Bed and Breakfast hotels in Honfleur

Honfleur is a small harbour town on the north coast of France, located just over the Seine estuary from Le Havre. It has a population of just over 8,000 and is a tourist hot-spot in the popular region of Normandy. Used as a port for much of its history, the picturesque town is believed to have been founded in the 11th century and to this day has retained much of its artistic beauty and historic heritage.

The town is most famous for its old port, Le Vieux Bassin, which is surrounded by distinctive slate-covered houses. The port has inspired artistic work by a number of painters, including Claude Monet and Gustave Courbet. It is also home to a number of much-admired churches, a scenic bell-tower and a collection of fascinating museums. Honfleur is located in the middle of the historical region of Normandy and offers plenty to do outside of the town itself.

A two-day break
On a two day trip, the old port is the place to start. Hotel Campanile Honfleur (La Rivière Saint Sauveur) is right in the middle of town, offering unbeatable access to the port and town centre, where Saint Catherine’s Church is a must-visit. Another day could be devoted to taking in the spectacular views from the Côte de Grâce hill, 1.5km from the town centre, and other viewpoints.

A week-long stay 
A week-long stay should include a trip to a few more of the town’s Gothic churches and various museums. In addition, a visit to some of Normandy’s other historic towns and landmarks should be included. The cities ofLe Havre, across the Seine estuary, and Caen, to the west, are both nearby and are worth seeing. It is also worth going to see the Normandy World War II landing sites and memorials along the north coast.

A family holiday
In the north of the town, a short distance from Hotel Campanile Honfleur (La Rivière Saint Sauveur, is Naturoscope, an indoor rainforest with tropical species from across the world. Nearby, on Honfleur’s waterfront, there are a number of pleasant gardens with play areas for children in them. Further afield, there are popular beach resorts along the coast to visit, offering a fun excursion for the whole family.

Transport
The closest airport to Honfleur is Deauville St. Gaiten, to the south. It is also accessible by ferry from Le Havre, which is directly linked to Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. There are direct buses to a number of towns and cities in the area and there are direct trains to and from Paris to Honfleur. 

Food
Normandy is famous for its rich foods, deriving from the agricultural area in the region. A touristy town, Honfleur offers a variety of places to eat, with numerous special dishes on offer. Owing to the number of orchards, livestock farms and fishermen in the area, Honfleur is particularly renowned for its apples, dairy products, meat and seafood.

Events

There are a number of festival events throughout the year in Honfleur. Most notably, October brings the Fete de la Crevette to the port town, a shrimp festival dedicated to the sea, fishing boats and their crews. There is also a memorable and large garden festival – Passionnement Jardin – held in April, which is popular with both locals and tourists.

Interesting fact
Despite having a population of little over 8,000 people, making it around 276 times smaller than the French capital in terms of the number of people, Honfleur is France’s third most popular place to visit. Its three million annual visitors mean that, in a calendar year, there are 375 visitors for every one inhabitant of the popular port town. 

Useful links
Honfleur tourist office [http://en.ot-honfleur.fr/]
Normandy tourist office [http://www.normandie-tourisme.fr]
Naturospace [http://www.naturospace.com]
Le Havre ferries [www.directferries.co.uk]
Deauville St. Gaiten airport [http://www.deauville.aeroport.fr/]