Honfleur

About

First mentioned in the 11th century, within 100 years Honfleur had developed into the key point for trade between Rouen and England. Over the centuries, the seafaring town flourished, becoming one of the principal French slave-trade ports. Honfleur is even where Samuel de Champlain set off from to found Quebec. The French Revolution and the continental blockade halted the town’s growth, leaving it frozen in time. Visitors can walk through the ancient port, admiring the traditional fisherman’s houses. Built with wood or slate, these distinctively narrow structures can reach up to seven stories and now house boutiques and art galleries. The maritime influence is obvious in the 15th century St Catherine's church, where the wooden construction and arched ceiling give the impression of being inside an overturned ship. Next door is a museum dedicated to the work of Eugène Boudin, the Honfleur-born painter who initiated Claude Monet into open-air painting.