Historic Honfleur sits on the estuary where the River Seine flows into the English Channel. Hometown of Impressionist artist Eugène Boudin, it's an unbelievably pretty place to spend a day with lots of medieval timbered houses, cobbled streets, little shops and cafes and the picture perfect Old Harbour. We absolutely fell in love with Honfleur and would happily come back tomorrow! Make sure to have a seafood lunch while you're there.
If you're arriving into Normandy by ferry then it's under an hour's drive to Honfleur from the Ouistreham ferry port near Caen, and basing yourself in Honfleur, you can also explore lots of other interesting parts of northern Normandy:
Here are 5 easy day trips you can take from Honfleur:
1. Deauville (30 mins drive from Honfleur)
Visit Deauville, a delightful 19th century seaside resort known for its colourful beach brollies and 1920s promenade, Les Planches, which runs along the town's 2km long white sand beach, along with 450 Art Deco beach huts. Home to prestigious events throughout the year like polo matches, horse racing and the American Film Festival, Deauville also boasts some stunning Belle Epoque architecture such as the Casino Barrière and the Villa Strassburger.
2. Rouen (1 hour drive from Honfleur)
Head inland to historic Rouen, "the City of a hundred spires", to see its magnificent cathedral, the tallest in France, famously painted more than 30 times by Monet, and visit the modern church dedicated to Joan of Arc who was executed in the city's Place du Vieux Marché in 1431, aged just 19. You can learn more about her story at the state-of-the-art interactive Historial Jeanne d’Arc museum, visit the Fine Arts Museum to see works by Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Degas and explore Rouen's heritage as producer of some of the finest ceramics in France at Musée de la Céramique.
3. Le Havre (about 30 mins drive from Honfleur)
Almost completely flattened in WWII, Le Havre is now listed on the UNESCO world heritage list for its modern architecture. While the city's 16th century cathedral did survive the Allied bombing, the most astonishing religious building is the lighthouse-like Église St Joseph, with 12,768 pieces of coloured glass inside its huge octagonal tower. Built by August Perret, the church serves as a memorial to the victims of the Allied bombings in 1944. Don't miss the Musée d'Art Moderne André Malraux (MuMa) for its fantastic collection of Impressionist paintings including works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Manet, Pissaro and Honfleur's own Boudin.
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4. Pont-l'Évêque (25 mins drive from Honfleur)
Normandy is foodie heaven, especially its cheese and apple products. head to the little town of Pont-l'Eveque to sample two of Normandy's regional specialties: soft, creamy Pont- l'Évêque cheese (head to Fromagerie La Dégusterie at 26 Rue Saint-Michel to try all four of Normandy's AOP cheeses - they also book tastings paired with local ciders!) and Calvados (Normandy's glorious apple brandy) just outside of town at Calvados Père Magloire l'Experience. Your visit begins with a 40 minute immersive audio-visual tour through the history of Calvados, and ends with a guided tasting.
Tasty treats in Pont-l'Évêque
5. Caen (50 mins drive from Honfleur)
Spend a day in Caen exploring its picturesque medieval Vaugueux district, William the Conqueror's Ducal Castle (one of the biggest medieval fortresses in Europe) and the two magnificent abbeys that he founded - one, the historic Abbaye-aux-Hommes, contains William's tomb, now home to just his thigh-bone, the rest being lost some 500 years later during the French Wars of Religion. When choosing a restaurant, be sure to sample pré salé lamb, reared on the salt marshes of the Mont St Michel area, a local speciality.
From Caen you can also easily visit Pegasus Bridge and the D-Day beaches. The closest, Sword and Juno, along with the British Normandy Memorial, are under half an hour away and the furthest, Omaha and Utah, are 40 minutes and an hour's drive from Caen, respectively.
Omaha Beach and the British Normandy Memorial
For more useful information, you can visit the websites of the various tourism boards:
Disclosure: We were invited and hosted on this trip by Normandy Tourism, but we were not paid to post and as always, all opinions are our own!
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