About the region
The French department of Calvados forms part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy and is surrounded by the departments of Seine-Maritime, Eure, Orne, and Manche.. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the coast.
On the north is la Baie de Seine, part of the English Channel. On the east, the Seine River forms the boundary with Seine-Maritime. Calvados includes the Bessin area, the Pays d’Auge, and the area known as the "Suisse normande" (Norman Switzerland). Calvados’ most notable places include Deauville and the formerly elegant 19th century casino resorts of the coast.