Colline d'Ouilly-le-Vicomte Panorama
Drive or cycle just five kilometres north-east of Lisieux to the ridge above the village of Ouilly-le-Vicomte, where a grassy pull-off on the D519 road rewards you with an uninterrupted panorama across the Touques valley and the patchwork of apple orchards, hedgerows and timber-framed farmsteads that defines the Pays d'Auge. It is the kind of view that makes you understand why Impressionist painte
The View Itself
On a clear day you can see the Basilique Sainte-Thérèse floating above Lisieux to the south-west, and on exceptional days the ridge of the Suisse Normande hills appears on the southern horizon. The foreground is pure bocage: sunken lanes lined with ancient oaks, white Normande cattle grazing in meadows, and the silver thread of the Touques river winding below.
Autumn is the most spectacular season — the apple orchards turn copper and gold in October, and morning mist fills the valley before burning off around 10:00, creating a theatrical reveal that photographers chase specifically.
Getting There and Combining with a Walk
The GR 36 long-distance footpath passes close to this ridge, and a well-marked 8-kilometre loop from Ouilly-le-Vicomte village takes in the panorama, the Romanesque church of Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte and a working apple farm that sells fresh juice in season.
There is no formal car park but a wide grass verge accommodates several vehicles safely. Cyclists on the Véloroute du Pays d'Auge pass through the valley below and can reach the ridge via a short steep climb on the D519.
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