Rouen • Honfleur • Bayeux • D-Day Beaches • Mont St-Michel
Sweeping coastlines, half-timbered towns, and thatched roofs decorate the rolling green hills of Normandy (Normandie). Parisians call Normandy “the 21st arrondissement.” It’s their escape—the nearest beach. Brits consider this area close enough for a weekend escape (you’ll notice that the BBC comes through loud and clear on your car radio). Americans find it a rare place where their country played a pivotal role in European history.
Despite the peacefulness you sense today, the region’s past is filled with war. Normandy was founded by Viking Norsemen who invaded from the north, settled here in the ninth century, and gave the region its name. A couple hundred years later, William the Conqueror invaded England from Normandy. His 1066 victory is commemorated in a remarkable tapestry at Bayeux. A few hundred years after that, France’s greatest cheerleader, Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc), was convicted of heresy in Rouen and burned at the stake by the English, against whom she rallied France during the Hundred Years’ War. And in 1944, Normandy was the site of a WWII battle that changed the course of history.
The rugged, rainy coast of Normandy harbors pristine beaches, wartime bunkers, and enchanting fishing villages like Honfleur. And, on the border Normandy shares with Brittany, the almost surreal island-abbey of Mont St-Michel rises serene and majestic, oblivious to the tides of tourists.
For many, Normandy makes the perfect jet-lag antidote: A good first stop for your trip is Rouen, which is a few hours by car or train from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle or Beauvais airports. Plan on four nights for a first visit to Normandy: Honfleur and Mont St-Michel each merit an overnight and the D-Day beaches merit two. At a minimum, you’ll want a full day for the D-Day beaches and a half-day each in Honfleur, Bayeux, and Mont St-Michel.
If you’re driving between Paris and Honfleur, Giverny (with the glorious gardens and lovely home of Claude Monet—see here) and Rouen make good detours. The WWII memorial museum in Caen works well as a stop between Honfleur and Bayeux (and the D-Day beaches). Mont St-Michel must be seen early or late to avoid the masses of midday tourists. Dinan, just 45 minutes by car from Mont St-Michel, offers a fine introduction to Brittany (see next chapter). Drivers can enjoy Mont St-Michel as a day trip from Dinan.
Winter travelers should note that many sights on the D-Day beaches and in Bayeux are closed in January. For practical information about travel, current events, concerts, and more in Normandy, see www.normandie-tourisme.fr.
This region is best explored by car. If you’re driving into Honfleur from the north, take the impressive Normandy Bridge (Pont de Normandie, €6 toll); if you’re coming from the Rouen area, follow the Route of the Ancient Abbeys (described later). If you’re driving from Mont St-Michel into Brittany, follow my recommended scenic route to the town of St-Malo (see here). If you’re renting a car for Normandy and don’t want to drive in Paris (who would?), take the train to Rouen or Caen and pick up your car right at the train station.
Trains from Paris serve Rouen, Caen, Bayeux, Mont St-Michel (via Pontorson or Rennes), and Dinan, though service between these sights is frustrating (try linking by bus—see next). Mont St-Michel is a headache by train, except from Paris. Enterprising businesses in Bayeux run shuttles between Bayeux and Mont St-Michel—a great help to those without cars (see here).
Buses link Giverny, Honfleur, Arromanches, and Mont St-Michel to train stations in nearby towns (less frequent on Sundays). To plan ahead, visit the websites for Bus Verts (for Le Havre, Honfleur, Bayeux, Arromanches, and Caen, www.nomadcar14.fr), Keolis (for Mont St-Michel, https://keolis-armor.com), and Breizhgo for Brittany (Dinan and St-Malo, www.breizhgo.bzh). Bus companies commonly offer good-value and multiride discounts—for example, Bus Verts offers a 20 percent discount on a shareable four-ride ticket.
Another good option is to use an excursion tour to link destinations. Westcapades provides trips to Mont St-Michel from Dinan and St-Malo (for details, see here).
Private shuttles make it easy to link Paris and Normandy without driving or connecting by train. Albion Transport (run by American Adrienne O’Donoghue) organizes private transfers between Paris airports or hotels and key Normandy destinations such as Honfleur, Bayeux, and Caen (€450 for up to 3 people, €600 for 4-8 people, extra fee for stops en route at Giverny or Honfleur, mobile +33 6 80 28 65 61, www.albionvoyages.com).
For specifics on getting around the D-Day Beaches, see that section of this chapter.
Normandy is known as the land of the four C’s: Calvados, Camembert, cider, and crème. The region specializes in cream sauces, organ meats (sweetbreads, tripe, and kidneys—the gizzard salads are great), and seafood (fruits de mer). You’ll see crêperies offering inexpensive and good-value meals everywhere. A galette is a savory buckwheat crêpe enjoyed as a main course; a crêpe is sweet and eaten for dessert.
Dairy products are big, too. Local cheeses are Camembert (mild to very strong; see sidebar), Brillat-Savarin (buttery), Livarot (spicy and pungent), Pavé d’Auge (spicy and tangy), and Pont l’Evêque (earthy).
What, no local wine? Eh oui, that’s right. Here’s how to cope. Fresh, white Muscadet wines are made nearby (in western Loire); they’re cheap and a good match with much of Normandy’s cuisine. But Normandy is rightly proud of its many apple-based beverages. You can’t miss the powerful Calvados apple brandy or the Bénédictine brandy (made by local monks). The local dessert, trou Normand, is apple sorbet swimming in Calvados. The region also produces three kinds of alcoholic apple ciders: Cidre can be doux (sweet), brut (dry), or bouché (sparkling—and the strongest). You’ll also find bottles of Pommeau, a tasty blend of apple juice and Calvados (sold in many shops), as well as poiré, a tasty pear cider. And don’t leave Normandy without sampling a kir Normand, a pinch of crème de cassis mixed with cider. Drivers in Normandy should be on the lookout for Route du Cidre signs (with a bright red apple); this tourist trail leads you to small producers of handcrafted cider and brandy.
This 2,000-year-old city mixes Gothic architecture, half-timbered houses, and contemporary bustle like no other place in France. Busy Rouen (roo-ahn) is France’s fifth-largest port and Europe’s biggest food exporter (mostly wheat and grain). Its cobbled and traffic-free old town is a delight to wander.
Rouen was a regional capital during Roman times, and France’s second-largest city in medieval times (with 40,000 residents—only Paris had more). In the ninth century, the Normans made Rouen their capital. William the Conqueror called it home before moving to England. After that, Rouen walked a political tightrope between England and France for centuries and was an English base during the Hundred Years’ War. Joan of Arc was burned here (in 1431).
Rouen’s historic wealth was built on its wool industry and trade—for centuries, it was the last bridge across the Seine River before the Atlantic. In April 1944, as America and Britain weakened German control of Normandy prior to the D-Day landings, Allied bombers destroyed 50 percent of Rouen. Although the industrial suburbs were devastated, most of the historic core survived, keeping Rouen a pedestrian haven.
If you want a dose of a smaller—yet lively—French city, Rouen is an easy day trip from Paris, with convenient train connections to Gare St. Lazare (nearly hourly, 1.5 hours). For a memorable day trip from Paris, combine Rouen with Giverny.
If you’re planning to rent a car as you leave Paris, save headaches by taking the train to Rouen and picking up a rental car there (spend a quiet night in Rouen and pick up your car the next morning). Or take an early train to Rouen, pick up keys to a rental car, stash your bags in it, leave it in the secure rental lot at the train station, and visit Rouen on foot before heading out to explore Normandy. This plan also works in reverse—drop your car in Rouen and visit the city before taking a train to Paris.
Those relying on public transportation can visit Rouen on the way from Paris to other Normandy destinations, thanks to the good bus and train service.
Although Paris embraces the Seine, Rouen ignores it. The area we’re most interested in is bounded by the river to the south, the Museum of Fine Arts (Esplanade Marcel Duchamp) to the north, Rue de la République to the east, and Place du Vieux Marché to the west. It’s a 20-minute walk from the train station to the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Everything else of interest is within a 10-minute walk of the cathedral.
The TI faces the cathedral and rents €5 audioguides covering the cathedral, Rouen’s historic center, and the history of Joan of Arc in Rouen (though this book’s self-guided walk is plenty for most). If driving, get information about the Route of the Ancient Abbeys (TI open Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun 9:30-12:30 & 14:00-18:00; Oct-April Mon-Sat 9:30-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun; 25 Place de la Cathédrale, +33 2 32 08 32 40, www.rouentourisme.com).
By Train: Rue Jeanne d’Arc cuts straight from Rouen’s train station through the town center to the Seine River. Day-trippers can walk from the station down Rue Jeanne d’Arc toward Rue du Gros Horloge—a busy pedestrian mall in the medieval center and near the start of my self-guided walk. There’s no bag storage at the train station, but the online service Nannybag.com lets you reserve and store bags at a handful of central Rouen businesses.
Rouen’s subway (Métrobus) whisks travelers from under the train station to the Palais de Justice in one stop (€1.70 for 1 hour; buy tickets from machines one level underground, then validate ticket on subway two levels down; subway direction: Technopôle or Georges Braque). Returning to the station, take a subway in direction: Boulingrin and get off at Gare-Rue Verte.
Taxis (to the right as you exit the station) will take you to any of my recommended hotels for about €10.
By Car: Finding the city center from the autoroute is tricky. Follow signs for Centre-Ville and Rive Droite (right bank). If you get turned around on the narrow, one-way streets, aim toward the highest cathedral spires you spot.
As you head toward the center, you should see signs for P&R Relais. These are lots outside the core where you can park for free, then hop on a tram into town (€1.70 each way). In the city, you can park on the street (metered 9:00-19:00, usually 2-3-hour time limit, free overnight and Sun with no time limit) or pay for more secure parking in one of many well-signed underground lots (€15/day; see map for locations). For day-trippers taking my self-guided walk of Rouen, the garage under Place du Vieux Marché (Parking Vieux Marché) is ideal. For those staying overnight, Parking Cathédrale–Office du Tourisme (between the cathedral and the river) is handy, as is Parking Palais de Justice.
When leaving Rouen, head for the riverfront road, where autoroute signs will guide you to Paris or to Le Havre and Caen (for D-Day beaches and Honfleur). If you’re following The Route of Ancient Abbeys from here, see here.
Closed Days: Many Rouen sights are closed midday (12:00-14:00), and many museums are closed on Tuesdays. The cathedral doesn’t open until 14:00 on Monday, and the Joan of Arc Church is closed on Friday.
Market Days: The best open-air market is on Place St. Marc, a few blocks east of St. Maclou Church. You’ll find everything from fresh produce to antiques (all day Tue, Fri, and Sat; Sun is best but closes by 13:30). A smaller market is on Place du Vieux Marché, near the Joan of Arc Church (Tue-Sun until 13:30, closed Mon).
Supermarket: A big Monoprix is on Rue du Gros Horloge (groceries at the back, Mon-Sat 8:30-21:00, Sun 9:00-13:00).
Cathedral of Light: Rouen’s cathedral sports a dazzling light show on its exterior after dark in summer (generally June-July at 23:00, Aug at 22:00, Sept at 21:30).
Taxi: Call Les Taxi Blancs at +33 2 35 61 20 50.
Car Rental: Agencies with offices in the train station include Europcar (+33 2 35 88 21 20), Avis (+33 2 35 88 60 94), and Hertz (+33 2 35 70 70 71). All close Sunday and at lunch (Mon-Sat 12:30-14:00).
SNCF Boutique: For train tickets, visit the SNCF office at the corner of Rue aux Juifs and Rue Eugène Boudin (Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:15, closed Sun).
On this 1.5-hour self-guided walk, you’ll see the essential Rouen sights (all but the Joan of Arc Museum and Bell Tower Panorama are free) and experience the city’s pedestrian-friendly streets. This walk is designed for day-trippers coming by train but works just as well for drivers (park at the underground garage at Place du Vieux Marché, where the walk begins).
We’ll stroll the length of Rue du Gros Horloge to Notre-Dame Cathedral, visit the plague cemetery (Aître St. Maclou), pass the church of St. Ouen, and end at the Museum of Fine Arts, a short walk back to the train station or parking lot. The map on here highlights our route.
• If arriving by train, walk down Rue Jeanne d’Arc and turn right on Rue du Guillaume le Conquérant. This takes you to the back door of our starting point...
Surrounded by half-timbered buildings, this old market square houses a cute, covered produce-and-fish market, a park commemorating Joan of Arc’s burning, and a modern church named after her. Find the tall, aluminum-and-concrete cross in the small garden behind the market stalls, near the entrance to the church. That towering cross marks the spot where Rouen publicly punished and executed people. The pillories stood here, and during the Revolution, the town’s guillotine made 800 people “a foot shorter at the top.” In 1431, Joan of Arc—only 19 years old—was burned right here. Find her flaming statue (built into the wall of the church, facing the cross). As the flames engulfed her, an English soldier said, “Oh my God, we’ve killed a saint.” Nearly 500 years later, Joan was canonized, and the soldier was proven right.
• Now step inside...
This modern church is a tribute to the young woman who was canonized in 1920 and later became the patron saint of France. The church, completed in 1979, feels Scandinavian inside and out—another reminder of Normandy’s Nordic roots. Sumptuous 16th-century windows, salvaged from a church lost during World War II, were worked into the soft architectural lines. The pointed, stake-like support columns to the right seem fitting for a church dedicated to a woman burned at the stake. This interior feels uplifting, with a ship’s-hull vaulting and sweeping wood ceiling sailing over curved pews and a wall of glass below. Make time to savor this unusual sanctuary.
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Thu & Sat 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, Fri & Sun 14:00-18:00, closed during Mass, 50-cent English pamphlet describes the stained-glass scenes. A clean public WC is 30 yards straight ahead from the church doors.
• Turn left out of the church.
As you leave the church, you’re stepping over the ruins of a 15th-century church (destroyed during the French Revolution). The charming half-timbered building just beyond—overflowing with flags and geraniums—is the recommended Restaurant La Couronne, reputedly the oldest restaurant in France. It was here, in 1948, that American chef and author Julia Child ate her first French meal, experiencing a culinary epiphany that changed her life (and the eating habits of a generation of Americans). Inside the restaurant’s front doors find historic photos of happy diners, including Julia (three doors in on the right).
• Leave the square with the church on your left and join the busy pedestrian street, Rue du Gros Horloge. An important thoroughfare in Roman times, it’s been the city’s main shopping street since the Middle Ages. A block up on your right (at #163) is Rouen’s most famous chocolate shop.
