For the little story...
Located at the outlet of the Seine, in contact with the sea, Honfleur's strategic position is revealed from the Hundred Years War . King Charles V had the town fortified in order to prohibit the estuary of the Seine from the English. With the port of Harfleur , located just opposite and on the other side of the estuary, the port of Honfleur locked the entrance to the Seine to enemy ships. From this period date its narrow cobbled streets, its tall half-timbered houses, its port, its old trawlers.
What to do in Honfleur?
Take a walk in the city:
Day or night, a tour of the Vieux Bassin is a must. Typical Norman port whose construction in 1681 required the destruction of part of the ramparts.The 17th and 18th century houses bordering the port are listed as historical monuments. Historical facades reflected in the waters of the basin, terraces flush with the waves, everything here invites you to stroll.
To discover old Honfleur, its charming houses and its picturesque atmosphere , nothing better than getting lost in the small cobbled streets that start from the Sainte Catherine church and go up to the Notre Dame de Grâce chapel.
Overlooking Honfleur, the Notre-Dame de Grâce chapel was built at the beginning of the 17th century to replace the old chapel destroyed by a rock slide. It was originally erected by the Duke of Normandy, as a thank you for not having perished in a violent storm.
During the feast of the sailors of Honfleur, around Pentecost, children dressed as sailors climb the hill to offer small models of ships to Notre-Dame de Grâce. In front of the chapel, the panoramic view is open-mouthed: the Pont de Normandie, Le Havre and the Seine.
Located on the dike that leads to the beach, the Personalities Garden offers an ideal walk.
Along the alleys, you can come across the busts of personalities native to the city or having stayed there such as Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin, Erik Satie, Charles Baudelaire, the navigators Samuel de Champlain and Jean Doublet.
Le Jardin du tripot , inaugurated in December 2013, located in the center of Honfleur, on an arm of the Claire, is made up of plantations, promontories and viewpoints over the watercourse. You can admire dyer tanks and a whole network of canals restored during the creation of the garden. The works of sculptor Annick Leroy bring the place to life.
A majestic building erected in 1995, the Pont de Normandie links Honfleur to Le Havre. This elegant cable-stayed bridge, made of concrete and metal, spans the Seine, it is 215 m high and 2,141 long.
Butin beach located at the entrance to the city.This well-equipped beach has showers, changing cabins, rental equipment, as well as free parking and a children's play area.
Sites to visit:
Les Maisons Satie, a museum dedicated to the composer and musician Erik Satie. This genius, born in 1866 in Honfleur, worked with big names such as Picasso or Braque, and notably inspired the artists Debussy and Ravel. Original immersion.
Main museum in Honfleur, the Eugène Boudin museum pays homage to the great painter, child of the city. Founded at the end of the 19th century by Alexandre Dubourg and Eugène Boudin, this museum houses a rich collection of works by Norman painters, Courbet, Monet, Dubourg, Dufy.
Located in the oldest church in Honfleur, the Saint-Etienne facing the Vieux Bassin, the marine museumhouses an important collection of models, engravings and objects related to the sea.
The Sainte-Catherine church is the main place of interest in Honfleur. Built in the 15th century to replace a stone church destroyed during the Hundred Years War, the Sainte-Catherine church is built entirely in wood. Its original shape of an overturned double hull boat is due to the excellent knowledge in shipbuilding that the workers had of the time.
Built in 1186, the Saint-Léonard church was destroyed during the Hundred Years War.Reconstructed at the beginning of the 16th century, this religious building celebrates Leonardo, a young nobleman from the court of King Clovis, considered the patron saint of prisoners .
The famous salt granaries of Honfleur were built in 1670 with stones from the ramparts of the city. They were used to store up to 10,000 tonnes of salt, which was then used to preserve cod after fishing.