PORT AND OLD BASIN OF HONFLEUR

Built in 1681 by Abraham Duquesne, one of the great French naval officers of the ^17th century, and commissioned by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the Vieux Bassin is one of the key pieces in Honfleur’s famous puzzle. Its image is engraved in the collective unconscious. Lined with picturesque Norman houses, each narrower than the last, most of which were built in the ^17th and ^18th centuries, the area has never ceased to inspire painters, photographers and artists of all kinds. Claude Monet, Gustave Flaubert, Raoul Dufy and Eugène Boudin, among others, have taken Honfleur’s quays around the world. The tall houses clustered around the Vieux Bassin, combined with the famous luminosity of Normandy skies, create a setting that delights photographers and strollers alike. Some of these houses are corbelled and many are slate-trimmed. Craftsmen, painters and art galleries continue to immortalize the old port, which remains lively in all seasons. Now Honfleur’s marina, the Vieux Bassin has 80 berths, 30 of which are reserved for visitors. Old sailing ships are often moored at the foot of the harbour master’s office, giving the town its typical maritime character. The capitainerie, or Lieutenance, located at the end of the Vieux Bassin, is so called because it served as the home of the king’s lieutenant from the ^17th century onwards. On the quayside, not far from the old salt granaries (which preserved cod, among other things), stands the ^{14th-15th-century} church of Saint-Étienne. Already an important town during the Hundred Years’ War, Honfleur became a military port under Louis XIV. As the port of departure for Samuel de Champlain’s expedition that led to the founding of Quebec in 1608, Honfleur was one of the great cradles of American exploration. In those days, the fleet fished for cod all the way to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, not far from Quebec City. After the loss of Newfoundland and Canada in the ^18th century, maritime activities were reduced to coastal shipping. Today, you can still see sailors in their rubber boots, laughing. Finally, a smart tip! There are many bars and restaurants around the Vieux Bassin, and they often charge high prices. If you’re looking for a drink or a bite to eat, you’ll be better off in the narrow streets around the Old Basin!