Lisieux

Just 25 minutes from the gîte, Lisieux is the spiritual and historic capital of the Pays d’Auge. France’s second pilgrimage city after Lourdes, it draws nearly one million visitors a year who come to follow in the footsteps of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus — the Carmelite nun born in Alençon in 1873 and canonised in 1925. But Lisieux is also a city of art and history, a former episcopal seat whose medieval districts bear witness to a fascinating past.

In the footsteps of Saint Thérèse

Les Buissonnets — the Martin family home, where Thérèse lived from the age of four and a half to fifteen, before entering the Carmel. The rooms remain in their original state, preserving the childhood memories of the saint. Guided tours available.

The Carmel of Lisieux — the religious community where Thérèse took her vows and died at the age of 24. The chapel houses the saint’s shrine; the Relic Room preserves objects from her daily life. The exhibition The Carmel of Saint Thérèse tells the history of the Lisieux Carmelites.

The Diorama of Saint Thérèse — a gallery of wax figures illustrating the key stages of Thérèse’s life, from her childhood to her canonisation.

The Basilica of Saint Thérèse — consecrated on 11 July 1954, it is one of the largest religious buildings constructed in the 20th century. Its dome rises to 93 metres — often compared to the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, it towers over the entire city. The three-naved crypt houses the saint’s relics, and since their canonisation in 2015, those of her parents Louis and Zélie Martin, beatified in 2008.

The blue line — a walking trail marked on the ground with a blue line connects all the places associated with Saint Thérèse and her parents. Follow it at your own pace, just as Pope John Paul II did on his pilgrimage of 2 June 1980.

The historic city

Saint-Pierre Cathedral — built between the late 12th and mid-13th centuries, it is one of the first cathedrals in the Norman Gothic style. It houses the tomb of Bishop Cauchon and the chapels where Thérèse Martin attended Mass. The surrounding canonical quarter — Louis XIII-style episcopal palace, the Bishop’s Garden, canonical houses — recalls the centuries when Lisieux was governed by bishop-counts.

The Museum of Art and History — folk arts and traditions of the Pays d’Auge, extensive iconography of old Lisieux and regional collections.

Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet (15 min from Lisieux) — nicknamed “the Marvel of the Pays d’Auge”, this 16th-century Renaissance château is one of the finest in Normandy. Its green glazed bricks and checkerboard patterns in white stone and flint give it a unique polychrome appearance. The interior houses 18th and 19th-century furniture, 16th-century frescoes and the remarkable Riesener collection (including Léon Riesener, cousin of Delacroix). Owned by the city of Lisieux and open to visitors.

Allow a full day if you want to combine the Saint Thérèse circuit with the Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet. The Saturday morning market in Lisieux is celebrated throughout the Pays d’Auge.