Honfleur
-
Seductively pretty, with cobbled streets and half-timbered or slate-fronted houses, Honfleur is a working port with a long maritime history. First mentioned in documents of the 11th century, by the 15th it had become a significant fortified port. Its heyday came some 200 years later, when it spawned intrepid explorers like Samuel de Champlain, who set out from here to found Québec. Le Vieux Bassin, the charming old dock at the heart of the town, is brimming with colourful sailing boats; artists have flocked here since the 19th century.
More on Artists in Normandy
-
1. Le Vieux Bassin
This picturesque harbour was built in the 17th century at the behest of Colbert, Louis XIV’s chief finance minister, who also ordered the demolition of the ramparts. Quai Ste-Catherine is particularly attractive.
-
2. Musée Eugène Boudin
2. Musée Eugène BoudinNow housing an exciting collection of 19th- and 20th-century art, the museum was founded in 1868 by Honfleur’s best-known artists, Boudin and Dubourg.
-
3. Église Ste-Catherine
3. Église Ste-CatherineBuilt to celebrate the end of the Hundred Years’ War, the largest wooden church in France is half-timbered inside and out, with twin naves and tall oak pillars. The weight of the bells demanded a separate stone bell tower.
-
4. Greniers à Sel
Larger cod catches in the late 16th century increased the demand for salt as a preservative. To accommodate this, two huge salt stores were built in the main street of the enclos , the walled town. Stone from the old ramparts was used for the walls, and oak for the roofs – which are still in superb condition. Now they are used for meetings, exhibitions and concerts.
-
5. Église St-Léonard
5. Église St-LéonardFrom its 16th-century Flamboyant door to its 18th-century octagonal bell tower, St-Léonard is a hotchpotch of styles. The copper lectern comes from Villedieu-les-Poêles.
-
6. Musée de la Marine
Housed in a 14th-century church, the Musée de la Marine traces the history of the port through scale models, instruments, engravings, cutlasses, cannons and other fascinating artifacts.
-
7. Musée d’Ethnographie et d’Art Populaire
Nine rooms crammed with objects, furniture and costumes transport you back through the centuries. Most delightful is the haberdasher’s shop, complete down to the ribbon samples.
-
8. Les Maisons Satie
8. Les Maisons SatieA suitably offbeat tribute to the eccentric composer Erik Satie, born here in 1866. Videos, surreal room sets and life-size electronic sculptures recreate his fantasy world.
-
9. Chapelle Notre-Dame de Gràce
Explorers came to this enchanting little chapel to pray before setting sail. Built in the early 17th century to replace a chapel that fell into the sea, it remains a place of pilgrimage.
-
10. Pont de Normandie
Opened in 1995, this elegant space-age bridge links Honfleur and Le Havre. Its 856 m (2,800 ft) span held the record – albeit briefly –for the world’s longest cable-stayed bridge.
Advertisement
-
-
Milan and the Lakes guide
collee
-
The Algarve guide
erinca
-
Berlin guide
ivolol
-
terreyp's Paris guide
terrey
-
Stefans Vienna Guide
stefan
-
-
-
Colette's Dublin
colett
-
Paris guide
Gianck
-
dilyana's Madrid guide
dilyan
-
Bayeux Medieval FestivalBayeux hosts its magnificent Medieval Festival. In a swirl of colour, noise and smells, the town is filled with crazy jesters, acrobats, jugglers, fair damsels and brave knights. Read more
-
ArmadaDuring the Armada, international tall ship crews join together to pay tribute to the French navy of old, by sailing from Rouen down to the Seine estuary in magnificent ships. Read more
-
Figaro RegattaThe top event on the local sailing calendar is the annual Figaro Regatta, known as La Solitaire due to the solo nature of the competition, is one of the longest, most challenging and famous... Read more
-
American Film FestivalWhere else but the glamorous and chic resort of Deauville to hold a film festival to rival Cannes? Once a year a fairly liberal sprinkling of Hollywood stars descend on the town to première their... Read more












symbol, to start adding attractions to your
tailor-made travel guide.
If you were signed in, you could write a review here. Register for a free account, or if you're already a member, sign in.