Honfleur Cruises
The picturesque seaside town of Honfleur is situated at the Seine estuary, opposite Le Havre. Honfleur boasts a long, rich history and seafaring tradition. Back in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was from here that the first voyages left for Canada and the New World.
The whole town is virtually an outdoor museum, full of half-timbered houses and cobbled streets. One of Honfleur's most characteristic sites is the Old Port with its tall narrow houses, their wooden faÐ ·ades topped by slate roofs. In the 19th century, Honfleur attracted a steady stream of artists, among them many Impressionists who took their inspiration from the town's picturesque setting. Honfleur's native son, Eugine Boudin, an early Impressionist painter, has a museum named in his honor.
With its unique attributes, Honfleur today is one of the most popular vacation spots in northern France. A new bridge, the Pont de Normandy, inaugurated in 1995, links now Honfleur with Le Havre.
The town is centered on the Old Port, which still emits a seafaring atmosphere. Ste-Catherine's Church and its freestanding bell tower dominate the harbor's northern corner. The church was built from wood during the second half of the 15th and the early 16th centuries after its stone predecessor was destroyed in the Hundred Years' War. The vaulted roof that looks like an overturned ship's hull emphasizes the fact that the structure was created by local shipwrights.
The town's narrow, cobbled streets have to be explored on foot. Museums, shops, cafes and restaurants add to the attractions in this outdoor museum setting.Taking the complimentary shuttle bus to town you are free to sightsee in Honfleur at your own leisure.