Sitting astride the departments of Calvados and Orne, the Suisse Normande owes its name to visitors in search of the picturesque during the 19th Century.

They were attracted to this area of romantic winding gorges sculpted by the River Orne and its tributaries, the steep valleys and rocky escarpments, woodland and apple orchards and deep lanes bordered by hedges or stone walls.

It is also thanks to this landscape that many open-air tourist activities have been developed :
- walking
- climbing
- water sports
- riding
- hang-gliding
- cross-country biking
all favoured in Summer by a climate dryer than the Normandy average.