The friendly chocolatiers at Auzou would love to tempt you with their chocolate-covered almond “tears (larmes) of Joan of Arc.” Although you must resist touching the chocolate fountain, you are welcome to taste a tear (delicious). The first one is free; a small bag costs about €9.50.
Before moving on, notice the architecture. The higher floors of the Auzou house lean out, evidence that the building dates from before 1520, when such street-crowding construction was prohibited. (People feared that houses leaning over the street like this would block breezes and make the city more susceptible to disease.) Look around the corner and down the lane behind the Auzou building to see a fine line of half-timbered Gothic facades. Study the house next to Auzou, at #161. You can tell it was built after 1520 (because its facade is flat) and that it’s Renaissance (because of the characteristic carved wooden corner-posts). We’ll see more houses like this later on our walk.
• Your route continues past a medieval McDonald’s to busy Rue Jeanne d’Arc. Pause here and look both ways. With the 19th-century Industrial Age, France expanded its transportation infrastructure. A train line connecting Paris to Rouen arrived in the early 1840s, and major roads like this were plowed through to get traffic efficiently to the station. The facades here date from the 1860s and are in the Haussmann style so dominant in Paris in that era.
Cross the street and continue straight to the...
This impressive, circa-1528 Renaissance clock, the Gros Horloge (groh or-lohzh), decorates the former City Hall. Originally, the clock had only an hour hand but no minute hand. In the 16th century, an hour hand offered sufficient precision; minute hands became necessary only in a later, faster-paced age (forget second hands). The silver orb above the clock makes one revolution in 29 days. (The cycle of the moon let people know the tides—of practical value here as Rouen was a port for seabound vessels.) The town medallion (sculpted into the stone below the clock) features a sacrificial lamb, which has both religious meaning (Jesus is the Lamb of God) and commercial significance (wool was the source of Rouen’s wealth). The clock’s artistic highlight fills the underside of the arch (walk underneath and stretch your back), with the “Good Shepherd” and loads of sheep.
Bell Tower Panorama: To see the inner workings of the clock and an extraordinary panorama over Rouen and its cathedral, climb the clock tower’s 100 steps. You’ll tour several rooms with the help of a friendly, 40-minute audioguide and learn about life in Rouen when the tower was built. The big one- and two-ton bells ring on the hour—a deafening experience if you’re in the tower. Don’t miss the 360-degree view outside from the very top (€7, includes audioguide, Tue-Sun 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-19:00, Oct-March afternoons only, closed Mon year-round).
• Walk under the Gros Horloge and continue straight a half-block, then take a one-block detour left (up Rue Thouret) to see the...
Rouen is the capital of Normandy, and this impressive building is its parliament. The section on the left is the oldest, in Flamboyant Gothic style dating from 1550. Normandy was an independent little country from 911 to 1204. Since being incorporated into France, it’s retained an independent spirit and has enjoyed a bit of autonomy.
The parliament building fronts the historic Rue aux Juifs (Street of the Jews)—a reminder that this was the Jewish quarter from the 10th century until the early 14th century, when the Jews were expelled from France. Their homes were destroyed and the city took their land. The empty real estate was used for the parliament.
• Double back and continue up Rue du Gros Horloge. In a block, high on the left, you’ll see a stone plaque dedicated to hometown hero Cavelier de la Salle, who explored the mouth of the Mississippi River, claimed the state of Louisiana for France, and was assassinated in Texas in 1687. Soon you’ll reach...
This cathedral is a landmark of art history. You’re seeing essentially what Claude Monet saw as he painted 30 different studies of this frilly Gothic facade at various times of day. Using the physical building only as a rack upon which to hang light, mist, dusk, and shadows, Monet was capturing “impressions.” One of these paintings is in Rouen’s Museum of Fine Arts; others are at the Orsay Museum in Paris. Find the plaque showing a copy of one of the paintings (in the corner of the square, about 30 paces to your right if exiting the TI).
Cost and Hours: Free, Tue-Sun 9:00-19:00, Mon from 14:00; Nov-March until 18:00 and closed 12:00-14:00; Mass: Tue-Sat at 10:00, July-Aug also at 18:00, Sun and holidays at 8:30, 10:30, and 12:00.
Self-Guided TourThere’s been a church on this site for more than a thousand years. Charlemagne honored it with a visit in the eighth century before the Vikings sacked it a hundred years later. The building you see today was constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries, though lightning strikes, wars (the cathedral was devastated in WWII bombing), and other destructive forces meant constant rebuilding.
• We’ll start outside, facing the...
Central Facade: Look up at the elaborate, soaring facade, with bright statues on either side of the central portal—later, we’ll meet some of their friends face-to-face inside the cathedral. The facade is another fine Rouen example of Flamboyant Gothic, and the dark spire, soaring nearly 500 feet high, is awe-inspiring. Why such a big cathedral here? Until the 1700s, Rouen was the second-largest city in France—rich from its wool trade and its booming port. On summer evenings, there’s usually a colorful light show on the cathedral’s facade (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier).
Above the main door is a marvelous depiction of the Tree of Jesse. Jesse, King David’s father, is shown reclined, resting his head on his hand, looking nonplussed. The tree grows from Jesse’s back; the figures sprouting from its branches represent the lineage of Jesus. Many statues on the facade are headless. In 1562, during the French Wars of Religion, Protestant iconoclasts held the city for six months—more than enough time to deface the church.
• Head inside.
Cathedral Interior: Look down the center of the nave. This is a classic Gothic nave—four stories of pointed-arch arcades, the top filled with windows to help illuminate the interior. Today, the interior is lighter than intended because clear glass has replaced the original colored glass (destroyed over the centuries by angry Protestants, horrible storms, changing tastes, and WWII bombs).
Circle counterclockwise around the church, starting down the right aisle. The side chapels and windows, each dedicated to a different saint, display the changing styles through the centuries.
At the high altar, look across and up at the north transept rose window, which dates from around 1300. It survived a terrible hurricane in 1683. During World War II the glass was taken out, but the original stone tracery did not survive. On the right (in the south transept) is a chapel dedicated to Joan of Arc. Its focal point is a touching statue of the saint being burned. The chapel’s modern 1956 windows replaced those destroyed in the war.
Passing through an iron gate after the high altar, you come to several stone statues. Each is “bolted” to the wall—as they originally were in their niches high above the street centuries ago. These figures were lifted from the facade during a cleaning and provide a rare chance to stand toe-to-toe with a medieval statue.
Several stone tombs on your left date from when Rouen was the Norman capital. The first tomb is for Rollo, the first duke of Normandy who died about 932 (he’s also the great-great-great-great grandfather of William the Conqueror, seventh duke of Normandy, c. 1028). Rollo was chief of the first gang of Vikings (the original “Normans”) who decided to settle here. Called the Father of Normandy, Rollo died at the age of 80, but he is portrayed on his tomb as if he were 33 (as was the fashion, because Jesus died at that age). Thanks to later pillage and plunder, only Rollo’s femur is inside the tomb.
And speaking of body parts, the next tomb once contained the heart of English King Richard the Lionheart, famous for his military exploits in the Third Crusade (he died in 1199). Over the years, people forgot about the heart, and it was only rediscovered in 1838. It was eventually analyzed by forensic scientists, who concluded that the king had died from a festering arrow wound (not poison, as popularly thought). Look across the altar to the radiant stained-glass window (we’ll get there soon but the view is best from here).
Smile at the cute angels on your right and circle behind the altar. The beautiful windows with bold blues and reds are generally from the 13th century. Opposite Richard the Lionheart’s tomb is a fine window dedicated to St. Julian, patron of hoteliers and travelers (with pane-by-pane descriptions in English on an easel below).
Continue a few paces, then look up to the ceiling over the nave (directly above Rollo’s femur). You can see the lighter-colored patchwork where, in 1999, a fierce winter storm caused a spire to crash through the roof.
• Exit while you can, through the side door of the north transept. (If the door is closed, leave through the main entrance, turn right, then loop back alongside the church.)
North Transept Facade: Outside, look back at the facade over the door of the north transept. The fine-but-dirty tympanum (the area over the door) shows a graphic Last Judgment. Jesus stands between the saved (on the left) and the damned (on the right). Notice the devil grasping a miser, who clutches a bag of coins. On the far right, look for the hellish hot tub, where even a bishop (pointy hat) is eternally in hot water. And is it my imagination, or are those saved souls on the far left high-fiving each other?
Most of the facade has been cleaned—blasted with jets of water—but the limestone carving like this is still black. It’s too delicate to survive the hosing. A more expensive laser cleaning has begun, and the result is astonishing.
• From this courtyard, a gate deposits you on a traffic-free street facing the elegant Art Nouveau facade of the recommended Dame Cakes tea shop. This was originally the workshop of the church’s lead 19th-century craftsman, Ferdinand Marrou. To showcase his work, he fashioned the wrought iron on this door as well as the fine touches inside.
Turn right and walk along the appealing Rue St. Romain for one last church sight.
Spire View: In a short distance, look up through an opening above the entrance to the Joan of Arc Museum and gaze back at the cathedral’s prickly spire. Made of cast iron in the late 1800s—about the same time Gustave Eiffel was building his tower in Paris—the spire is, at 490 feet, the tallest in France. You can also see the smaller (green) spires, one of which was blown over in that violent 1999 storm and crashed—all 30 tons of it—through the roof to the cathedral floor. Replaced in 2013, you can bet it’s now securely bolted down.
• To learn more about Rouen’s most famous figure, consider touring the...
Rouen’s Archbishop’s Palace, where in 1431 Joan of Arc was tried and sentenced to death, now hosts a multimedia experience that tells her story. Equipped with headphones, you’ll walk for 75 minutes through a series of rooms, each with a brief video presentation that tries very hard to teach and entertain. Your tour ends in the Officialité—the room where the trial took place. You’re then set free to explore exhibits examining the role Joan of Arc has played in French culture over the centuries. The complete experience is entertaining and informative, but slow-moving—both kids and adults may find it a little boring.
Cost and Hours: €10.50, required tours depart on the quarter-hour Tue-Sun from 10:00, last tour generally at 17:15, closed 12:00-13:00 and Mon year-round, 7 Rue St. Romain, +33 2 35 52 48 00, www.historial-jeannedarc.fr.
• From the museum, continue down atmospheric Rue St. Romain. At #26, find the shop marked...
Monsieur Augy and his family welcome shoppers to browse his studio/gallery/shop and see Rouen’s earthenware “china” being made in the traditional faience style (Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, closed Sun, shipping available, 26 Rue St. Romain). First, the clay is molded and fired. Then it’s dipped in white enamel, dried, lovingly hand painted, and fired a second time. Rouen was the first city in France to make this colorfully glazed faience earthenware. In the 1700s, the town had 18 factories churning out the popular product. For more faience, visit the local Museum of Ceramics (see “Sights in Rouen”).
• Peer down Rue des Chanoines (next to Augy) for a skinny example of the higgledy-piggledy streets common in medieval Rouen. Back on Rue St. Romain, walk along the massive Archbishop’s Palace, which (after crossing Rue de la République) leads to the fancy...
This church’s unique, bowed facade is textbook Flamboyant Gothic. Notice the flame-like tracery decorating its gable. Because this was built at the very end of the Gothic age—and construction took many years—the carved wooden doors are from the next age: the Renaissance (c. 1550). Study the graphic Last Judgment above the doors, and imagine the mindset of the frightened parishioners who worshipped here. If it’s open, the bright and airy interior is worth a quick peek (closed Tue-Fri).
• Leaving the church, turn right, and then take another right (giving the little boys on the corner wall a wide berth). Wander past a fine wall of half-timbered buildings fronting Rue Martainville, to the back end of St. Maclou Church.
Because the local stone—a chalky limestone from the cliffs of the Seine River—was of poor quality (your thumbnail is stronger), and because local oak was plentiful, half-timbered buildings became a Rouen specialty from the 14th through 19th century. There are still 2,000 half-timbered buildings in town; about 100 date from before 1520. Cantilevered floors were standard until the early 1500s. These top-heavy designs made sense: City land was limited, property taxes were based on ground-floor square footage, and the cantilevering minimized unsupported spans on upper floors. The oak beams provided the structural skeleton of the building, which was then filled in with a mix of clay, straw, or whatever was available.
Until the Industrial Age, this was the textile district where cloth was processed, dyed, and sold. When that industry moved across the river in the 19th century, the neighborhood was mothballed and forgotten. After World War II it was recognized as historic and preserved. Eventually rents went up, and gentrification crept in.
• A block after the church, on the left at 186 Rue Martainville, a short lane leads to the...
During the great plagues of the Middle Ages, as many as two-thirds of the people in this parish died. For the decimated community, dealing with the corpses was an overwhelming task. This half-timbered courtyard (c. 1520, free to enter, daily 9:00-18:00) was a mass grave, an ossuary where the bodies were “processed.” Bodies were dumped into the grave (an open pit where the well is now) and drenched in liquid lime to help speed decomposition. Later, the bones were stacked in alcoves above the once-open arcades that line this courtyard. Notice the colonnades with their ghoulish carvings of gravediggers’ tools, skulls, crossbones, and characters doing the “dance of death.” In this danse macabre, Death, the great equalizer, grabs people of all social classes. As you leave, spy the dried black cat (in tiny glass case to the left of the door). Perhaps to overcome evil, it was buried during the building’s construction.
Nearby: Farther down Rue Martainville, at Place St. Marc, a colorful market is lively Sunday until about 13:30 and all day Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
• Our walk is over. To return to the train station or reach the Museum of Fine Arts directly, turn right from the boneyard, then right again at the little boys (onto Rue Damiette), and hike up a pleasing antique row to the vertical St. Ouen Church (a seventh-century abbey turned 15th-century church; lush park behind). Turn left when you see St. Ouen Church and continue down traffic-free Rue de l’Hôpital (which becomes Rue Ganterie). Turn right on Rue de l’Ecureuil to find the museum directly ahead. To continue to the train station, turn left onto Rue Jean-Lecanuet, then right onto Rue Jeanne d’Arc.
These museums, within blocks of one another, are all free and never crowded.
Paintings from many periods are beautifully displayed in this overlooked two-floor museum, including works by Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Paolo Veronese, Jan Steen, Velázquez, Théodore Géricault, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Eugène Delacroix, and several Impressionists. With its free admission and calm interior, this museum is worth a short visit for the Impressionists and a surgical hit of a few other key artists. The museum café is good for a peaceful break.
