Vimoutiers, France
over one thousand years ago and now has approximately 5000 inhabitants.
Location
History
Tourism
Municipality
Markets and Businesses
Useful Addresses
Location
In the northeast of the Orne département, Vimoutiers is located in a wide valley, at the bottom of which peacefully flows the small river La Vie. The ground is clayey but ferruginous, and is ideal pastureland. Apple trees fill the fields and the hillsides around the town. Vimoutiers is located on the D 979 road, 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Lisieux and 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Argentan. It is the capital of its canton, a local administrative division.The inhabitants are called the "vimonastériens".
The name Vimoutiers appears to come from the old French moustier or monstier, from the Latin monasterium (which means monastery), combined with the name of the small river flowing through the town - the Vie. In old manuscripts, the name is spelled in various ways: Vimoustier, Viefmoustier, Viemoutier, Vieilmoutier, and Vimoutier. Even older parchments mention Vimonasterium, Viæ Monasterium, Vetus Monasterium, Vita Monasterium, and Vimosterium.
History
By the treaty of Saint-Clair sur Epte, signed in 911 AD, the French King Charles III gave all of Normandy to Rollo, the (Viking) Duke of Normandy. All the lands were thus gathered into the Duchy of Normandy. During the Middle Ages, one characteristic of the region was the presence of many monasteries. In 994, Vimoutiers belonged to the Abbey of Jumièges. In the Year of Our Lord 1024, Richard III ("The Good") confirmed the possession of all these lands and gave the monks of Jumièges the fortified manor that the Dukes had kept for themselves.Until the Second World War (1939-1945), Vimoutiers had a strong economy and remained a prosperous municipality. Its output - mainly cheeses and ciders - contributed in large part to the worldwide renown of Norman gastronomy.
Unfortunately, on June 14, 1944, a bombing killed over 200 townspeople and destroyed 90% of the town. A rich and irrreplaceable heritage was lost. Reconstructed rapidly, Vimoutiers is today still a commercial center, facing the same challenges that all middle-sized rural towns have to deal with at the end of this century.
Tourism
The town is built around a large central square which is dominated by Ratisfaite, a monument to the glory of the Norman cow sculpted by Eugène Le Bihan.The city is worth visiting to see the Camembert Museum (Musée du Camembert). There the visitor can see the reconstruction of a farm cheese dairy building et an exhibition of Camembert Cheese labels. (Other labels are on line at Camembert Country).
In the center of the town can be found the Church of Notre Dame, a XIXth century neo-Gothic edifice. The modern stained glass windows - of great beauty - are the work of the contemporary master stained glassmaker of Chartres, Gabriel Loire.
For those who love to have fun, two great traditional events take place each year. The Easter Fair (Foire de Pâques) lasts from Good Friday to Easter Tuesday (2000: 22, 23, 24 and 25 April). There are country fair attractions, exhibits and competitions (cider, calvados, pear brandy, apple pies and pastries) - and Tuesday sees the arrival of the Paris-Camembert bicycle race (2000 results). During the middle of October (1999: 16, 17 and 18 October), Vimoutiers holds its Apple Fair (Foire de la Pomme), which takes center stage. The central theme : apples, of course ! In addition to the carnival attractions, the various exhibits and the contests (apple growing, beef animals, farm butter), the visitor can see an example of art populaire - a huge exhibit made entirely of apples.
Norman cooking plays a large part in the Vimoutiers lifestyle. In addition to various apple-based pastries and candies, the visitor can enjoy other specialties, such as the Poulet Vallée d'Auge or l'Escalope de Veau Vallée d'Auge.
Vimoutiers is a center for country tourism (tourisme vert). In the nearby green countryside, the tourist and the visitor can find almost everything to relax : walking and mountain bike paths, poney and horse stables, and troutfishing in the local streams. Several miles away from the town is the L'Escale du Vitou leisure center, with grass skiing, swimming pool (in season) tennis, and a ** hotel and restaurant open all year round.
Of course, the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 and the battles which followed are ever present in historians' minds. The small village of Camembert, which gave its name to the cheese famed thoughout the world, is only a short drive from Vimoutiers.
Municipality
Vimoutiers City HallMairie de Vimoutiers
Place Mackau
61120 Vimoutiers
Tél : (33) 02.33.39.09.10
Office Hours : from Monday through Friday (09h00 to 12h00 and 13h30 to 17h00) and Saturday (09h00 to 12h00)
Markets and Businesses
For over a thousand years, Vimoutiers' main market has been held on Monday afternoons in the center of the town. A second, smaller market takes place on Friday mornings. All commerces and services are represented in Vimoutiers, from banks to gas stations, from bakeries to convenience stores, from shoemakers to tobacconists' shops.The weekly closing day for most shops is Tuesday.
Useful Addresses
Post Office
16, rue Eugène-Laniel
61220 Vimoutiers
Tél : (33) 02.33.39.04.95
Camembert Museum
Musée du Camembert
10, avenue du Général de Gaulle BP62
61120 Vimoutiers France
Tél : (33) 02.33.39.30.29
season from March to the end of October
Vimoutiers Tourist Information
Office du Tourisme
10, avenue du Général-de-Gaulle BP32
61120 Vimoutiers France
Tél : (33) 02.33.39.30.29
L'Escale du Vitou
exit Vimoutiers, main road toward Argentan
61120 Vimoutiers
Tél : (33) 02.33.39.12.37 et (33) 02.33.39.12.04
Emergency
Gendarmes
Gendarmerie
Tél : 17
Fire Department
Pompiers
Tél : 18
Medical Emergency
Urgence Médicales
Tél : 15
Electricity Emergency (State Service)
EDF Urgences Sécurité Dépannage
Tél : 02.33.26.00.46
Gas Emergency (State Service)
GDF Urgences Sécurité Dépannage
Tél : 02.33.26.00.50
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[Camembert Village / Village de Camembert]
[Camembert Web Pages]
[Cheeses.Org / Fromages.Org]
[Charlotte Corday (in French and English / en français et en anglais)]