Story 21: Going back to the Jurassic period
160 million years ago, during the Jurassic period
Normandy was covered by a tropical sea.
The long geological history of the region explains the diversity
and the richness of the rocks, the mineral resources exploited,
soils, cliffs but also fossils.
Famous excavation site, the Falaises des Vaches Noires in Villers-sur-Mer come from the accumulation of Jurassic marine sediment deposits, a gold mine of jewels from another time. In these alternations of marl and limestone, preserved in the geological layers and reliefs resulting from different erosion processes, numerous fossils have been discovered: pliosaurs, ichthyosaurs, marine crocodiles, but also ammonites, sea urchins, sponges... The deposit has even delivered remains of dinosaurs!
In order to preserve and share with the public the scientific discoveries, the Paleospace, a museum dedicated to local paleontology, exhibits fossils dating from several periods and shows the evolution of the fauna and flora since the Jurassic period. It offers visitors a permanent exhibition space of 300 m² focused on the interpretation of three sites located in Villers-sur-Mer: the Falaises des Vaches Noires, the Blonville-Villers marsh and the Greenwich Meridian. Spectacular, interactive and sensory reconstructions make it a cultural, scientific and fun place. Its 360° planetarium regularly organizes projection sessions to discover the cosmos.
A little further, between Trouville-sur-Mer and Villerville, the Falaises des Roches Noires - Pointe du Heurt constitute an excellent natural section of the geological formations of the Upper Jurassic period of the Pays d'Auge. Composed of clay, they border the coast on 4 km, alternating gentle slopes and vertical walls and culminating at 60 meters of altitude. By following the bottom of the cliffs, one can observe the successive formations: the oldest whitish and grayish limestones, visible at Trouville-sur-Mer, are followed by more recent marls at Villerville. These formations show a great variety of traces of biological activity.
- Visit the Paleospace with a mediator
- Walk along the Vaches Noires and Roches Noires cliffs - Pointe du Heurt with a guide
- Collecting fossils on the beach of Villers-sur-Mer
- Observe nature at the Marais de Blonville-Villers
- Watching the sun set over the sea from the Greenwich Meridian
