Honfleur, Maritime commune in Normandy, France
Honfleur is a harbor town in Normandy located in the Calvados department along the Seine estuary. The Vieux Bassin forms the center of the old town, surrounded by tall narrow buildings with slate facades that reflect in the water where sailboats and small vessels float.
Samuel de Champlain sailed from this harbor in 1608 to establish Quebec during his expedition to North America. The port thrived as a trading center in the 16th and 17th centuries, later drawing Impressionist painters such as Boudin and Monet in the 19th century.
Local fishermen still dock their boats along the quays each morning, bringing in catches that supply the restaurants lining the waterfront. The town attracts painters who set up easels along the harbor edge, continuing a tradition that began when Impressionist artists arrived in the 19th century.
A visitor center near the old harbor offers maps and details about maritime museums and art galleries around the town. The old quarter is compact and walkable, with most points of interest concentrated around the harbor basin where cobbled lanes slope toward the water.
The wooden church of Sainte-Catherine is the largest timber church remaining in France, with exposed interior vaulting. Its bell tower stands separately on its own foundation to protect the main building from fire if lightning struck the bells.
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