Honfleur
ancient harbour on the
Normandy coast of France
Honfleur is a pretty
town in Normandy, lying close to the sea on the southern
bank of the estuary of the River Seine, in a coastline known as
la cote de grace.
The town is centred
around an old inner port, or harbour basin, built in the
17th Century and today used mainly as a marina for small pleasure
boats. The basin and the tall, picturesque buildings that
surround it have been little changed over the centuries -
Honfleur escaped any significant damage during World War II.
Much of the history of Honfleur is founded upon the sea, both as
a base for the fishing industry (some of which survives) and as a
trading port. It was once one of the major French ports
involved in the slave trade, and has been the starting point
for expeditions of discovery (Samuel Champlain, the founder of
Quebec, sailed from here).
For many years Honfleur has been popular with
artists. Painters such as Monet and Boudin were drawn by the
scenery and coastline. The composer Erik Satie was born here.
Today Honfleur is popular with visitors, especially the English,
and there are plenty of things to see and do during a short
stay. There are numerous restaurants and cafés with an
emphasis on fish and seafood. Artists studios and galleries are
to be found almost everywhere in and around the maze of narrow
streets that surround the old harbour.
At Equemauville, overlooking the town, is a fine
church with good views across the estuary towards Le Havre.
Back at sea level there is an interesting park - le jardin
des personnalités - along the shoreline where busts
of those important to Honfleur in the past are placed within the
gardens, with the estuary as a backdrop.
The magnificent
Pont de Normandie, the longest cable stayed bridge in the
world when built in 1995, can be seen in the
distance.