Cost and Hours: Free, €11 for frequent and impressive special exhibitions—check website; open Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue; bag check available, a few blocks below train station at Esplanade Marcel Duchamp, +33 2 35 71 28 40, www.musees-rouen-normandie.fr.
Visiting the Museum: Pick up the essential museum map at the info desk as you enter, then climb the grand staircase that divides the museum into two wings.
Turning right when you reach the second floor, you’ll pass through a few rooms, then start seeing some names you recognize: Ingres and Jacques-Louis David (Room 2.21) and then a good collection of works by Géricault (Room 2.22). Turn left into Room 2.33, with one of Monet’s famous paintings of the Rouen cathedral facade. Now loop through this wing to enjoy scenes inspired by Normandy’s landscape and works by Impressionist greats (Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, and Corot). Make a point to appreciate beautiful paintings by Impressionists whose names you may not recognize. Room 2.25 showcases a scene of Rouen’s busy port in 1855.
Paintings on the other side of the grand staircase are devoted to French painters from the 17th and 18th centuries (Boucher, Fragonard, and Poussin) and Italian works, including several by Veronese. A gripping Caravaggio canvas (Room 2.4), depicting the flagellation of Christ, demands attention with its dramatic lighting and realistic faces.
Stairs at the rear, near the Caravaggio, lead down to an intriguing collection of paintings by 16th-century Dutch and Belgian artists and temporary exhibits. On the other side of the first floor, pass through the bookstore to find a collection of modern paintings: several by hometown boy Raymond Duchamp-Villon (brother of the famous Dadaist Marcel Duchamp), a few colorful Modiglianis, and a grand-scale Delacroix.
This deconsecrated church houses a vast collection of iron objects, many of them more than 1,500 years old. Locks, chests, keys, tools, thimbles, coffee grinders, corkscrews, and flatware from centuries ago—virtually anything made of iron is on display. You can duck into the entry area for a glimpse of a medieval iron scene without passing through the turnstile.
Cost and Hours: Free, no English explanations, Wed-Mon 14:00-18:00, closed Tue, behind Museum of Fine Arts at 2 Rue Jacques Villon, +33 2 35 88 42 92, www.museelesecqdestournelles.fr.
This fine old mansion is filled with examples of Rouen’s famous faience earthenware, dating from the 16th to 18th century. There are also examples of Sèvres and Delft wares—but not a word of English.
Cost and Hours: Free, Wed-Mon 14:00-18:00, closed Tue, 1 Rue Faucon, +33 2 35 07 31 74, www.museedelaceramique.fr.
One block uphill from the Museum of Fine Arts on Rue du Bouvreuil, this misnamed and massive tower (1204) was once part of Rouen’s brooding castle. Joan was a prisoner in the castle before her execution (but not in this actual tower). The tower interior is closed to visits except on weekends (12:00-14:00) and there’s little to see in any case.
This driving route—punctuated with medieval abbeys, apples, cherry trees, and Seine River views—provides a pleasing detour for those with cars connecting Rouen and Honfleur or the D-Day beaches. The only “essential” stop on this drive is the Abbey of Jumièges, about 45 minutes from Rouen.
From Rouen to Duclair: Leaving Rouen, follow the Seine along its right bank and track signs carefully for D-982 to Duclair. Fifteen minutes west of Rouen, drivers can stop to admire the gleaming Romanesque church at the Abbey of St. Georges de Boscherville (skip the abbey grounds). This perfectly intact and beautiful church makes for interesting comparisons with the ruined church at Jumièges. The recommended Chambres d’Hôtes Les Hostises de Boscherville next door is good for a snack or lunch—and a peaceful night’s sleep.
From Duclair to Jumièges: Leaving Duclair, follow D-65 to Jumièges and the Abbey of Jumièges, a spiritual place for lovers of evocative ruins (worth ▲; €6.50, helpful English handout, daily 9:30-18:30, mid-Sept-mid-April 9:30–13:00 & 14:30-17:30; ask to borrow the detailed English booklet, pay €7 for the well-done Itineraries book, or download the free Jumièges app to see virtual reconstructions of the original abbey; +33 2 35 37 24 02, www.abbayedejumieges.fr).
Founded in AD 654 as a Benedictine abbey, it was leveled by Vikings in the ninth century, then rebuilt by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. This magnificent complex thrived for centuries as Normandy’s largest abbey. It was part of the great monastic movement that reestablished civilization in Normandy from the chaos that followed the fall of Rome (for more about the power of the Benedictines, read about Cluny Abbey on here).
The abbey was destroyed again during the French Revolution, when it was used as a quarry, and it has changed little since then. Today there is no roof, and many walls are entirely gone. But what remains of the abbey’s Church of Notre-Dame is awe-inspiring. Study its stark Romanesque facade standing 160 feet high. Stroll down the nave’s center; notice the three levels of arches and the soaring rear wall capped by a lantern tower to light the choir. Find a seat in the ruined apse and imagine the church before its destruction. You’ll discover brilliant views of the ruins and better appreciate its importance by wandering into the park.
Decent lunch options lie across the street from the abbey, and there’s a TI for the village of Jumièges in front of the parking lot.
From Jumièges Onward: From near Jumièges you can cross the Seine on the tiny, free, and frequent car ferry to the D-913, then connect with the A-13 (better), or continue following the right bank of the Seine and cross it at the Pont de Tancarville bridge (€5). For a grand view, cross even farther west on the magnificent Normandy Bridge, near Honfleur (Pont de Normandie, €6). By any route, allow 75 minutes from Jumièges to Honfleur, or two hours to Bayeux.
These hotels are perfectly central, within two blocks of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
$$$ Hôtel Mercure*** is a modern business hotel with a professional staff, a lobby/bar you can stretch out in, and 125 well-equipped and thoughtfully appointed rooms. Suites come with good views of the cathedral, but are pricey and not much bigger than a double, “privilege” rooms have balconies and at least partial views of the cathedral, and standard rooms are cheapest but fine (air-con, elevator, pay parking garage, spendy breakfast, 7 Rue Croix de Fer, +33 2 35 52 69 52, www.mercure.com, h1301@accor.com).
$$ Hôtel le Cardinal** is a good value with 15 sharp, well-designed rooms, most with point-blank views of the cathedral and all with queen-size beds and modern bathrooms (larger but pricier fourth-floor rooms with balconies and great cathedral views, reception often unstaffed as owners do the cleaning, elevator, 1 Place de la Cathédrale, +33 2 35 70 24 42, www.cardinal-hotel.fr, info@cardinal-hotel.fr).
$ Hôtel Le Vieux Carré** is an adorable 13-room place a block from the Museum of Fine Arts. You’re greeted by a leafy, half-timbered courtyard where lunch and afternoon tea are served, a cozy lobby, and welcoming owners. Rooms are a little tight (mostly double beds) but clean and traditional with floral wallpaper (no elevator but just three floors, 34 Rue Ganterie, +33 2 35 71 67 70, www.hotel-vieux-carre.com, vieuxcarre.rouen@gmail.com).
Near Rouen: To sleep peacefully within a 20-minute drive of town, consider sleepy St-Martin-de-Boscherville, where you can stay at $ Chambres d’Hôtes Les Hostises de Boscherville. Christel has four tasteful and spacious rooms, a big garden, and point-blank views to the abbey church—and is the only game in town when it comes to dinner (includes breakfast; book ahead for her cheap-and-tasty €18 “light” dinner of salad, killer quiche, cheese, dessert, and wine; 1 Route de Quevillon, 76840 St-Martin-de-Boscherville, +33 2 35 34 19 81, www.chambrehôtenormandie.com, hostises.boscherville@gmail.com).
To find the best eating action, prowl the streets between the St. Maclou and St. Ouen churches (Rues Martainville and Damiette) for crêperies, wine bars, international cuisine, and traditional restaurants. This is Rouen’s liveliest area at night (except Sunday and Monday, when many places are closed).
$$$$ Restaurant La Couronne is a venerable and cozy place to dine very well. Reserve ahead to experience the same cuisine that Julia Child tasted when she ate her first French meal here in 1948 (31 Place du Vieux Marché, +33 2 35 71 40 90, www.lacouronne-rouen.fr).
$ Crêperie le St. Romain, between the cathedral and St. Maclou Church, is an excellent budget option. Here you’ll find filling crêpes with small salads in a warm setting (tables in the rear are best, lunch Tue-Sat, dinner Thu-Sat, closed Sun-Mon, 52 Rue St. Romain, +33 2 35 88 90 36).
$ Au P’it Verdot is a lively wine bar-café where locals gather for a glass of wine and meat-and-cheese plates in the thick of restaurant row (appetizers only, Tue-Sat 18:00-24:00, closed Sun-Mon, 13 Rue Père Adam, +33 2 35 36 34 43).
$ Bistro Nova is a nifty and quirky place to eat well in a warm, friendly setting at good prices. The menu changes daily, but one meat, one fish, and one veggie plat are always available (excellent wine list, lunch and dinner, closed Sun-Mon, 2 Place du Lieutenant Aubert, +33 2 35 70 20 25).
$$ La Petite Auberge, a block off Rue Damiette, is the most traditional place I list. It has an Old World interior, a nice terrace, and good prices—and it’s open Sundays (good escargot and entrecôte with Camembert, reservations smart, closed Mon, 164 Rue Martainville, +33 2 35 70 80 18).
Lunch Places: For lunch only, try one of these two options.
$$ Dame Cakes is ideal if you need a Jane Austen fix at lunch or teatime. The decor is from a more precious era, and the baked goods are out of this world. Locals adore the tables in the back garden, while tourists eat up the cathedral view from the first-floor room (Mon-Sat 10:30-19:00, closed Sun, 70 Rue St. Romain, +33 2 35 07 49 31).
$ Bistrot des Carmes is ideal in good weather with tables gathered in a leafy square hidden a few blocks from the cathedral. You’ll enjoy its friendly vibe (closed Sun-Mon, 37 Place des Carmes, +33 2 35 71 66 89).
Rouen is well served by trains from Paris and Caen, making Bayeux and the D-Day beaches a snap to reach.
From Rouen by Train to: Paris’ Gare St. Lazare (nearly hourly, 1.5 hours), Bayeux (14/day, 2.5 hours, change in Caen), Caen (14/day, 1.5 hours), Pontorson/Mont St-Michel (3/day, 5 hours, change in Caen; more with change in Paris, 7 hours).
By Train and Bus to: Honfleur (5/day Mon-Sat, 2/day Sun, 1-hour train to Le Havre, then find Bay D at bus station just outside train station for 30-minute bus trip over Normandy Bridge to Honfleur).
Route Tips for Drivers: Those continuing to Honfleur or the D-Day beaches should consider the Route of the Ancient Abbeys, outlined earlier, under “Sights in Rouen.”
Gazing at its cozy harbor lined with skinny, soaring houses, it’s easy to overlook the historic importance of Honfleur (ohn-flur). For more than a thousand years, sailors have enjoyed this port’s ideal location, where the Seine River greets the English Channel. William the Conqueror received supplies shipped from Honfleur. Samuel de Champlain sailed from here in 1603 to North America, where he founded Quebec City. The charming town was also a favorite of 19th-century Impressionists who were captivated by Honfleur’s unusual light—the result of its river-meets-sea setting. The 19th-century artist Eugène Boudin lived and painted in Honfleur, attracting Monet and other creative types from Paris. In some ways, modern art was born in the fine light of idyllic little Honfleur.
Honfleur escaped the bombs of World War II, and today offers a romantic port enclosed on three sides by sprawling outdoor cafés. Long eclipsed by the gargantuan port of Le Havre just across the Seine, Honfleur happily uses its past as a bar stool...and sits on it.
Honfleur is popular—expect crowds on weekends and during summer. All of Honfleur’s appealing lanes and activities are within a short stroll of its old port, the Vieux Bassin. The Seine River flows just east of the center, the hills of the Côte de Grâce form its western limit, and Rue de la République slices north-south through the center to the port. Honfleur has two can’t-miss sights—the harbor and St. Catherine Church—and a handful of other intriguing monuments. But really, the town itself is its best sight.
The TI is in the glassy public library (Mediathéque) on Quai le Paulmier, two blocks from the Vieux Bassin (Mon-Sat 9:30-19:00, Sun 10:00-17:00; Sept-June Mon-Sat until 18:30 and closed daily for lunch 12:30-14:00; closed Sun afternoon Nov-Easter; free WCs, +33 2 31 89 23 30, www.honfleur-tourism.co.uk). Here you can rent a €5 audioguide for a self-guided town walk, pick up regional bus and train schedules, and get limited information on the D-Day beaches.
By Bus: Get off at the small bus station (gare routière), and confirm your departure at the information counter. To reach the TI and old town, turn right as you exit the station and walk five minutes up Quai le Paulmier. Note that the bus stop on Rue de la République is closer to some accommodations (see the “Honfleur” map).
By Car: Follow Centre-Ville signs, then find your hotel and unload your bags (double-parking is OK for a few minutes). Parking is a headache in Honfleur, especially on summer and holiday weekends. Some hotels offer pay parking (worth considering); otherwise, your hotelier knows where you can park for free. If you don’t mind paying for convenience, Parking Bassin du Centre across from the TI is central (about €4/hour, €24/24 hours). To save piles of euros, find Parking du Môle or Parking Bassin de l’Est (€5/day). Free parking is available farther out at the Naturospace Museum (15-minute walk up Boulevard Charles V, near the beach), on the road near the recommended Hôtel Monet, and at Parking Beaulieu (take Rue St-Nichol to Rue Guillaume de Beaulieu). Street parking, metered during the day, is free from 20:00 to 8:00. See the “Honfleur” map for parking locations.
Museum Pass: The €13 museum pass, sold at participating museums, covers the Eugène Boudin Museum, Maisons Satie, and the Museum of Ethnography and Norman Popular Arts (www.musees-honfleur.fr).
Market Day: The area around St. Catherine Church becomes a colorful open-air market every Saturday (9:00-13:00). A smaller organic-food-only market takes place here on Wednesday mornings, and a flea market takes center stage here the first Sunday of every month and also on Wednesday evenings in summer.
Grocery Store: There’s one near the TI (long hours daily July-Aug, closed Mon off-season, 16 Quai le Paulmier).
Regional Products: Visit Produits Regionaux Gribouille for any Norman delicacy you can dream up. Ask about cider and Calvados tastings (generally closed Wed, 16 Rue de l’Homme de Bois, +33 2 31 89 29 54).
