Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet is a small, handsome château south of Lisieux, set in the green Pays d'Auge countryside rather than in the town itself. Its mix of half-timbering, glazed brick, stone, and moat gives it the storybook Normandy look that the rebuilt centre of Lisieux mostly lacks.
It works best as a short excursion for travellers with a car or a strong interest in Norman domestic architecture. The interiors and grounds are modest compared with the great Loire châteaux, but the scale is part of the charm: this feels like a lived-in country house, not a royal performance.