Our third and final destination of this trip – Honfleur. We deliberated a lot before finalising Honfleur and it was a brilliant decision. It took us about 3 hours drive from Paris with one stop which was a comfort break for us and a quick charge for the car!
And we arrived early evening at Honfleur…..the beautiful Normandy city where we spent four nights!!
Honfleur is a city in the Normandy region where the River Seine meets the English Channel. Its supposedly has one of the prettiest harbours in all of France – well I haven’t seen all the others to say for sure….but this one was certainly very pretty! You could easily spend several days just soaking in the atmosphere of this charming medieval town with its narrow cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and beautiful harbour. Its a picture perfect location with lots and lots of character!
The picturesque city of Honfleur features in many impressionists’ paintings. The city is an artist’s paradise and has long attracted artists from all over!
Some things to see and do in Honfleur…
Enjoy the lovely seafood and delicious French crêpes
The fresh seafood in Honfleur is a delight for seafood fans and our Si and Ri both loved it!! Mussels and oysters galore! If Si had a choice she would be eating them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and anything in-between!!! Neel and I loved both the seafood and the crêpes and the lovely Normandy wines!!!
Honfleur’s Vieux Bassin
The pretty harbour – Vieux Bassin, which dates back to the 17th century is one of the reasons that makes Honfleur so attractive to visitors. Once filled with commercial vessels and fishing boats, the harbour is now mostly filled with yachts.
Surrounding the harbour are numerous restaurants and cafes offering beautiful al fresco dining so you can enjoy the beautiful harbour!
Honfleur’s town centre
Narrow cobbled streets lined with half-timbered buildings make up Honfleur’s charming town centre. Filled with cafes, restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and souvenir shops there’s plenty to see and do for all ages and interests!
Carrousel a Honfleur
This lovely carrousal is a must if you have children. Its sits right on the harbour with wonderful views. Its very pretty and ornate and it also two-tiered!
Visiting the various art galleries and museums
If you love art its an absolute delight to visit the numerous museums and galleries around the city showcasing paintings from well known artists to newcomers trying to make their mark!
Phare de Honfleur
Our air b&b was right in front of the lighthouse which got Si very excited! Though to be honest there’s nothing really special about the lighthouse, and you can’t even enter it. However when we were there they had an art exhibit over the weekend with a display of upcoming artists paintings which was lovely to see.
Pont de Normandie (Normandy Bridge)
The beautiful Normandy Bridge is a road bridge that spans the River Seine and links Honfleur to Le Havre. There is also a footpath and a narrow cycle lane in each direction to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge free of charge. Thanks to the height of the bridge (215m) it does not disturb the navigation of boats sailing on the Seine. Its a very iconic bridge and appears on numerous postcards.
Plage du Butin (Butin’s beach)
The walk to the beach is actually better than the beach itself! As you walk to the beach there are beautiful gardens on the left and you have a great view of the Pont de Normandie with the boats sailing along the Seine. And also the view of Le Havre was interesting! The beach was quiet and quite empty and the kids enjoyed playing around in the sand for a bit but its not the best for swimming or lazing around. For that there is a better beach a few miles along the coast towards Trouville.
Honfleur at night
Honfleur is beautiful in the day and has a completely different charm at night, specially the Vieux Bassin!
And we bid adieu to Honfleur and drive to Dieppe (Normandy coast) to take the ferry to Eastbourne in the UK – this was a long four hour ferry ride. It was a lovely holiday and we will be back soon possibly with a different route!
