Le Havre - Etretat

Avant-garde architecture and a great cultural scene

Le Havre and its territory have been awarded the Pays d'Art et d'Histoire label. This is not surprising when you are interested in the history of a city with such a special destiny, located in the heart of Normandy, which never ceases to reveal its treasures, between green nature and marine landscapes. During an escapade to discover the architecture, one cannot fail to be interested in all the monuments which were born from the reconstruction site entrusted to Auguste Perret. A specialist in reinforced concrete, the architect designed buildings capable of rapidly housing thousands of people. The result is fascinating and astonishing, and the various buildings, true witnesses of modern architecture, reflect Perret's obsession with detail, the play of light and the nuances of colour. Apart from the residential buildings, a walk through the city must include a visit to the Town Hall and the incredible Saint Joseph's Church. This church is one of Le Havre's landmark monuments and one of Auguste Perret's masterpieces. Modern and majestic, with a square base, it has a monumental 107 m high bell tower that can be seen 60 km away. In 1951, when the city was undergoing reconstruction, the local abbot wanted a new church. Auguste Perret then took the old plans of a basilica he had imagined: the result is the first church in France with an altar placed in the center of a light well, where the sun can play with the stained glass windows of Marguerite Huré embedded in the concrete matrix. Splendid and unique!
Graville Abbey is another religious monument to discover in Le Havre. It dominates Le Havre and the Seine estuary. A recognized place of worship since the Middle Ages, the site of Graville houses a sumptuous Romanesque abbey church built in the 11th century. Built in memory of Saint Honorine, whose body was fished out of the sea by sailors on this very spot, it offers a real journey through the ages as its architecture has evolved over the centuries. From its pre-Gothic choir to its 13th century Anglo-Norman Gothic convent, it is a real jewel.
But what probably fascinates visitors to Le Havre the most is the incredibly well rebuilt post-war city centre with a minimalism and simplicity that was particularly avant-garde for its time. Even if you don't know anything about architecture, it's hard not to be fascinated by the avant-garde modernity of this post-World War II rebuilt downtown. And to better understand what housing looked like after the reconstruction of the city, a visit to the Perret show apartment is a must. This is probably the place to start visiting Le Havre for an immediate immersion in the design imagined by Perret in the 1950s. This apartment, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a summary of the modern and ambitious urbanism of the 20th century designed by the architect Auguste Perret. Functionality, optimal sunlight, kitchen with appliances, removable partitions, the place is an immersion full of charm thanks to the everyday objects of the Trente Glorieuses: auto-cooker, vacuum cleaner, record player, typewriter.... As you can see, Le Havre is the laboratory of modern architecture and this is what allowed its city centre to be inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.
But you should not overlook the fact that Le Havre has nevertheless kept some traces of its past history. They can be found in particular in the Saint-François district, one of the oldest in the city. Quarter of the fishing port, of the restaurants, the old buildings were integrated into the more recent constructions. They remind us that Le Havre was alive before the bombings. It is there that we find some of the oldest houses of Le Havre as well as the charming Saint-François church, and splendid private mansions. If these last ones belonged in the past to rich ship-owners, they were fitted out in museums by the City. The Maison de l'Armateur and the Musée de l'Hôtel Dubocage de Bléville are now open to the public to display collections of art furniture covering the periods from the 17th to the 19th century.
A visit to Le Havre is also a good opportunity to take advantage of its cultural offer. During the day, you can wander through the aisles of the MUMA, the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art, where classical art rubs shoulders with contemporary art. The museum houses the second most important impressionist collection in France, after the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Works by great masters such as Renoir, Monet and Sisley are on display. In the evening, you can go to the Volcan - Scène Nationale du Havre, with its wonderful acoustics and designed by the Brazilian architect and designer Oscar Niemeyer, who is well known for having designed ex nihilo the Brazilian capital Brasilia which was inaugurated in 1960. The Volcano, affectionately nicknamed "the yoghurt pot" by the people of Le Havre because of its shape and its white colour, is a surprising and resolutely contemporary monument. It displays an eclectic program and a second part of the space houses a sumptuous, and ultra-futuristic, library.
Finally, summer is the ideal season to discover Le Havre and take part in the unmissable "Un Été Au Havre" event. Created in 2017 for the celebration of the city's 500th anniversary, this open-air museum is the backdrop for contemporary works that grow each year. Between perennial and ephemeral works, these original and monumental creations carry the creation of international artists. A Summer in Le Havre is an additional reason to visit the city under the sun, which is never as beautiful as when art meets public space and the ocean city becomes even more poetic, mysterious and bewitching.

