"From Impressionism to reality." Top 5 Page for this destination Étretat by breughel

Étretat Travel Guide: 110 reviews and 367 photos

Etretat in the morning. - Étretat
Etretat in the morning.
Des impressionnistes à la réalité.

Ma connaissance d'Etretat était celle des tableaux de peintres impressionnistes vus dans divers musées. Les falaises d'Etretat comptent probablement parmi les sujets maritimes les plus souvent évoqués dans la peinture française.
Ce fut donc avec quelque appréhension que je suis parti à la découverte d'Etretat et de ses environs. Les tableaux d'il y a un siècle sont parfois plus idylliques que la réalité d'aujourd'hui.
Heureusement la réalité présente est certes différente de ce que les peintres Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet ou Eugène Boudin ont représenté mais elle n'est certainement pas moins belle.
Ici les falaises sont plus blanches qu'ailleurs sur la "côte d'albâtre" et il y a ces arcs uniques.
De plus cette station balnéaire a gardé un aspect 19e siècle qui nous change des murs d'immeubles en béton d'autres côtes d'Europe. Et encore mieux nous y avons bien mangé ce qui pour un épicurien n'est pas négligeable.

Etretat by Courbet. - Étretat

Etretat by Courbet.

My knowledge of Etretat was that shown by the paintings from Impressionists seen in various museums. The cliffs at Etretat are probably the most common maritime subjects raised in French painting.
It was therefore with some apprehension that I set out to discover Etretat and its environs. The views by the paintings of a century ago may be more idyllic than today's reality.
Fortunately the present reality is certainly different from what painters Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet and Eugene Boudin represented but it is certainly no less beautiful.
Here the cliffs are whiter than elsewhere on the "Alabaster Coast" and there are the unique arcs of cliffs.
Furthermore, this resort has retained a 19th century appearance that changed us from the walls of concrete buildings on other coasts of Europe. And even better we have been eating well what for an Epicurean is not negligible.

  • Last visit to Étretat: May 2011
  • Intro Updated May 27, 2011
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Reviews (9)

Gustave Courbet - Etretat falaises. - Étretat Les Impressionnistes à Etretat. Things to Do (4)

Les tables de lecture sur la promenade de mer avec des reproductions de tableaux réalisés à cet endroit par des maîtres... more travel advice

Restaurant l' Huitrière, Etretat. - Étretat Seafood and fish. Restaurants (1)

This restaurant was recommended by the owner of our hotel-restaurant in Sassetot and it was a very good choice both for... more travel advice

Etretat - parking near the beach. - Étretat Parking at Etretat. Transportation (1)

Getting at Etretat is not difficult; from the north-east it is by the D940 coming from Fécamp, or by the same D940 when... more travel advice

Bunker on the beach of Etretat - Étretat Dangers at the cliffs. Warnings and Dangers (3)

Danger of falling stones. Do not walk under the cliffs. At the end of the seafront promenade "du perrey" the warning... more travel advice

Comments (4)

  • Reply
    balhannah's Profile Photo
    Jan 2, 2013 at 1:03 AM

    I have just enjoyed watching a travel program on this area. It really looked beautiful.. lucky you being able to see it for yourself.

  • Reply
    Jun 14, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    i've seen the paintings before too, now nice to see the 'modern day' photos. lovely page - the pebble beach looks beautiful!

  • Reply
    wandeljp's Profile Photo
    Jun 13, 2011 at 8:08 AM

    une bonne idée pour un prochain WE ! Merci Eddy

  • Reply
    Nemorino's Profile Photo
    Jun 10, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    Nice sound of the pebbles rolling over each other on a quiet morning in your video. I'm glad you were not disappointed by the reality of Étretat compared to the impressionist paintings of the 19th century.

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