Laundry: Lavomatique is a block behind the TI, toward the port (self-service only, daily 7:30-21:30, 4 Rue Notre-Dame). La Lavandière has handy drop-off service (Mon-Sat 8:30-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun, two blocks from the harbor at 41 Rue de la République).
Taxi: Dial mobile +33 6 08 60 17 98.
Tourist Train: Honfleur’s handy petit train toots you up the Côte de Grâce—the hill overlooking town—and back in about 45 minutes (€7, June-Sept daily 10:30-17:30, off-season weekends only, departures on the hour except at lunchtime, leaves from across gray swivel bridge that leads to Parking du Môle).
▲▲St. Catherine Church (Eglise Ste. Catherine)
HONFLEUR’S MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
▲Museum of Ethnography and Norman Popular Arts (Musée d’Ethnographie et d’Art Populaire Normand)
▲Côte de Grâce Walk (or Drive)
Normandy Bridge (Pont de Normandie)
If you’re an early riser, you can watch the morning light at it shines brilliantly on Honfleur’s harbor. Take a prebreakfast walk to savor the quiet scene that Monet would have loved.
No matter when you go, start by standing near the water facing Honfleur’s square harbor, with the merry-go-round across the lock to your left, and survey the town. The word “Honfleur” is Scandinavian, meaning the shelter (fleur) of Hon (a Viking warlord). This town has been sheltering residents for about a thousand years. During the Hundred Years’ War (14th century), the entire harbor was fortified by a big wall with twin gatehouses (the one surviving gatehouse, La Lieutenance, is on your right). A narrow channel allowing boats to pass was protected by a heavy chain.
After the walls were demolished around 1700, those skinny houses on the right side were built for the town’s fishermen. How about a room on the top floor, with no elevator? Imagine moving a piano or a refrigerator into one of these units today. The spire halfway up the left side of the port belongs to Honfleur’s oldest church. The port, once crammed with fishing boats, now harbors sleek sailboats.
Walk toward the Lieutenance gatehouse. In front of the barrel-vaulted arch (once the entry to the town), you can see a bronze bust of Samuel de Champlain—the explorer who, 400 years ago, sailed with an Honfleur crew—famous for their maritime skills—to make his discoveries in the New World. Champlain is acknowledged as the founder of the Canadian city of Quebec—which remains French-speaking to this day.
Turn around to see various tour and fishing boats and the masts of the high-flying Normandy Bridge (described later) in the distance. Fisherfolk catch flatfish, scallops, and tiny shrimp daily to bring to the Marché au Poisson, located 100 yards to your right (look for white metal structures with blue lettering). Wednesday through Saturday, you may see fishermen’s wives selling crevettes (shrimp) and more. You can buy them cuites (cooked) or vivantes (alive and wiggly). They are happy to let you sample one (rip off the cute little head and tail, and pop what’s left into your mouth—délicieuse!), or buy a cupful to go for a few euros.
You’ll probably see artists sitting at easels around the harbor, as Boudin and Monet did. Many consider Honfleur the birthplace of 19th-century Impressionism. This was a time when people began to revere the out-of-doors, and pretty towns like Honfleur and the nearby coast made perfect subjects (and still do), thanks to the unusual luminosity of the region. And with the advent of new railway lines in the late 1800s, artists could travel to the best light like never before. Monet came here to visit the artist Boudin, a hometown boy, and the battle cry of the Impressionists—“Out of the studio and into the light!”—was born. Artists set up their easels along the harbor to catch the light playing on the line of buildings, slate shingles, timbers, geraniums, clouds, and reflections in the water—much as they still do today.
A chance to study the Lego-style timber-frame houses of Honfleur awaits just off the harbor. On the southern quay, next to the Church of St. Etienne (today’s skippable Museum of the Sea), head up Rue de la Prison (past the worthwhile Museum of Ethnography, described later) and bend around to Rue des Petites Boucheries for some prime examples. The oldest beams of these buildings were numbered so they could be disassembled and moved. The street is named for butcher shops that once lined the lane—the ancient wood shed just before the passage is a surviving example. Walking through the slate-sided passage, you’ll pop out onto Rue de la Ville with more historic Norman architecture. Across the way is one of three huge 17th-century salt warehouses (today used for exhibitions). It’s worth entering to see the huge stone hall with its majestic wooden ceiling and imagine the importance of salt as a preservative before refrigeration existed.
Strategically positioned Honfleur guarded Paris from a naval attack up the Seine. That’s why the king fortified it with a wall in the 1300s. In the 1600s, when England was no longer a threat, the walls were torn down, leaving the town with some wide boulevards (like the one in front of the TI) and plenty of stones (like those that made the salt warehouse).
St. Catherine’s replaced an earlier stone church, destroyed in the Hundred Years’ War. In those chaotic times, the town’s money was spent to fortify its walls, leaving only enough funds to erect a wooden church. The unusual wood-shingled exterior suggests that this church has a different story to tell than most. In the last months of World War II, a bomb fell through the church’s roof—but didn’t explode—leaving this unique church intact for you to visit today.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 9:00-18:30, Sept-June until 17:15, Place Ste-Catherine.
Visiting the Church: Walk inside. You’d swear that if it were turned over, the building would float—the legacy of a community of sailors and fishermen, with loads of talented boat-builders (and no church architect). When workers put up the first (left) nave in 1466, it soon became apparent that more space was needed—so a second was built in 1497 (on the right). Because it felt too much like a market hall, they added side aisles.
The oak columns were prepared as if the wood was meant for a ship—soaked in seawater for seven years and then dried for seven years. Notice some pillars are full-length and others are supported by stone bases. Trees come in different sizes, yet each pillar had to be the same length.
The pipe organ (from 1772, rebuilt in 1953) behind you is popular for concerts, and half of the modern pews are designed to flip so that you can face the music. Take a close look at the balustrade (below the organ) with carved wooden panels featuring 17 musical instruments used in the 16th century.
Find a seat, and enjoy the worshipful ambience of this beautiful space. But don’t sit in the box in the center; this was reserved for the local noble lord and his family. If you want to gossip, head to the “cackling zone”—an open-air porch (outside, about halfway up on the right) where historically (and perhaps hysterically) people gathered after Mass.
Bell Tower: The church’s bell tower was built away from the church to avoid placing too much stress on the wooden church’s roof, and to help minimize fire hazards. Notice the funky shingled chestnut beams that run from its squat base to support the skinny tower, and find the small, faded wooden sculpture of a tiny St. Catherine over the door. Until recently the bell ringer lived in the bell tower. (The tower interior may be open to visit on summer weekends.)
Eugène Boudin established Honfleur’s artistic tradition in the 1800s. The town remains a popular haunt for artists, many of whom display their works in Honfleur’s many art galleries (the best ones are along the streets between St. Catherine Church and the port). As you stroll around the town taking in its old sights, take time to enjoy today’s art, too.
This pleasing little museum opened in 1869 and has several interesting floors with many paintings of Honfleur and the surrounding countryside, giving you a feel for Honfleur in the 1800s.
Cost and Hours: €8, covered by museum pass; May-Sept Wed-Mon 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, no lunchtime closure July-Aug, shorter hours Oct-April, closed Tue year-round; good but skippable audioguide-€2, elevator, Rue de l’Homme de Bois, +33 2 31 89 54 00, www.musees-honfleur.fr.
Visiting the Museum: Pick up a museum map at the ticket counter, tip your beret to Eugène Boudin, and climb the stairs (or take the elevator). The first floor has good WCs, kids’ activity rooms, and some traditional Normand furnishings.
Second Floor: Making a right off the stairs leads you into a large room usually featuring special exhibits. A left off the stairs leads through a room of temporary exhibits to the Peintures du 19eme Siècle room, a small gallery of 19th-century paintings. Focus your time here. Boudin’s artwork is shown alongside that of his colleagues and contemporaries (usually Claude Monet and Gustave Courbet), letting you see how those masters took Boudin’s approach to the next level. Boudin loved his outdoor world and filled his paintings with port scenes, the sea, and big skies. Find the glass display case in the rear titled Précurseur de l’Impressionisme, with little pastel drawings, and follow Boudin’s art chronologically, as it evolves. Nearby cases feature some of Boudin’s first beach scenes and portraits.
Born in Honfleur, Boudin was the son of a harbor pilot. As an amateur teenage artist, he found work in an art-supply store that catered to famous artists from Paris (such as landscapists Corot and Millet) who came to paint the seaside. Boudin studied in Paris and his work was exhibited there, but he kept his hometown roots.
At age 30 Boudin met the teenage Claude Monet. Monet had grown up in nearby Le Havre and, like Boudin, sketched the world around him—beaches, boats, and small-town life. Boudin encouraged him to don a scarf, set up his easel outdoors, and paint the scene exactly as he saw it. Today, we say: “Well, duh!” But “open-air” painting was unorthodox for artists trained to thoroughly study their subjects in the perfect lighting of a controlled studio setting. Boudin didn’t teach Monet as much as give him the courage to follow his artistic instincts.
In the 1860s and 1870s, Boudin spent summers at his farm (St. Siméon) on the outskirts of Honfleur, hosting Monet, Edouard Manet, and other hangers-on. They taught Boudin the Impressionist techniques of using bright colors and building a subject with many individual brushstrokes. Boudin adapted those “strokes” to build subjects with “patches” of color. In 1874, Boudin joined the renegade Impressionists at their “revolutionary” exhibition in Paris.
When Boudin and other Honfleur artists showed their work in Paris, they created enough of a stir that Normandy came into vogue. Many Parisian artists (including Monet and other early Impressionists) traveled to Honfleur to dial in to the action. Boudin himself made a big impression on the father of Impressionism by introducing Monet to the practice of painting outside. This collection of Boudin’s paintings—which the artist gave to his hometown—shows how his technique developed, from realistic portrayals of subjects (outlines colored in, like a coloring book) to masses of colors catching light (Impressionism). Boudin’s beach scenes at the end of the room, showing aristocrats taking a healthy saltwater dip, helped fuel that style. His skies were good enough to earn him the nickname “King of Skies.”
Third Floor: Follow the steps that lead up from the Boudin room to the small, enjoyable Hambourg/Rachet collection, which is largely from the mid-20th century. Finally, return to the main stairway and climb to another wing on the third floor to find a worthwhile collection of 20th-century works by artists who lived and learned in Honfleur, including the Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy and Yves Brayer. There’s an exceptional view of the Normandy Bridge through the big windows.
If Honfleur is over-the-top cute, this museum, housed in composer Erik Satie’s birthplace, is a burst of witty charm—just like the musical genius it honors. If you like Satie’s music, this is a delight—a 1920s “Yellow Submarine.” If not, it can be a ho-hum experience. Allow an hour for your visit.
Cost and Hours: €6.30, includes audioguide, covered by museum pass; May-Sept Wed-Mon 10:00-19:00, off-season 11:00-18:00, closed Jan-mid-Feb and Tue year-round; last entry one hour before closing, 5-minute walk from harbor at 67 Boulevard Charles V, +33 2 31 89 11 11, www.musees-honfleur.fr.
Visiting the Museum: As you wander from room to room with your included audioguide, infrared signals transmit bits of Satie’s dreamy music, along with a first-person story. As if you’re living as an artist in 1920s Paris, you’ll drift through a weird and whimsical series of old-school installations—winged pears, strangers in windows, and small girls with green eyes. The finale—performed by you—is the Laboratory of Emotions pedal-go-round, a self-propelled carousel where your feet create the music (pedal softly). For a relaxing finale, enjoy the 12-minute movie (plays by request, French only) featuring modern dance springing from Parade, Satie’s collaboration with Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. You’ll even hear the boos and whistles that greeted these ballets’ debuts.
Honfleur’s engaging little Museum of Ethnography and Norman Popular Arts (pick up English translation at the desk) is located in the old prison and courthouse a short block off the harbor in the heart of Old Honfleur. It re-creates typical rooms from Honfleur’s past and crams them with objects of daily life—costumes, furniture, looms, and an antique printing press. You’ll see the old yard and climb through two stories of furnished rooms. The museum paints a picture of daily life in Honfleur during the time when its ships were king and the city had global significance. (Skip the adjacent Museum of the Sea.)
Cost and Hours: €4.20, Tue-Sun 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:30, shorter hours off-season, closed mid-Nov-mid-Feb and Mon year-round, Rue de la Prison, www.musees-honfleur.fr.
For good exercise and a bird’s-eye view of Honfleur and the Normandy Bridge, go for an uphill 30-minute walk (or quick drive) up to the Côte de Grâce—best in the early morning, late afternoon, or at sunset. From St. Catherine Church, walk up Rue du Puits and then follow the blue-on-white Rampe du Mont Joli signs to reach the splendid view over Honfleur and the Normandy Bridge at the top. This viewpoint alone justifies the climb.
Drivers should head up Rue Brulée and make a right on Rue Eugène Boudin, then take a hard left at Rue de Puits and follow Côte de Grâce signs.
At the top, walkers and drivers can continue past the viewpoint for about 300 yards along a country lane to the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Grâce, built in the early 1600s by the mariners and people of Honfleur (open daily 8:30-18:30). Model boats hang from the ceiling, pictures of boats balance high on the walls, and several stained-glass windows are decorated with images of sailors at sea praying to the Virgin Mary. Find the 23 church bells hanging on a wood rack 20 steps to the right as you leave the church and imagine the racket they make (the bells ring four times an hour). Below the chapel, a lookout offers a sweeping view of super-industrial Le Havre and the Seine estuary where the river hits the Manche (English Channel).
Take a level stroll along the water past the Hôtel le Cheval Blanc to find the mouth of the Seine River and big ships at sea. Strolling on a cobbled walkway, you’ll pass a defunct lighthouse across the water, kid-friendly parks carpeted with flowers and grass, and the lock connecting Honfleur to the Seine and the sea. Grand and breezy vistas of the sea and smashing views of the Normandy Bridge reward the diligent walker (allow 20 minutes to reach the best views).
Boat trips in and around Honfleur depart from various docks between Hôtel le Cheval Blanc and the opposite end of the outer port (Easter-Oct usually about 11:00-17:00). The tour boat Calypso takes good 45-minute spins around Honfleur’s harbor (€8, Jetée de la Lieutenance, mobile +33 6 71 64 50 46). The Jolie France cruises to the Normandy Bridge, which, unfortunately, means two boring trips through the locks (€13/1.5 hours, find the boat near Parking du Môle, Jetée du Transit, mobile +33 6 71 64 50 46, www.promenade-en-bateau-honfleur.fr).