A seaside town, between beaches and green spaces

When we think of Le Havre, it is the port of Le Havre that comes to mind first and we often forget that this city is also beautiful sandy beaches with nice colored huts, as we often see in Normandy. Le Havre is one of the cities in France that has a beach close to the city centre and you can even easily walk to the beach from the train station. From the fervour of the city centre streets, you can find yourself in no time on a wide sandy beach that stretches for 2 kilometres. A place where you can take a deep breath of sea air at any time and where, in fine weather, you can enjoy beach volleyball, the skate park with its 1,200 m² bowl, swimming and numerous water sports activities. This is also Le Havre, a diversified offer to please sportsmen and women. For walkers, you only have to go along the beach to reach the charming town of Sainte-Adresse and its chic seaside villas built at the foot of the cliffs. This former fishing village has been a source of inspiration for many artists, including Monet and Stevens. They did not hesitate to integrate the landscapes into some of their paintings, and it is easy to understand why painters were keen to stop and create here. Le Havre is a city of water and light that stimulates the imagination, especially that of artists. Le Havre, a city magnified by Claude Monet, is more than ever a land of inspiration.
Contrary to preconceived ideas, and beyond its seaside, Le Havre is not a concrete industrial city without green spaces. Far from it! You can easily take a few moments to relax in the various parks and gardens of Le Havre. One would almost want to take out the brushes, a canvas and an easel in the Saint-Roch square to paint an impressionist landscape. Halfway between the beach and the city centre, it offers visitors a romantic break. Also, the Hanging Gardens are part of the Le Havre landscape as an emblematic place offering a world of discovery through the vegetation of the five continents. This botanical garden, with a surface area of 17 hectares, overlooks the bay of the Seine and offers admirable views of the sea, the port and the city.
Finally, do not miss the guided boat tour of the Port of Le Havre. Leave your preconceptions aside, it's not boring at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite! You will understand everything about these large container ships and see them in action at close quarters. The visit is very friendly and with a bit of luck you'll get a peek from the ships' staff! Some of them even start up the machinery as the tour boat approaches. After this sea trip, the port of Le Havre, one of the most important cargo ports in France, will have no more secrets for you. Once off the boat, take a short walk and go to the Havre Port Center to continue your immersion in the unique world of the port of Le Havre by visiting this information center dedicated to Le Havre's industrial-port culture. Located at the entrance of the port, in the former Irish terminal, the establishment offers a panoramic view of the Seine estuary. Inside, everything has been thought of to make the visit pleasant : under the large glass roofs, illustrated explanatory panels and virtual reality experiences. The place also proposes conferences and meetings with the stakeholders of the port, as well as temporary exhibitions.

