Saint-Lô is the capital of the Manche department in Normandy. As of the 2012 census, population was just under 19,000.

Understand

Saint-Lô, summer 1944

The town was the scene of heavy fighting during World War II, shortly after the D-Day landings, and was utterly devastated. As one American soldier put it "We sure liberated the hell out of this place."

Sleep

• 1 Château de Canisy, 6-8 Rue de Kergorlay, ☏ +33 6 8021 6073, ✉ sales@chateaudecanisy.com. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 14:00. Romantic chateau €300.