The 1.25-mile-long Normandy Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western world (€6 toll each way, not worth a detour). This is a key piece of European expressway that links the Atlantic ports from Belgium to Spain. View the bridge from Honfleur (better from an excursion boat or the Jetty Walk described earlier, and best at night, when bridge is floodlit). Also consider visiting the bridge’s free Exhibition Hall (just before tollbooth on Le Havre side, daily 8:00-19:00). The Seine finishes its winding journey here, dropping only 1,500 feet from its source, 450 miles away. The river flows so slowly that, in certain places, a stiff breeze can send it flowing upstream.
France’s answer to the White Cliffs of Dover, these chalky cliffs soar high above a calm, crescent beach and make an exceptional excursion from Honfleur. Walking trails lead hikers from the small seaside resort of Etrétat along a vertiginous route with sensational views (and crowds of hikers in summer and on weekends). You’ll recognize these cliffs—and the arches and stone spire that decorate them—from countless Impressionist paintings, including several at the Eugène Boudin Museum in Honfleur. The small, Coney Island-like town holds plenty of cafés.
Getting There: Etrétat is north of Le Havre. To get here by car (50 minutes), cross the Normandy Bridge and follow A-29, then exit at sortie Etrétat. Bus #24 serves Etrétat from Le Havre’s gare routière, adjacent to the train station (5/day, 1 hour, www.keolis-seine-maritime.com.).
Sleeping in Etrétat: $$$$ Dormy House has a brilliant setting and makes a nice splurge for a room and/or restaurant with a view (Route du Havre at the edge of Etrétat, +33 2 35 27 07 88, www.dormy-house.com, info@etretat-hotel.com).
Nightlife in Honfleur centers on the old port. Several bar/cafés line the high-building side of the port, including these down-and-dirty watering holes: pub-like L’Albatross (a fun and smoky clubhouse) and Le Perroquet Vert (also cool but more existential—“those lights are so...”). Le Vintage, just off the port, has a lively bar scene and live piano and jazz on weekend nights (daily, 8 Quai des Passagers, +33 2 31 87 41 47).
Though Honfleur is popular in summer, it’s busiest on weekends and holidays (blame Paris). English is widely spoken (blame vacationing Brits). A few moderate accommodations remain, but most hotels are pricey.
$$$$ Hôtel St-Delis delivers sophistication and luxury in a handsome package and is well located for exploring Honfleur. It was at one time the home of the Impressionist artist Henri de Saint-Delis (43 Rue du Puits, + 33 2 31 81 78 10, https://hotel-saint-delis.fr, contact@hotel-saint-delis.fr).
$$$ La Maison de Lucie*** is a fine Normand splurge and greets its guests with a garden courtyard, sumptuous lounges, and rooms filled with thoughtful touches and fine furnishings (suites available, 44 Rue des Capucines, +33 2 31 14 40 40, www.lamaisondelucie.com, info@lamaisondelucie.com).
$$$ Hôtel le Cheval Blanc*** is an impersonal waterfront splurge with port views from all of its 35 plush and pricey rooms (many with queen beds), plus a rare-in-this-town elevator and a spa, but no air-conditioning—noise can be a problem with windows open (family rooms, pay parking, 2 Quai des Passagers, +33 2 31 81 65 00, www.hotel-honfleur.com, info@hotel-honfleur.com).
$$ L’Absinthe Hôtel*** offers 11 tasteful rooms with king-size beds in two locations. The traditional rooms in the main (reception) section come with wood-beamed decor and share a cozy public lounge with a fireplace. Six rooms are located above their next-door restaurant and have views of the modern port and three-star, state-of-the-art comfort. There are minimal hotel services as their focus is their restaurant (includes breakfast, air-con in both buildings, private pay parking, 1 Rue de la Ville, +33 2 31 89 23 23, www.absinthe.fr, reservation@absinthe.fr).
$$ Hôtel du Dauphin et des Loges*** combines two hotels in adjacent locations and delivers very central and fairly priced rooms. The main building (Hôtel du Dauphin with reception) has narrow stairs (normal in Honfleur), an Escher-esque floor plan, and Wi-Fi in the lobby only. The Hôtel des Loges is more comfortable with larger rooms, Wi-Fi in all rooms, and slightly higher rates (a stone’s throw from St. Catherine Church at 10 Place Pierre Berthelot, +33 2 31 89 15 53, www.hoteldudauphin.com, info@hotelhonfleur.com).
$$ Hôtel Monet,** on the road to the Côte de Grâce and a 15-minute walk down to the port, is a fair value, particularly for drivers. This tranquil spot offers 16 small but comfortable rooms, all with private patios that surround a gravel parking area (family rooms, free and easy parking, Charrière du Puits, +33 2 31 89 00 90, www.hotel-monet-honfleur.com, contact@hotel-monet-honfleur.com). Reception is closed 13:00-17:00.
$ Ibis Budget Honfleur is modern, efficient, trim, and cheap, with prefab bathrooms and an antiseptically clean ambience (family rooms, reception closed 21:00-6:00 but automatic check-in with credit card available 24 hours, elevator, across from bus station and main parking lot at 2 Rue des Vases, +33 8 92 68 07 81, www.ibisbudget.com [URL inactive], h2716-re@accor.com).
The TI has a long list of Honfleur’s many chambres d’hôtes (rooms in private homes), but most are too far from the town center. Those listed here are good values.
$$ La Cour Ste. Catherine is an enchanting bed-and-breakfast with six big, tasteful rooms—each with a separate sitting area—surrounding a perfectly Normand courtyard with fine plantings and small sitting areas placed just so. There’s a cozy lounge area ideal for cool evenings. They also have free loaner bikes and serve light snacks, wine, and other drinks all day (includes good breakfast, cash only, RS%—free parking with this book, 200 yards up Rue du Puits from St. Catherine Church at #74, +33 7 87 04 49 16, www.coursaintecatherine.com, coursaintecatherine@orange.fr).
$$ Le Fond de la Cour, kitty-corner to La Cour Ste. Catherine and run by British expats Amanda and Craig, offers a good mix of crisp, modern, and comfortable accommodations around a peaceful courtyard. They have cottages that can sleep four, and four comfortable doubles (doubles include English-style breakfast, free street parking nearby, limited private pay parking, 29 Rue Eugène Boudin, mobile +33 6 72 20 72 98, www.lefonddelacour.com, amanda.ferguson@orange.fr).
$$ Les Maisons du Puits is an assembly of several small “apartments” for 2-4 people, all centrally situated and reasonably priced (14 Rue du Puits, mobile +33 6 03 98 64 91, www.lesmaisonsdupuits.com [URL inactive], lesmaisonsdupuits@gmail.com).
$$ Logis St. Leonard is a sweet three-room place on Honfleur’s quiet side (longer walk but few tourists) where guests are given the run of the house—well, almost. Overseen by earnest Anne-Marie, it’s decorated with oodles of personal touches and has a fine garden (cash only, includes breakfast, mobile +33 6 63 72 72 38, annemariecarneiro14@gmail.com).
$ La Lirencine is central and a good value, with three quite comfortable rooms with kitchenettes and a shared terrace. Charming Annick Proffit is your host (cash only, 3 Rue Lucie Delarue Mardrus, mobile +33 6 70 70 98 65, https://chambrecharmehonfleur.com, chambrecharmehonfleur14@gmail.com).
Eat seafood, crêpes, or cream sauces here. Choose between an irresistible waterfront table at one of many lookalike places lining the harbor, or finer dining elsewhere in town. It’s best to call ahead to reserve (particularly on weekends).
Survey the eateries lining the harbor (all open Wed when other places are closed). The food isn’t great, but you’ll find plenty of salads, crêpes, and seafood—and a great setting. Heaters and canopies make dining outdoors a good option even in chilly weather. On a languid evening, it’s hard to pass up. Even if you dine elsewhere, come to the harbor for a before- or after-dinner drink. Café Les Impressionnistes and La Maison Bleue, on the Quai St. Etienne side of the harbor, own the best views of Honfleur.
While I wouldn’t blame you for enjoying a forgettable meal in an unforgettable setting on the harborfront, consider these finer alternatives a couple of blocks away.
$$$ Le Bréard is a fine place to dial it up a little and eat very well for a fair price. The decor is low key but elegant, the cuisine is inventive, delicious, and not particularly Normand, and the service is excellent (closed Wed-Thu, 7 Rue du Puits, +33 2 31 89 53 40).
$$ Bistro des Artistes is a two-woman operation with a pleasant 10-table dining room (call ahead for a window table). Hardworking Anne-Marie cooks up huge portions; one course is plenty...and maybe a dessert (great salads, daily in high season, closed Tue-Thu off season, 30 Place Berthelot, tel. 02 31 89 95 90).
$ La Crêperie des Arts serves up crêpes in a comfortable setting with a huge fireplace, and is a good, centrally located budget option (closed Wed, 13 Rue du Puits, +33 2 31 89 14 02).
$ Au Relais des Cyclistes, on a busy street near the TI, is an eclectic, lively, pub-like place for a simple, inexpensive meal with fun indoor and outdoor seating (closed Thu, 10 Place de la Porte de Rouen, +33 2 31 89 09 76).
$$ Au P’tit Mareyeur is whisper-formal, intimate, all about seafood, and a good value. The ground floor and upstairs rooms offer equal comfort and ambience (€38 Bouillabaisse Honfleuraise, vegetarian options, closed Tue-Wed and Jan, 4 Rue Haute, +33 2 31 98 84 23, Julie speaks some English).
At $$ La Tortue, the owner/chef prepares tasty cuisine, including good vegetarian dishes, and serves it in a cozy setting (open daily in summer, closed Tue-Wed rest of year, +33 2 31 81 24 60, 36 Rue de l’Homme de Bois).
$$ L’Homme de Bois combines handsome ambience with authentic Normand cuisine that is loved by locals, so book a day ahead. Fish is their forte (daily, a few outside tables, skip the upstairs room, 30 Rue de l’Homme de Bois, +33 2 31 89 75 27).
Breakfast: If it’s even close to sunny, skip your hotel breakfast and eat on the port, where several cafés offer petit déjeuner (€4-7 for continental fare, €7-14 for more elaborate choices—the Bagel Burger at L’Albatross is filling). Morning sun and views are best from the high side of the harbor.
Dessert: Honfleur is ice-cream crazy, with gelato and traditional ice-cream shops on every corner. If you need a Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream fix or a scrumptious dessert crêpe, find the waterfront stand at the southeast corner of the Vieux Bassin.
Nighttime Food to Go: Order a pizza to go until late from $ Il Parasole (2 Rue Haute, +33 2 31 98 94 29), and enjoy a picnic dinner with port views a few steps away at the Lieutenance gatehouse.
There’s no direct train service to Honfleur, so you must connect by bus or car. Bus #20 links Honfleur with train service in Le Havre and Caen and Deauville. Express bus #39 runs between Le Havre, Honfleur, and Caen. Bus #50 runs between Le Havre, Honfleur, and Lisieux (with train connections). Although train and bus service usually is coordinated, confirm your connection with the helpful staff at Honfleur’s bus station (English info desk open Mon-Fri 9:30-12:00 & 13:15-18:00, in summer also Sat-Sun, +33 2 31 89 28 41, www.nomadcar14.fr). If the station is closed, you can get schedules at the TI. Rail-pass holders will save money by connecting through Deauville, as bus fares increase with distance.
From Honfleur by Bus and/or Train to: Caen (express bus #39 5/day, 1 hour; slower bus #20 12/day Mon-Sat, 7/day Sun, 2 hours); Bayeux (bus #39 or local bus #20 to Caen, then 20-minute train to Bayeux); Rouen (bus #20, #39, or #50 to Le Havre, then train; includes 30-minute bus ride over Normandy Bridge to Le Havre, then easy transfer to 1-hour train to Rouen); Paris’ Gare St. Lazare (13/day, 2-3.5 hours, by bus to Caen, Lisieux, Deauville, or Le Havre, then train to Paris; buses from Honfleur meet most Paris trains).
Route Tips for Drivers: If driving to Rouen, see the Route of the Ancient Abbeys (described earlier, under “Sights in Rouen.”). If connecting to the D-Day beaches, consider taking the scenic route “par la côte” to Trouville, which goes past sea views, thatched hamlets, and stupendous mansions. From Honfleur, drive to the port, pass Hôtel du Cheval Blanc, and stick to this road (D-513) to Trouville, then follow signs for A-13 to Caen.
Only six miles from the D-Day beaches, Bayeux was the first city liberated after the landing on June 6, 1944. Incredibly, the town was spared the bombs of World War II. The Allied Command needed an intact town from which to administer the push to Berlin. And after a local chaplain made sure London knew that his city was neither strategically important nor a German headquarters, a scheduled bombing raid was canceled—making Bayeux the closest city to the D-Day landing site not destroyed. Even without its famous medieval tapestry and proximity to the D-Day beaches, Bayeux would be worth a visit for its enjoyable town center and awe-inspiring cathedral, beautifully illuminated at night. Its location and manageable size (pop. 14,000) make Bayeux an ideal home base for visiting the area’s sights, particularly if you lack a car.
Bayeux grew up along the Aure River. Its main shopping street (Rue St. Jean) was a Roman road. The river powered the town’s waterwheels and flushed its waste as its industry grew. The TI is located in the old fish market over where the river meets Rue St. Jean, and the nearby waterwheel was part of the tanning and dyeing industry in the 15th century. Across from the Bayeux Tapestry museum, another waterwheel once powered a flour mill (now a recommended crêpe restaurant); its lock created a mill pond which did double-duty as the bishop’s fish pond.
The information-packed TI is on a small bridge two blocks north of the cathedral. Ask for bus schedules to the beaches and inquire about special events, concerts, and short tours of local sights. They have an excellent—and free—D-Day booklet (Normandy, Land of Liberty), but WWII buffs may prefer the D-Day maps (€5-8) showing troop deployments and more (June-Aug daily 9:00-19:00, April-May and Sept-Oct Mon-Sat 9:30-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00; shorter hours off-season; on Pont St. Jean leading to Rue St. Jean, +33 2 31 51 28 28, www.bessin-normandie.com).
