Things to do in Honfleur...

Initially, we only wanted to stop by Honfleur while passing through, but we ended up staying for two nights after discovering so much on our first day that we wanted to explore.

In the morning, we started with a digital scavenger hunt from the “Adventure Lab” app, where we had to solve small puzzles at various locations while learning about the history of Honfleur.

The city was noticeably emptier in the early morning than it had been the previous afternoon, allowing us to enjoy the view of the Sainte Catherine church without market stalls and crowds. 

Our path also led us to the somewhat hidden garden “Jardin du Tripot”.

It was created along two waterways where tanners once practiced their craft.

Here, you can see several sculptures by the artist Annick Leroy.

Then we made our way to the boat dock to take one of the many boat tours available.

Through the lock, which maintains a consistent water level in the port of Honfleur, we headed onto the Seine.

There, we passed under the “Pont de Normandie” bridge.

At the time of its construction, it was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world - a record it held for only three years.

The day before, we had crossed the bridge to travel from Le Havre to Honfleur.

This is the same route taken by about 70 million vehicles per year, who also pay the bridge toll.

On the way back, we continued until we could see the container port of Le Havre, which is the largest in France.

Back on land, we took a stroll through the gardens and parks in the northern part of Honfleur.

Particularly famous is the “Garden of Personalities,” where busts of various artists and celebrities connected to Honfleur are hidden in a beautifully landscaped garden.

Next to them, there were some details about their life and work to read.

Of course, we also saw some of the Impressionist painters like Boudin and Monet, who found inspiration for their works in Honfleur.

We continued on to the beach, which stretches out wide. Here, instead of stones, there was sand for a change.

We walked back to the port and went to the exhibition “La Mora.”

During a tour of four rooms, the story of William the Conqueror is told in a multimedia format.

Since we were the only visitors at that time, the storytelling sequences were even played for us in German.

Next door, there was also a workshop where the flagship of William the Conqueror is being recreated (although no one knows exactly what it looked like).

However, the reconstruction is still very much in its early stages. The museum just opened in March 2024.

To finish the day, we went up high again: we climbed the steep road and switchbacks that led us to the viewpoint Mont-Joli above Honfleur.

A little further on was the Chapelle Notre Dame de Grace, which unfortunately was already closed.

From there, we could look back at the beach, the gardens, and the Pont de Normandie.

Thus, our second day in Honfleur came to an end, and the next day we planned to continue our journey towards Caen.