 and then transformed in the art nouveauArt NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style.
Events
- "Les terrasses de l'été" ("The summer terraces") : about 40 free animations and concerts in July and August.
- Flea markets several times per year.
Sport
- HermanvilleHermanville-sur-MerHermanville-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Sights:* 13th century church* Commonwealth war cemetery* Old village center...
sporting club (8 tennis clay courts) - Municipal sailing school
- Sport complex (Gymnasium, tennis courts and soccer field)
Twin towns
Lion-sur-Mer is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
- KiebingenKiebingenKiebingen is a suburban district of Rottenburg am Neckar in the administrative district of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg .- Geography :...
in Baden-Württemberg, Germany