By Train and Bus: Trains and buses share the same station (no bag check). It’s a 15-minute walk from the station to the Bayeux Tapestry museum, and 15 minutes from the tapestry to Place St. Patrice. To reach the tapestry, the cathedral, and recommended hotels, cross the major street in front of the station and follow Rue de Cremel toward l’Hôpital, then turn left on Rue Nesmond. Find signs to the Tapisserie (tapestry) or continue on to the cathedral. Taxis usually wait at the station—allow €9 to any recommended hotel or sight in Bayeux, and €21 to Arromanches (€32 after 19:00 and on Sundays, taxi +33 2 31 92 92 40 or mobile +33 6 70 40 07 96).
By Car: A handy ring road circles Bayeux with well-signed parking and hotels. Look for the cathedral spires and follow signs for Centre-Ville, and then signs for the Tapisserie or your hotel. Pay parking lots are in the town center (including at the Hôtel de Ville near the TI; and at Place St. Patrice, 3-hour limit, free 12:00-14:00 & and overnight 19:00-9:00). You can park for free along the ring road below the station and at a few lots in the city (the TI has a map of free parking, or ask your hotelier).
By Private Shuttle from Paris: Albion Transport offers top-notch transfers to Bayeux direct from Paris airports, train stations, or hotels. Their Bayeux office is next to the train station (+33 2 31 78 88 88, mobile +33 6 80 28 65 61, www.albion-voyages.com). For more information, see “Getting Around Normandy” at the beginning of this chapter.
Sightseeing Tips: Bayeux’s three main museums—the Bayeux Tapestry, Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum, and MAHB—offer combo-tickets that save you money if you see more than one sight. A combo-ticket covering two sights is €12; for all three it’s €15 (buy at the first sight you visit). Note that many sights close in January.
Market Days: The Saturday open-air market on Place St. Patrice is Bayeux’s best, though the Wednesday market on pedestrian Rue St. Jean is pleasant. Both end by 13:00. Don’t leave your car on Place St. Patrice on a Friday night, as it will be towed early Saturday.
Grocery Store: Carrefour City, at Rue St. Jean 14, is next to the recommended Hôtel Churchill (long hours Mon-Sat, Sun until 13:00).
Laundry: A launderette is a block behind the TI, at #10 Rue Maréchal Foch. Another launderette is near Place St. Patrice, at 69 Rue des Bouchers (both open daily 7:00-21:00).
Bike Rental: Vélos Location is across from the TI and delivers to outlying hotels (daily 8:00-20:30, closes earlier off-season, inside grocery store at Impasse de Islet, +33 2 31 92 89 16, www.velosbayeux.com). The TI has a list of other bike rental shops.
Taxi: Dial +33 2 31 92 92 40 or mobile +33 6 70 40 07 96.
Car Rental: Bayeux offers two choices. Hertz allows you to drop off in a different city and is open daily, but it’s not very central—you’ll need to take a cab (Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00, at the Total gas station on Route de Cherbourg, +33 2 31 92 03 26). Allow about €50-70/day with a 200-kilometer limit, which is sufficient to see the key sights from Arromanches to Utah Beach—you’ll drive about 180 kilometers. Handier rental options are in Caen (see “Caen Memorial Museum” on here).
Calvados Tasting: For a fun and easy cider or Calvados sampling, drop by the recommended Logis les Remparts B&B (Tue-Sat 10:00-19:00, closed Sun-Mon, 4 Rue Bourbesneur, +33 2 31 92 50 40).
Self-Guided Walking Tour: Pick up the map called Découvrez Vieux Bayeux at the TI, which corresponds to bronze info plates embedded in sidewalks around town.
Guided Walks of Old Bayeux: For a chatty, anecdote-filled stroll through the historic center—with no interiors but plenty of factoids—join Christèle or Marie-Noëlle of Discovery Walks for a guided walk (€15, daily April-Sept, 2-hour walk generally at 9:30 and 1.5-hour walk at 17:00, rain or shine, leave from TI, private tours possible year-round, confirm schedule at www.discovery-walks.org). The TI offers morning and afternoon tours of historic Bayeux in French and English (€5, July-mid-Sept, get times at TI, departs from cathedral).
Bike Tours of Bayeux: Hugo at Petite Reine runs electric bike tours of Bayeux of the D-Day beaches (all day-€75-115, mobile +33 6 80 87 87 37, https://us.petitereinenormandie.fr).
Touristy Choo-Choo Train: Bayeux’s hop-on, hop-off tourist train leaves hourly from the TI for a 35-minute ride through town with recorded English commentary. Stops include the cathedral and the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum (€7, pay driver).
Made of wool embroidered onto linen cloth, this historically precious document is a mesmerizing 70-yard-long cartoon. The tapestry tells the story of William the Conqueror’s rise from duke of Normandy to king of England, and shows his victory over England’s King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Long and skinny, the tapestry was designed to hang in the nave of Bayeux’s cathedral as a reminder for locals of their ancestor’s courage. The terrific museum that houses the tapestry is an unusually good chance to teach your kids about the Middle Ages. Models, mannequins, a movie, and more make it an engaging, fun place to visit.
Cost and Hours: €9.50, covered by Bayeux museums combo-ticket, includes excellent audioguide for adults and special kids’ version; daily May-Aug 9:00-19:00, March-April and Sept-Oct until 18:30; Nov-Dec and Feb 9:30-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, closed Jan; last entry 45 minutes before closing, 13 bis Rue de Nesmond, +33 2 31 51 25 50, www.bayeuxmuseum.com. Photography of the actual tapestry is not allowed, but you can take pictures of a replica.
Planning Your Visit: It’s busiest in August, and most crowded from 10:00 to 17:00. Arrive before 10:00, during lunch, or late in the day (lunchtime is most reliably quiet). As the audioguide cannot be paused, you’re limited to 25 minutes with the tapestry. It’s a strict one-way route. Allow at least a full hour for your complete museum visit.
Film: When buying your ticket, get the schedule for the English version of the 16-minute battle film (runs every 40 minutes). Because you can watch the film only after viewing the tapestry, and the last show time is about an hour before closing, arriving late means no film.
Visiting the Museum: Your visit starts with the actual tapestry, accompanied by an included audioguide that gives a top-notch, fast-moving, 25-minute scene-by-scene narration complete with period music (no pausing or rewinding—if you lose your place, find subtitles in Latin). Remember, the tapestry is Norman propaganda: The English (the bad guys, referred to as les goddamns, after a phrase the French kept hearing them say) are shown with mustaches and long hair; the French (les good guys) are clean-cut and clean-shaven—with even the backs of their heads shaved for a better helmet fit.
Appreciate the fun details—such as the bare legs in scene 4 or Harold’s pouting expressions in various frames—and look for references to places you may have visited (like Dinan). Pay strict attention to scene 23, where Harold takes his oath to William; the importance of keeping one’s word is the point of the tapestry. Get close and (almost) feel the tapestry’s texture. The most famous scene is Harold’s death: This marks the end of the intense battle—and victory for William.
Next, you’ll climb upstairs into a room filled with engaging exhibits, including a full-size replica of a Viking ship much like the one William used to cross the Channel (Normans inherited their weaponry and seafaring skills from the Norsemen). You’ll also see mannequins (find William looking unmoved with his new crown), a replica of the Domesday Book (an inventory of noble’s lands as ordered by William), and models of castles (who knew that the Tower of London was a Norman project?). Good explanations outline the events surrounding the invasion and the subsequent creation of the tapestry, and a touchscreen lets you see the back side of the embroidery.
Your visit finishes with a film that ties it all together one last time (in the cinema upstairs, skippable if you’re pressed for time). Just before the theater you reach a full-sized replica of the tapestry (which you are welcome to photograph).
This massive building, as big as Paris’ Notre-Dame, dominates the small town of Bayeux. Make a point to enjoy the cathedral rising over the town late in the afternoon, when the facade is bathed in light, or after dark, when the entire church is illuminated.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily July-Aug 8:30-19:00, Sept-June until 18:00, 4 Rue du Général de Dais.
Visiting the Cathedral: To start your visit, find the small square opposite the front entry (info board about the cathedral facade in rear corner). Notice the two towers—originally Romanesque, they were capped later with tall Gothic spires. The cathedral’s west facade is structurally Romanesque, but with a decorative Gothic “curtain” added.
Now step inside the cathedral. The magnificent view of the nave from the top of the steps shows a mix of Romanesque (ground floor) and soaring Gothic (upper floors). Historians believe the Bayeux tapestry originally hung here. Imagine it draped halfway up the big Romanesque arches. Try to visualize this scene with the original, richly colored stained glass in all those upper windows. Rare 13th-century stained-glass bits are in the high central window above the altar; the other glass (below) is from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Walk down the nave and notice the areas between the big, round arches. That busy zigzag patterning characterizes Norman art in France as well as in England. These 11th-century Romanesque arches are decorated with a manic mix of repeated geometric shapes: half-circles, hash marks, full circles, and diagonal lines. Notice also the creepy faces eyeing you, especially the ring of devil heads lining the third arch on the right.
More 13th-century Norman Gothic is in the choir (the fancy area behind the central altar). Here, simple Romanesque carvings lie around Gothic arches whose characteristically tall, thin lines add a graceful verticality to the interior.
For maximum 1066 atmosphere, step into the beautifully lit crypt (beneath the central altar), which originally was used as a safe spot for the cathedral’s relics. The small crypt displays two freestanding columns and bulky capitals with fine Romanesque carvings. During a reinforcement of the nave, these two columns were replaced. Workers removed the Gothic veneer and discovered their true inner Romanesque beauty. Orange angel-musicians on other columns add color to this somber room.
Nearby: Leaving the church’s front entry, turn right and walk to the top of the steps. Look high on the church’s spire to spy a little rectangular stone house. This was the watchman’s home, from which he’d keep an eye out for incoming English troops during the Hundred Years’ War...and for Germans five centuries later (it didn’t work—the Germans took the town in 1940). Bayeux was liberated on D-Day plus one: June 7. According to an interesting (but likely false) legend, about the only casualty that day was the lookout, who supposedly was shot while watching from the window of this stone house.
The big tree ahead is a Liberty Tree. These were planted in cities throughout France in 1793 (when the king was beheaded) to celebrate the end of the Old Regime and the people’s hard-won freedom. When the tree was planted, the cathedral kicked off a decade in which it was not considered a church but a revolutionary “temple of reason.”
A block in front of the cathedral (up Rue Maîtrise) is a big, grassy-yet-historic square—once the site of a 10th-century castle. The statue in the center is Poppa, the mistress or wife of the Viking conqueror Rollo who, in 911, became first duke of Normandy. The people of Normandy came from this union (not to mention many English royals—Rollo’s descendants include William the Conqueror). On June 14, 1944, this square hosted the first public appearance of Charles de Gaulle in newly freed France. The self-appointed leader of the Free French Forces, now with Churchill’s endorsement, proceeded to rally the French to rise up and help push out the Germans. This event helped initiate de Gaulle’s legitimacy as head of the Free French. Bayeux later served as the first administrative capital of post-Nazi-occupied France.
Join the locals and promenade along the meandering walking path that follows the little Aure River for about 2.5 miles through Bayeux. Find the waterwheel behind the TI to its right and keep walking (path marked on city maps).
This conservatory offers a chance to watch workers design and weave intricate lace (dentelle), just as artisans did in the 1600s, when lace was an important Bayeux industry, competing to break the Venetian monopoly on this required bit of formal wear. Enter to the clicking sound of the small wooden bobbins used by the lacemakers, and appreciate the concentration their work requires. You can also see examples of lace from the past and pick up some nifty souvenirs. The community helps fund this teaching workshop to keep the tradition alive. The conservatory building is nicknamed the “Adam and Eve House” for its carved 15th-century facade (find Adam, Eve, and the snake).
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Sat 9:30-12:30 & 14:30-18:00 except Mon and Thu until 17:00, closed Sun, across from cathedral entrance, 6 Rue du Bienvenu, +33 2 31 92 73 80).
For a break from D-Day and tapestries, MAHB offers a modest review of European art and history in a beautiful display space within what was once the Bayeux bishop’s palace. The 14 rooms on two floors are laid out in chronological order (prehistory, ancient Rome, medieval, and early modern) and descriptions are translated into English. Bayeux was born during the Roman Empire and you’ll see ample evidence of that. In the stern Court of Justice—a courtroom from French revolutionary times (1793)—a bust of Lady Liberty (Marianne) presides over the tribunal like a secular goddess, backed by some Napoleonic stained glass (1806). You’ll see a fine little collection of 18th- and 19th-century paintings donated by Baron Henri-Alexandre Gérard more than a century ago. Notable are an early work—Le Philosophe (The Philosopher)—by Neoclassical master Jacques-Louis David and, by Antoine-Jean Gros, Sappho—a moonlit version of the Greek poetess’ suicide that influenced Géricault and Delacroix. Lace lovers will enjoy several rooms of exquisite lace with drawers full of bobbins and artful creations. Your visit is capped with an exhibit dedicated to the ceramics of Bayeux.
Cost and Hours: €7.50, covered by Bayeux museums combo-ticket, daily May-Sept 9:30-18:30, shorter hours off-season, near the cathedral at 37 Rue du Bienvenu, +33 2 31 92 14 21, www.bayeuxmuseum.com.
This museum provides a manageable overview of WWII’s Battle of Normandy. With its many maps and timelines of the epic battle to liberate northern France, it’s aimed at military history buffs. You’ll get a good briefing on the Atlantic Wall (the German fortifications stretching along the coast—useful before visiting Longues-sur-Mer), learn why Normandy was selected as the landing site, understand General Charles de Gaulle’s contributions to the invasion, and realize the key role played by aviation. You’ll also appreciate the challenges faced by doctors, war correspondents, and civil engineers (who had to clean up after the battles—the gargantuan bulldozer on display looks useful).
Cost and Hours: €7.50, covered by Bayeux museums combo-ticket, daily May-Sept 9:30-18:30, Oct-Dec and Feb-April 10:00-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, closed Jan, last entry one hour before closing, on Bayeux’s ring road, 20 minutes on foot from center on Boulevard Fabian Ware, free parking, +33 2 31 51 25 50, www.bayeuxmuseum.com.
Film: A 25-minute film with original footage gives a good summary of the Normandy invasion from start to finish, and highlights the slog that continued even after the beaches were liberated (normally shown in English May-Sept at 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30, and 17:00; Oct-April at 10:30, 14:45, and 16:15).
Nearby: A right out of the museum leads along a footpath to the Monument to Reporters, a grassy walkway lined with white roses and stone monuments listing, by year, the names of reporters who have died in the line of duty from 1944 to today. Some years have been kinder to journalists than others. Notice how many names from recent years are Arabic.