A day on the Alabaster Coast from Le Havre to Etretat

In only about thirty minutes of road, one can connect Le Havre to Étretat, and one takes pleasure to leave the center of the city to go to explore the splendors of the Alabaster coast. Therefore, after having visited Le Havre for one or two days, one can perfectly launch out in a discovery of this sublime preserved coastline, so close to the city. It is even possible to go on a very nice hike to get to the coast from Le Havre, and in good weather, it is probably the best option for a real immersion in these splendid coastal landscapes. The less athletic don't have to worry: everyone can easily practice this walk. This beautiful walk takes place along the GR 21 - the French people's favourite route in 2020 - which links Le Tréport to Le Havre and it would be a shame to miss out on it. Wide open spaces and breathtaking cliffs plunging into the sea await you.
You can then continue your walk peacefully until you reach Étretat... A real postcard of Normandy, the cliffs of Étretat are simply fascinating. How can you not be dazzled by these immense natural gates carved into the vertiginous cliffs? It is here that you can take a picturesque break and contemplate for a long time the natural works of art that the waves have sculpted in the chalk of the Pays de Caux plateau. The openings that criss-cross the Alabaster coast from the sea are called valleys here, and the most famous of them are here, at Étretat. The most famous of these cliffs of Étretat is undoubtedly the Aval cliff. But it is necessary to wait for the low tide for it to reveal its secrets. We start the walk by the oyster beds: these basins were dug at the end of the 18th century at the request of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Once past the oyster beds, the cliff reveals the Trou à l'Homme. Then you climb towards the bay of the little port, from where you have a beautiful view of the Porte d'Aval and the Aiguille creuse, 70 m high. The second gate, also called Manneporte, is almost in enfilade, and Maupassant spoke of this "gothic gate that could let a ship pass with all sails out". You can continue the walk to the tip of the Courtine, then the Antifer valley, where many birds live, to the Tilleul beach. Going back up the cliff, you can then return to Étretat by the GR21 and enjoy some beautiful views of the town. At the level of the golf course, you will discover the chambre des Demoiselles.
To continue your immersion in the heart of nature, don't miss a visit to the Jardins d'Étretat perched on top of a cliff, near the town. Created by the landscape architect Alexander Grivko, these gardens are said to have been inspired by Monet... This does not detract from the charm of this incredible site, divided into seven parts in a park of more than 7,000 m², combining landscape architecture and sculptures, a composition which makes it the "first garden of the bionic architecture movement". Emotions Garden, Upstream Garden, Impressions Garden, Downstream Garden, Avatar Garden, Zen Garden and Channel Garden... The path that winds from one universe to the next allows you to gently alternate between maritime and futuristic influences.
After your walk through these enchanting gardens, we cannot recommend enough that you visit the Old Market. This covered market is one of the must-sees for visitors to Étretat! Until the middle of the 19th century, there was a pond and a canal for rainwater drainage. Then the pond and the canal were closed off to make way for a market. In 1927, wanting to embellish its city center, the city called upon the architect Emile Mauge, creator of the Salamander manor and the Residence Hotel. Based on his plans, the covered market was built by the Compagnons de la Manche. Today, the place houses under its solid framework souvenir shops where you can fill up on good Norman products before returning to Paris.
A little far from the centre of Étretat, the other visit not to be missed is that of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde chapel. Firmly clinging to the cliff of Amont, Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde has been watching over Étretat for over 160 years. Built in the middle of the 19th century, this chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary required the strength of many sailors to bring the building materials up to the top. Destroyed during World War II, the chapel was rebuilt in 1950. It was put up for sale in 2014 and then bought by the Conservatoire du littoral, which wanted to turn it into an exhibition and meeting place. The view of Étretat is breathtaking, if you have any left after climbing the flight of stairs that lead to it...
As for mystery lovers, they can also discover the house of Arsène Lupin: the author of his adventures, Maurice Leblanc, is a child of the country (of Caux)! This will delight the many fans of the eponymous Netflix series in which Omar Sy brilliantly plays the famous gentleman thief.
But Maurice Leblanc is not the only famous writer to be from the region, Guy de Maupassant also lived there. And you can also visit his house, which is located on the aptly named Rue Guy de Maupassant, near the town centre. It was the writer's mother, who first lived in the Rue Notre-Dame in the Villa Les Verguies, who acquired this plot of land in the Grand Val in 1872, in order to set up a vegetable garden with a shed. A few years later, the young Guy gave parties in this hut where his friends gathered. In 1882, he became the owner and built the house as we know it today. It is once installed in this new house that he wrote his first novel, A Life.
Finally, if you still have a little time left, go and visit the very beautiful Aygues castle. A precious architectural jewel from the second half of the 19th century, it is a listed building. It is the icon of the development of Étretat under the Second Empire. The house was the former summer residence of Prince Lubomirski, grand chamberlain of Tsar Nicholas I, where the queens of Spain, Marie-Christine de Bourbon-Sicile and Isabelle II, came. On the lounge side, one can admire precious furniture, portraits and a magnificent collection of Chinese porcelain. The park was designed by the creators of the Buttes Chaumont park in Paris. It's enough to plunge into the great era of Étretat!