Le Havre

Le Havre, 2nd largest harbour of France and 5th largest container harbour in Europe. Le Havre was bombed extensively during WWII and rebuilt by famous architect Auguste Perret. The city is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Richard Parkes Bonington

Le Havre – The Artists – Bonington, Richard Parkes

Richard Parkes Bonington, a British artist who spent most of his life in France, died early (age 25), but managed to paint many paintings. His Romanticism Landscape style made him a popular painter in his generation. We found two of his paintings of Le Havre, and two others in the surroundings.

Brittany Ferries ship in the Le Havre harbour

Le Havre – The Ferry

Le Havre used to be a busy ferry station, with two ferry operators going to the UK and Ireland. But that has been reduced to one operator going to Portsmouth in the UK. Which is strange, since Le Havre lies geographically the closest to Paris, the main motorway (A13) and the ferry station lies almost …

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Notre-Dame du Havre Cathedral of Le Havre, Normandy

Le Havre – Cathedral Notre-Dame du Havre

The recently (in 1974) appointed cathedral of Le Havre, the “Cathedrale Notre-Dame du Havre“, is nothing to write home about. Outside it is interesting, but inside it’s pretty drab. Its only saving grace is that it has an incredibly beautiful and imposing organ. It is also the oldest structure in Le Havre that survived (more or less) …

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Inside the "Maison de l'Armateur" in Le Havre

Le Havre – Maison de l’Armateur (Ship Owner’s House)

If you’re not that much into big museums but prefer to see old-fashion houses, the “Maison de l’Armateur” is a great visit (and it’s also a museum). The house, built in 1790, was owned by a ship owner (although he did not commission the building of the house). After having served as a house, a …

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Chateau des Gadelles of Le Havre

Le Havre Castle – Chateau des Gadelles

Built: 1886Status: PrivateVisitable?: NoNotable: The castle is modelled on the Arco de Santa Maria castle in Spain, it survived WWII bombingsWeb: – Despite the heavy bombings during WWII, Le Havre still has one of its beautiful castles mostly intact; the Gadelles castle. The “Chateau des Gadelles” is also known as “Porte de Burgos” after the 14th …

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Transat Jacques Vabre sailboat race starting in Le Havre

Le Havre – Events – Transat Jacques Vabre – Trans-Atlantic Yacht Race

Every two years, the epic yacht race from Le Havre to South America is held. Called the Transat Jacques Vabre, the first ever race was held in 1993. The race is also called the “Route du Cafe”, since it joins Le Havre with the historical coffee growing places in South America. The main sponsor of the race, …

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Le Havre from the Jardins Suspendu

Le Havre – Introduction

Le Havre is a city that has been rebuilt completely after WWII with a particular and special style. It’s so unique that it was put on the United Nation UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Container ship being loaded

Le Havre – The Harbour

The harbour of Le Havre is France’s second largest, second after Marseille, and the biggest in France for containers (and Europe’s 5th largest). Every day you can see many big cargo ships arrive or depart from this port. In fact, there are two main harbours; the “historical one” and “Port 2000“. The first one is …

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Le Havre – Tips

Transport Getting there Ferry: From Southampton and Portsmouth direct to Le Havre, or from Newhaven to Dieppe and then the A29 to Le Havre. Click here to read more about the ferry station. Air: There is an airport, but there are no scheduled flights anymore, just charters. Within Le Havre Within Le Havre, there is …

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Le Havre beach

Le Havre – The Beach

The beach of Le Havre is the prime destination of the city’s inhabitants and for many who come from as far away as Paris. As is the case with most of Upper Normandy, the beach is made out of pebbles, not sand. But in the summer months it gets very busy, thanks to the fact …

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