The path continues to the British Military Cemetery, decorated with 4,144 simple gravestones marking the final resting places of these fallen soldiers. The cemetery memorial’s Latin inscription reads, “We Who Were Conquered by William Have Liberated His Fatherland.” Interestingly, this cemetery has soldiers’ graves from all countries involved in the Battle of Normandy (even Germany) except the United States, which requires its soldiers to be buried on US property—such as the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach.
Drivers should also see “Sleeping in Arromanches,” on here.
$$$$ Villa Lara***** owns the town’s most luxurious accommodations smack in the center of Bayeux. Most of the 28 American-size, spacious rooms have brilliant views of the cathedral (best after dark), and a few have small terraces. They also have several two-bedroom luxury apartments with living rooms and kitchens. Hands-on owner Rima and her attentive staff take top-notch care of their guests (pricey but excellent breakfast, elevator, exercise room, comfortable lounges, free and secure parking, between the tapestry museum and TI at 6 Place de Québec, +33 2 31 92 00 55, www.hotel-villalara.com, info@hotel-villalara.com).
$$$ Hôtel Churchill,*** on a traffic-free street across from the TI, could not be more central. The hotel has 46 plush-and-pricey rooms—some with traditional furnishings, and others quite modern. All have big beds and surround convivial public spaces peppered with historic photos of Bayeux’s liberation (family rooms, no elevator, 14 Rue St. Jean, +33 2 31 21 31 80, www.hotel-churchill.fr, info@hotel-churchill.fr).
$$ Hôtel le Lion d’Or,*** General Eisenhower’s favorite hotel in Bayeux, draws a loyal American and British clientele who love the historic aspect of staying here. It has an atmospheric Old World bar, 31 stylish rooms, and a responsive staff (no elevator, no air-con, limited pay parking, restaurant with fair prices, 71 Rue St. Jean, +33 2 31 92 06 90, www.liondor-bayeux.fr, info@liondor-bayeux.fr).
$ Hôtel Reine Mathilde** is a solid, centrally located value with 16 sharp rooms above an easygoing brasserie, and 10 pricier and larger rooms with three-star comfort in two annexes nearby (family rooms, some rooms with air-con, no elevator, reception one block from TI at 23 Rue Larcher, +33 2 31 92 08 13, www.hotel-bayeux-reinemathilde.fr, info@hotel-bayeux-reinemathilde.fr).
¢ Hôtel au Georges VII offers 10 no-star, no-frills rooms (some with only a sink or a shower) with just enough comfort. The rooms are up a tight staircase above a central café, and the bartender doubles as the receptionist. Reception closes at 19:00 (19 Rue St. Martin, +33 2 31 92 28 53, augeorges7@orange.fr).
$$ Le Petit Matin, run by friendly Pascal, is a central, kid-friendly, and handsome bed-and-breakfast with good public spaces, five stylish rooms with big bathrooms, and a magnifique back garden with play toys and tables (breakfast included, on Place Charles de Gaulle at 9 Rue des Terres, +33 2 31 10 09 27, www.lepetitmatin.fr, lepetitmatin@hotmail.fr).
$$ Manoir Sainte Victoire is a classy, 17th-century building with three top-quality rooms over a small garden at very fair prices (run by the friendly Bunels). Each has a small kitchenette and views of the cathedral (32 Rue de la Jurisdiction, +33 2 31 22 74 69, mobile +33 6 85 02 67 97, www.manoirsaintevictoire.com, contact@manoirsaintevictoire.com).
$$ At Le Clos de La Croix, friendly Gilles and Mickaël offer five big and comfortable rooms tastefully decorated with antique and modern touches. The 18th-century mansion has good public spaces and a splendid back garden. Some rooms have cathedral or garden views (includes breakfast, 2-night minimum, cash or Paypal only, free and handy parking, 16 Rue des Bouchers, mobile +33 6 16 99 61 50, www.closdelacroix.fr, contact@closdelacroix.fr).
$ Logis les Remparts, run by bubbly Christèle, is a delightful, three-room bed-and-breakfast situated above an atmospheric Calvados cider-tasting shop. The big and beautifully decorated rooms are a great value—one is a huge, two-room suite (breakfast extra, stays under €200 are cash only, a few blocks above the cathedral on parklike Place Charles de Gaulle at 4 Rue Bourbesneur, +33 2 31 92 50 40, www.lecornu.fr, lecornu.bayeux@gmail.com).
These hotels just off the big Place St. Patrice are a 10-minute walk up Rue St. Martin from the TI (a 15-minute walk to the tapestry).
$$ Hôtel d’Argouges*** (dar-goozh) is named for its builder, Lord d’Argouges. This tranquil retreat has a mini château feel with classy public spaces, lovely private gardens, and 28 standard-comfort rooms. The hotel is impeccably run by Frederic and his staff (big family rooms, good breakfast, no air-con, no elevator, secure free parking, just off Place St. Patrice at 21 Rue St. Patrice, +33 2 31 92 88 86, www.hotel-dargouges.com, info@hotel-dargouges.com).
$ Hôtel Mogador** is a modest, good-value, 14-room place with a tiny courtyard. Ask for a renovated room, and choose between wood-beamed quarters on the busy square, or quieter rooms sans beams off the street (20 Rue Alain Chartier at Place St. Patrice, +33 2 31 92 24 58, lemogador@gmail.com).
$ La Ferme du Pressoir is a lovely, traditional B&B on a big working farm immersed in the Norman landscape about 20 minutes south of Bayeux (see the “D-Day Beaches” map, later). If you’ve ever wanted to stay on a real French farm yet rest in cozy comfort, this is the place. The five rooms are filled with wood furnishings and decorated with bright garden themes. Guests share a kitchenette, and larger groups can stay in a cottage with its own kitchen. The experience is vintage Normandy—and so are the kind owners, Jacques and Odile (good family rooms, includes good breakfast, Le Haut St-Louet, just off A-84, exit at Villers-Bocage, detailed directions on website, +33 2 41 40 71 07, www.bandbnormandie.com, lafermedupressoir@bandbnormandie.com).
You’ll find many restaurants along Rue St. Jean, a traffic-free street lined with cafés, crêperies, and inexpensive dining options. Plan ahead for Sundays and Mondays when many places close. As there’s more demand for good restaurants than supply in Bayeux, you’re smart to book a day ahead for the $$$ listings below. Drivers can also consider the short drive to Arromanches for seaside dining options (see “Eating in Arromanches,” later).
$ Le Moulin de la Galette is like eating in an Impressionist painting. Enjoy a big selection of tasty crêpes, salads, and plats at good prices in a dreamy setting right on the small river. There’s fine seating inside, but the place is very popular so book ahead or come when it opens at 18:30 (effective heaters, closed Wed, 38 Rue de Nesmond, +33 2 31 22 47 75).
$$$ La Rapière is a wood-beamed eatery—calm and romantic—filled with locals enjoying a refined meal and a rare-these-days cheese platter for a finale. Reservations are wise (Mon-Sat 18:30-21:15, closed Sun-Mon, 53 Rue St. Jean, +33 2 31 21 05 45, charming Linda).
$ Le Volet Qui Penche is a fun-loving, wine-shop-meets-bistro run by playful, English-speaking Pierre-Henri and Stéphane. They serve salads, escargot, charcuterie-and-cheese platters, and a small selection of meaty à la carte dishes as well as a vast selection of wines and cider by the glass (food service 18:00-21:00 most days—making early dinners easy, closed Sun-Mon, near the TI at 3 Passage de l’Islet, +33 2 31 21 98 54).
$$$ L’Angle Saint Laurent is a tasteful and elegant place run by a husband-and-wife team (Caroline speaks English and manages the floor while Sébastien cooks). Come here for a special meal of Normand specialties done in a contemporary gourmet style. The selection is limited and changes with the season (good wine list, closed Mon, 2 Rue des Bouchers, reserve in advance, +33 2 31 92 03 01, www.langlesaintlaurent.com).
$ Le Garde Manger, a popular, family-friendly eatery, offers basic grub all day (omelets, big salads, bigger burgers) with a marvelous outside terrace and partial cathedral views (daily 12:00-22:00, a block from Rue St. Jean at 23 Rue Larcher).
$$ Le Pommier, with street appeal inside and out, is a good place to sample regional products with clever twists in a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. Owner Thierry mixes old and new in his cuisine and decor, and focuses on organic food (good vegetarian menu, open daily, 38 Rue des Cuisiniers, +33 2 31 21 52 10).
$$$ Au P’tit Bistrot is a small eatery with a snappy interior and a good reputation for its carefully prepared food. Warmly run by Magalie (whose husband is le chef), it’s a mix of modern and traditional (closed Sun-Mon, 31 Rue Larcher, +33 2 31 92 30 08).
$ La Fringale is Bayeux’s low-key diner with a big selection of basic café fare. It’s also nicely located on the main pedestrian street and has tables available when others don’t (closed Sun, 43 Rue St. Jean, +33 2 31 22 72 52).
$$ Le 49, in an elegant old farmhouse, is barely outside Bayeux but merits the short drive for its delicious and beautifully presented cuisine at fair prices. The service is friendly, the setting is calm, and there’s a pleasant outside terrace or indoor seating in a mod setting. You should have no trouble landing a table (closed Sun-Mon, 49 Route de Courseulles, Saint-Vigor-le-Grand, mobile +33 6 08 16 70 06).
From Bayeux by Train to: Paris’ Gare St. Lazare (9/day, 2.5 hours, some change in Caen), Amboise (4/day, 5 hours, change in Caen and Tours’ St-Pierre-des-Corps), Rouen (14/day, 2.5 hours, change in Caen), Caen (20/day, 20 minutes), Honfleur (2/day, 20-minute train to Caen, then 1-hour express bus #39; or train to Caen and slower bus #20, 12/day Mon-Sat, 7/day Sun, 2 hours); bus info +33 2 31 89 28 41, www.nomadcar14.fr), Pontorson/Mont St-Michel (3/day, 2 hours to Pontorson, then bus to Mont St-Michel; also consider faster shuttle vans described on the next page).
By Bus to the D-Day Beaches: Bus Verts du Calvados offers minimal service to D-Day beaches with stops in Bayeux at Place St. Patrice and at the train station (schedules at TI, www.nomadcar14.fr). Lines #74/#75 run east to Arromanches and Juno Beach (5/day in summer; 3/day Mon-Sat and none on Sun in off-season; 30 minutes to Arromanches, 50 minutes to Juno Beach). Line #70 runs west to the American Cemetery and Vierville-sur-Mer (6/day in summer; 3/day Mon-Sat in off-season, none on Sun; 35 minutes to American Cemetery, 45 minutes to Vierville-sur-Mer). Going round-trip by bus often leaves you stuck with either too much or too little time at either sight; consider a taxi one way and a bus the other (see taxi info under Bayeux’s “Helpful Hints,” earlier).
By Shuttle Van to Mont St-Michel: Two services run shuttle-van day trips to Mont St-Michel for €65 round-trip (about 1.5 hours each way, plus at least 3 hours at Mont St-Michel): Hôtel Churchill (small discount for hotel guests, www.hotel-churchill.fr) and Bayeux Shuttle (includes skip-the-line abbey ticket, www.bayeuxshuttle.com). Either trip is a terrific deal, as you’ll get a free tour of Normandy along the way from your knowledgeable driver. Both run morning and afternoon trips when demand justifies.
Route Tips for Drivers: Drivers connecting Bayeux with Mont St-Michel should use the speedy, free A-84 autoroute (from near the train station, follow signs to Villars-Bocage, then take A-84 toward Rennes).
The 54 miles of Atlantic coast north of Bayeux—stretching from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east—are littered with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries, and battle remains left in tribute to the courage of the British, Canadian, and American armies that successfully carried out the largest military operation in history: D-Day. (It’s called Jour J in French.) It was on these serene beaches, at the crack of dawn on June 6, 1944, that the Allies (roughly one-third Americans and two-thirds British and Canadians) finally gained a foothold in France. From this moment, Nazi Europe was destined to crumble.
“The first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive... The fate of Germany depends on the outcome... For the Allies, as well as Germany, it will be the longest day.”
—Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, April 22, 1944 (from The Longest Day, by Cornelius Ryan)
June 6, 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the landings. It was a particularly poignant commemoration, given how very few D-Day veterans are still alive. Locals talk of the last visits of veterans with heartfelt sorrow; they have adored seeing the old soldiers in their villages and fear losing the firsthand accounts of the battles. All along this rambling coast, locals will never forget what the troops and their families sacrificed all those years ago. A warm regard for Americans has survived political disputes, from de Gaulle to Trump. This remains particularly friendly soil for Americans—a place where US soldiers are still honored and the image of the US as a force for good remains largely untarnished.
I’ve listed the prime D-Day sites from east to west, starting with Arromanches (the British sector) and then the American sectors (with a stop-by-stop tour of Omaha Beach and its related sights, followed by Utah Beach). Finally, I backtrack east to cover the Canadian sector. In the British and Canadian sectors, urban sprawl makes it harder to envision the events of June 1944, but the American sector looks today very much as it did some 70 years ago. To best appreciate the beaches, avoid visiting at high tide if you can. For more information on touring the D-Day beaches, www.normandie-tourisme.fr is a useful resource.
If you have only one day, I’d spend it visiting the exciting sites and impressive museums along the beaches and miss the Caen Memorial Museum. (To squeeze in the Caen Memorial Museum, visit it on your way to or from the area.) Note that the American Cemetery closes at 18:00 mid-April-mid-Sept and at 17:00 the rest of the year—and you’ll want at least an hour there.
If you’re traveling by car, begin on the cliffs above Arromanches. From there, visit the Port Winston artificial harbor and the D-Day Landing Museum, then continue west to Longues-sur-Mer and tour the German gun battery there. Spend your afternoon visiting the American Cemetery and its thought-provoking visitors center, walking on Omaha Beach at Vierville-sur-Mer, and exploring the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument. Consider a quick stop at the German Military Cemetery on your way home. With an extra half-day, see the impressive Utah Beach sights.
Canadians will want to start at the Juno Beach Centre and Canadian Cemetery (in Courseulles-sur-Mer, 10 minutes east of Arromanches).
