Before heading out to Normandy and doing some quick research on where to visit, I quickly realized that I had zero knowledge of the whole region.
Ofcourse I had heard of the liberation beaches around Bayeaux from the second world war, and also people were lyrical about the beach front of the natural cliffs of Etretat. But apart from that, everything in the north coast of France was a bit of a mystery to me. Which is all not fair, because this one of the most visited regions of France as well. It is most likely for a good reason.
One of the places that people were enthusiastic about was the town of Honfleur. Time to take a look and investigate what all the fuss is about!
The general vibe and beaches
While arriving in Honfleur over the gigantic toll bridge over the Seine coming from the city of Le Havre, the view was impressive (or scary you could call it as well if you dont't like heights like me) and far in the distance was the city of Honfleur.
Honfleur is literally next to the river the Seine (you know, the same one that runs through Paris, but this is where it ends in the ocean) and there are some impressive beaches over there as well. I was a bit sceptical sbout these 'beaches' since this was an estuary of a river, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The water was wide and the beaches were endless. I even saw a lot of sailing boats passing by and the dunes were exactly how you would expect dunes near the ocean.
As you can see it was super low tide at that moment which made the beach super long and perfect to walk on.
The parks next to the beach were also super green and I noticed that just a whole lot of people were outdoors on the move. Honestly, with this kind of city life next to such an awesome beach I totally understand this. Everything here screams 'just head outside because it is awesome'
Citylife
On to the city part of the city, because this was also something else. The heart of the town is located around this idyllic harbour with small ships which is all surrounded by terraces and restaurants with some awesome views.
In the afternoon this was already a nice setting but in the night when all the lights were on, this really got a lot cooler even.
Walking around the town was like walking back in time and do you notice the similarities in buildings as with the city of Colmar (if you have ever been there?)
There was a gigantic choice in places to eat in traditional ways but also a lot in fusion but ofcourse using influences from the sea in there.
Everything just looked super well maintained and I really have a nice evening strolling through town here. This would also be a nice town to visit when it is getting more towards winter time, because the vibe feels so cozy.
I biked through town over the cobblestones as well which was quite a challenge, but it is convenient for your daily business. Even though the distances are small, a small trip to the bakery keeps your croissants warm right?
Where to stay
I stayed on a really simple city campsite in the heart of the town which had literally nothing special. But the one most important thing it had was the location. It was super easy getting from the campsite to the city centre in a 500 meter stroll, which means you do not need anything else.
Don't believe google in the reviews about grumpy people, it is all on how you act on your own entrance ;)
I also saw a lot of hotels in the city centre so why not give it a try when visiting this region. For me it was a definite must visit.
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