Honfleur Things to Do Tips by sue_stone

I am a girl who like a good bridge, and just 2km from Honfleur is one of the most stunning I have seen to date - the Pont de Normandie.

This beautiful cable-stayed bridge was completed in January 1995, and at just over 2.1 kms long, was, for a few years, the longest bridge of its kind in the world. It crosses the River Seine, joining Honfleur and Le Havre.

Its two towers soar to a height of 215 metres, and its strong cables create a web design, connecting to the arch of the bridge.

There is a charge of 5 euro to drive across the bridge, but I think it was worth every cent.

The photos I took were through the window of the moving car, so apologies for the quality!

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Directions: 2km north of Honfleur, on the A29/E44
Website: http://www.carte-postale.com/honfleur/pontdenormandie.htm

Honfleur is a pretty town and the nicest part in my opinion is the Vieux Bassin and surrounding streets.

Vieux Bassin is a small harbour in the heart of the town. This is the place from where once ships sailed forth to discover new lands. These days it is filled with yachts and other fancy looking boats.

Surrounding the harbour is quai Ste-Catherine and quai St-Etienne. These cobbled streets are lined with beautiful and colourful narrow houses, and are home to numerous restaurants which all have tables over-looking the water.

Even if you don't dine at one of those restaurants, Vieux Bassin is a particularly magical place for a stroll in the evening, perhaps with an ice cream or just your camera.

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Directions: In the heart of Honfleur

The Eglise Ste-Catherine is located just up the hill from Vieux Bassin, in place Ste-Catherine. The church is unusual as it is built from wood, not stone.

The original stone church was destroyed in the Hundred Years' War, and was re-built using wood during the 15th & 16th centuries. The building work was mainly done by shipbuilders, and many people think that the church looks a bit like an up-turned boat

It is said that wood was used to re-construct the church as they wanted to save the stone for use in strengthening the fortifications that once surrounded the old town of Honfleur.

The church is open daily 9:00–18:30 in summer, off-season 9:00–12:00 & 14:00–18:00 (except during services). Admission is free.

Unfortunately when we got to the church it was after 6pm, so had to make do with a good look around the outside.

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Address: Place Ste-Catherine, Honfleur

The Clocher Ste-Catherine is the bell tower for the Eglise Ste-Catherine. It is located across the square from the church, and is also built from wood.

The bell tower had to be built separately from the church for safety reasons - if the tall tower was hit by lightening it may mean that the whole church would burn down. There was also some structural concerns…..would the weight of the tower and the constant vibrations of the ringing bells cause problems with the churches wooden walls and roof.

At the bottom of the tower is where the bell-ringer used to live, and these days it houses a small museum, which costs a few euro to visit.

The tower is open daily 9:00–18:30 in summer, off-season 9:00–12:00 & 14:00–18:00.

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Address: Place Ste-Catherine, Honfleur