Day-Tripping to the Beaches from Paris: If you’re staying in Paris and considering a day trip to the D-Day beaches by train and rental car, think twice: Going by train to Caen, picking up a car, driving to your first stop, then returning to Paris will take at least seven hours. Note that Sunday train service to Bayeux is limited. A better alternative is to book a service to meet you at the Bayeux or Caen train station and drive you around the D-Day sites (see “By Taxi Minivan” and “By Minivan Tour,” later), or take a private shuttle for a cushy connection from Paris (see here). The Caen Memorial Museum also runs a good D-Day tour program for day-trippers.
Though the minivan excursions listed later teach important history lessons, renting a car is a far less expensive way to visit the beaches, particularly for three or more people (for rental suggestions, see Bayeux’s “Helpful Hints” on here, or rental options in Caen on here).
Very limited bus service links Bayeux, the coastal town of Arromanches, and the most impressive sites of D-Day (see Bus Verts du Calvados info on here)—but it’s not practical for anything more than one sight. Going by bike is dicey as roads are narrow (no bike lanes), with plenty of blind curves and relentless traffic.
Taxi minivans shuttle up to seven people between the key sites at reasonable rates (which vary depending on how far you go). Allow €300 for a six-hour taxi day to visit the top Utah and Omaha Beach sites. No guiding is included; you are paying strictly for transport. Figure about €24 each way between Bayeux and Arromanches, €40 between Bayeux and the American Cemetery, and €120 for a 2.5-hour visit to Omaha Beach sites from Bayeux or Arromanches (50 percent surcharge after 19:00 and on Sun, taxi +33 2 31 92 92 40 or mobile +33 6 70 40 07 96, www.taxisbayeux.com, taxisbayeux@orange.fr).
Abbeilles Taxis offer D-Day excursions from Caen (+33 2 31 52 17 89, www.taxis-abbeilles-caen.com).
An army of small companies and private guides offers all-day guided excursions to the D-Day beaches. I’ve worked hard to find guides who respect the importance of your time and these sights. Anyone can get you around the beaches, but you should expect your guide to deliver clear history lessons and be at your side constantly. My recommendations meet and exceed these standards.
Most tours prefer to pick up in Bayeux; a few will pick up in Caen for a small surcharge. Most guides skip Arromanches, preferring to focus on sights farther west: The “classic” itinerary run by most is Ste-Mère Eglise, Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery.
The tour companies and guides listed here are people I trust to take your time seriously. Most deliver riveting commentary about these moving sites. (Most tours don’t go inside museums, which is a shame.) To land one of these guides, book your tour in advance (3-6 months is best during peak periods).
Private tours are pricey because you’re hiring a professional guide and driver/vehicle for the day just for your group. While you can save by hiring a guide for a half-day tour, a full day on the beaches is more satisfying. (These guides/services may do half-day trips: Bayeux Shuttle, Normandy Sightseeing Tours, Vanessa Letourneur, Edward Robinson, Rodolphe Passera, and Mathias Leclere—details for each next.)
To spend less, look for a guide who will join you in your rental car or consider a shared minivan tour.
Working with Your Guide: When hiring a private guide, take charge of your tour if you have specific interests (some guides can get lost in battle minutiae that you don’t have time for). The best route for a one-day tour with a private guide is to start in Arromanches and end at Point du Hoc or the American Cemetery. If you’re doing the “classic tour,” request extra time at the American Cemetery to see the excellent visitors center, and ask your guide to make time for the Utah Beach Landing Museum or one of the paratrooper museums in or near Ste-Mère Eglise (entry is cheap and seeing at least one museum is worthwhile).
While some companies discourage children, others (including Dale Booth, Normandy Sightseeing Tours, Mathias Leclere, Sylvain Kast, and Edward Robinson) welcome them.
These tour companies offer shared tours designed for individual sign-ups. Figure about €120/person for a day and €65/person for a half-day. (These companies also run private tours.)
Bayeux Shuttle’s vans come with tablets that show effective video clips as you travel, and their guides are well trained. You can visit their office in Bayeux and usually book at the last minute. All departures are assured (€65 half-day tour, €115 all-day tour, office open daily about 7:45-18:00, in central Bayeux at 1 Rue Larcher, +33 9 70 44 49 89, www.bayeuxshuttle.com).
Normandy Sightseeing Tours delivers a French perspective with capable guides and will pick you up anywhere you like—for a price (€65 half-day tour, €110 all-day tour, +33 2 31 51 70 52, www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.com).
Overlord Tours is also a good choice (www.overlordtour.com).
The Caen Memorial Museum runs a busy program of half- and full-day tours covering the American and Canadian sectors in combination with a visit to the museum (handy for those with limited time—see museum listing on here).
Costs are about the same for all guides listed here. Private groups should expect to pay €500-650 for up to eight people for an all-day tour and €250-330 for a half-day.
Expat Guides: These (mostly British) guides, like a band of brothers, are passionate about teaching and offer excellent private tours. All have their own vehicles. While some are happy to ride in your car, let them do the driving. They work together and can help you find a guide if the first one you call is booked.
• Dale Booth Normandy Tours, led by Dale Booth (+33 2 14 16 66 14, www.dboothnormandytours.com). Dale’s wife Debbie provides inexpensive chauffeur srvice to D-Day sights with an audio tour (www.visitsinnormandy.com).
• Normandy Battle Tours, led by Stuart Robertson (+33 2 33 41 28 34, www.normandybattletours.com).
• Battle of Normandy Tours, guided by Edward Robinson (www.battleofnormandytours.com
French Guides: These guides speak fluent English and are excellent teachers. Most have family connections to the area.
• American Heroes Tours, led by owner Rodolphe Passera (mobile +33 6 30 55 63 39, www.normandyamericanheroes.com).
• D-Day Experience Tours, run by Sylvain Kast (+33 2 61 32 81 49, mobile +33 6 17 44 04 46, www.d-day-experience-tours.com).
• Normandy Panorama Tours, run by Vanessa Letourneur who can also guide anywhere in Normandy (mobile +33 6 98 95 89 45, www.normandypanorama.com).
• WWII Veteran’s Memories tours, run by Florent Plana (mobile +33 6 76 24 14 84, https://ww2veteransmemories.org).
• D-Day Guided Tours, led by owner Mathias Leclere (www.ddayguidedtours.com).
• D-Day 4 You runs family friendly yours led by Magali Desquesne (mobile +33 6 88 75 86 17, www.dday4you.com).
Good Booklet: A free visitor’s guide (D-Day Normandy, Land of Liberty) gives succinct reviews of D-Day museums and sights with current opening times. It’s available at TIs, but you usually need to ask for it (downloadable at www.normandie-tourisme.fr).
Guided Tours at Individual Sites: Tours in English are generally available in high season for free or a very low fee at Arromanches, Longues-sur-Mer, the American Cemetery, Point du Hoc, the Utah Beach Landing Museum, and the Juno Beach Centre. Some are quick 20-minute orientation tours; others last two hours.
Get times at area TIs, check each site’s website, or see www.bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com.
TV and Films About D-Day: D-Day guides recommend some preparatory viewing before your visit. The top two movies are The Longest Day (for the big D-Day story) and Saving Private Ryan (for a realistic sense of what it was like to land here and battle your way into France). Band of Brothers, a powerful 11-hour HBO miniseries telling the story from D-Day preparations, through the landing, and on to the end of the war, is simply the best.
Food Strategies: The D-Day landing sites are rural, and you won’t find a grocery on every corner. Plan ahead if you want to picnic, or find groceries in Arromanches or Port-en-Bessin.
Tides: Tides will affect your experience of the beaches throughout the region, changing what you can see and your access to the sand. Avoid visiting the beaches at high tide if possible. Most TIs have tide tables to help you plan (when searching tide charts, the nearest reference point is Port-en-Bessin).
This small town—part of Gold Beach (in the British landing zone)—was ground zero for the D-Day invasion. The Allies decided it would be easier to build their own port than to try to take one from the Nazis—and one here would surprise the enemy. And so, almost overnight, Arromanches sprouted the immense harbor Port Winston, which gave the Allies a foothold in Normandy from which to begin their victorious push toward Berlin and the end of World War II.
Today a touristy-but-fun little town that offers a pleasant cocktail of war memories, cotton candy, and trinket shops, Arromanches makes a good home base for drivers touring the D-Day beaches. Here you’ll find an evocative beach, rusty hardware with English descriptions scattered around town, a good waterfront museum, a bluff with great views, and a theater with a thrilling little film. The town’s pleasant seaside promenade is a great place from which to view the port.
Wander the wide beach, sit on the seawall after dark, listen to the surf, and contemplate the events that took place here almost 75 years ago.
Tourist Information: The service-oriented TI in the town center has good D-Day information, bus schedules, and a listing of area hotels and chambres d’hôtes (daily mid-June-Aug 9:30-19:00, otherwise 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00 or 18:00, 2 Avenue Maréchal Joffre, +33 2 31 22 36 45, www.bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com). The TI may offer short orientation walking tours to the beach and landing museum—call ahead for the schedule.
Arrival in Arromanches: The bus stop is at the top of town across from the post office. You can pay to park at the pricey parking lot by the D-Day Landing Museum (free 19:00-9:00). For free parking and less traffic, look for the lot between the small grocery store and L’Hôtel Ideal de Mountbatten as you enter town.
Services and Shopping: An ATM is across from the museum parking lot. A small market is a long block above the beach, across from L’Hôtel Ideal de Mountbatten (closed Sun afternoon and Mon). Arromanches Militaria sells all sorts of D-Day relics and WWII paraphernalia (daily 10:00-19:00, in a tight space at 11 Boulevard Gilbert Longuet). To get an Arromanches-based taxi, call mobile +33 6 66 62 00 99.
Arromanches’ key sight, the Port Winston artificial harbor, is best seen from two vantage points—above town on the bluff (with the Arromanches 360° theater), and from the seawall in town (near the D-Day Landing Museum).
Arromanches is all about its artificial harbor—the remains of which can be seen to this day. Winston Churchill’s brainchild, the prefab harbor was made by the British and affectionately nicknamed Port Winston by the troops. To appreciate the massive undertaking of creating this harbor in a matter of days, start on the bluff overlooking the site of the impressive harbor. See the presentation at the cliff-top Arromanches 360° theater then head down to the D-Day Landing Museum and a nearby viewing area.
Getting to the Bluff: Drive two minutes toward Courseulles-sur-Mer and pay to park in the big, can’t-miss-it lot overlooking the sea. Your other options are to hike 10 steep minutes from Arromanches’ center up the hill behind the town’s D-Day Landing Museum, or take the free minibus from the museum (runs every 10 mins daily June-Sept, Sat-Sun only Oct-mid-Nov and April-May, none in winter). I’d minibus up and walk down.
Viewing the Harbor from the Bluff: Survey the coast from the observation platform. To the left is the American sector, with Omaha Beach and then Utah Beach (notice the sheer cliffs typical of Normandy’s coastline). Below and to the right lie the British and Canadian sectors (level landscape, no cliffs).
Along these beaches, the Allies arrived in the largest amphibious attack ever, launching the liberation of Western Europe. On D-Day +1—June 7, 1944—17 old ships sailed 100 miles across the English Channel under their own steam to Arromanches. Their crews sank them so that each bow faced the next ship’s stern, forming a sea barrier. Then 500 tugboats towed 115 football-field-size cement blocks (called “Phoenixes”) across the channel. These were also sunk (with the ships and Phoenixes making a semicircle). This created a four-mile-long breakwater about a mile offshore. Finally, engineers set up seven floating steel pierheads with extendable legs, then linked these to shore with four floating roads made of concrete pontoons. (You’ll see sections of pontoon roads at various locations along the beaches). Soldiers placed 115 antiaircraft guns on the Phoenixes and pontoons, protecting a port the size of Dover, England. Within just six days of operation, 54,000 vehicles, 326,000 troops, and 110,000 tons of goods had crossed the English Channel. An Allied toehold in Normandy was secure. Eleven months later, Hitler was dead and the war was over.
The domed building at the cliff-top houses the powerful film Normandy’s 100 Days. The screens surrounding you show archival footage and photographs of the endeavor to liberate Normandy (works in any language). In addition to honoring the many Allied and German soldiers who died, it reminds us that 20,000 French civilians were killed in aerial bombardments. The experience is intense—as loud and slickly produced as anything at the D-Day beaches.
Cost and Hours: €6.50, €22.50 combo-ticket with Caen Memorial Museum; 2 shows/hour (on the hour and half-hour), daily May-Aug 9:30-18:00, April-May and Sept from 10:00, Oct-mid-Nov 10:00-17:30, these are first and last show times, closed most of Jan, Chemin du Calvaire, +33 2 31 06 06 45, www.arromanches360.com.
• To return to the town center from the bluff, follow signs to Musée du Débarquement—the D-Day Landing Museum. The walk down is easy and delivers fine views and a Sherman tank (follow the small road in front of the Arromanches 360° theater).
This museum, facing the harbor, makes a worthwhile hour-long visit and is the best way to appreciate how the artificial harbor was built. While gazing through windows at the site of this amazing undertaking, you can study helpful models, videos, and photographs illustrating the construction and use of the prefabricated harbor. Screens over the first big model show a virtual reconstruction of Port Winston. Those blimp-like objects tethered to the port prevented German planes from getting too close (though the German air force was largely irrelevant by this time). Ponder the overwhelming task of building this harbor in just 12 days, while battles raged. The essential 15-minute film (up the stairs behind the cashier) uses British newsreel footage to illustrate the construction of the port. Another video (7 minutes, far end of ground floor) recalls the night of the first landings.
Cost and Hours: €8.30, daily May-Aug 9:00-19:00, Sept until 18:00, Oct-Dec and Feb-April 10:00-12:30 & 13:30-17:00, closed Jan, Place du 6 Juin, +33 2 31 22 34 31, www.arromanches-museum.com.
Viewing the Harbor from near the Museum: Find the round bulkhead on the seawall, near the entrance to the D-Day Landing Museum. Stand facing the sea. Designed to be temporary (it was used for 6 months), the harbor was supposed to wash out to sea over time—which is exactly what happened with its twin harbor at Omaha Beach (which lasted only 12 days, thanks to a terrible storm). If the tide is out, you’ll see rusted floats mired on the sand close in—these supported the pontoon roads. Imagine the traffic pouring in past the many antiaircraft guns poised to defend against the invasion.
On the hill beyond the museum, there’s a partially viewable Sherman tank, one of 50,000 deployed during the landings. Stroll to the east side of the museum and find a section of a pontoon road with a bulldozer, an antiaircraft gun, and a searchlight. Walk down to the beach and wander among the concrete and rusted litter of the battle—and be thankful that all you hear are birds and surf.
