Honfleur - A Medieval Fairytale in Normandy

Hello dear travel lovers. As part of our Normandy trip we visited Honfleur, one of France’s most charming harbor towns. Judging by the abundance of greenery and flowers and most importantly by how its name sounds, the word fleur in Honfleur might seem to come from the French word for flower. Naturally, this makes one wonder why the city was given this name. In fact this suspicion probably should not arise at all, because in reality it has nothing to do with flowers. The word actually comes from Scandinavian languages and means river mouth. And indeed Honfleur is built right at the mouth of a river. So, at least historically speaking, Honfleur has no connection to flowers. But still, I cannot help saying this. Flowers are everywhere. On the streets, at market stalls, in small flower beds, on the buildings. Quite literally, everything is filled with greenery and flowers.

At every step, we encountered old half timbered fachwerk houses, cobblestone streets and street cafés. In short it is a classic, calm and well kept provincial France. The Church of Saint Catherine is perhaps Honfleur’s greatest pride. Built in the fifteenth century after the Hundred Years War, its most remarkable feature is that it is the largest and oldest wooden church in France. There are two interesting details here. The first is the sound of bells we heard while walking around. That sound comes from the bell tower belonging to the Church of Saint Catherine. However, for fire safety reasons, the tower stands separately from the church, so that if it were to catch fire, the flames would not immediately spread to the church itself.

The second and more amusing detail appeared once we went inside. Seeing two naves gave us a strange feeling. Looking more carefully, we realized that the church had been built by shipbuilders. So they constructed the roof in the way they knew best, like an upside down boat. The result is entertaining and fascinating. And imagine this, despite being entirely made of wood, it has been standing for more than 500 years.

It is definitely one of the most unusual churches I have ever visited. Everything is wooden. If you look closely, you can see how some of the beams have changed shape over time, especially the one with the green exit sign on it, which has become completely curved. Yet despite this, the structure is still standing and somehow continues to exist. Here we saw both the half timbered construction and noticed that only natural light is used inside. In the background, there was an organ, stained glass windows and magnificent frescoes.

At least half of the buildings around the harbor were dark gray in color. When you look closely, you realize that this is due to the tiles or similar material used as cladding, normally used for roofs, not façades. But here the situation is different. On the ground floor, we saw a half timbered house and the same applies to the buildings on the right and left. In other words, these are actually half timbered houses. However, because of Normandy’s constant rain and the salty air coming from the sea, façades suffer serious damage over time. To protect them, moisture resistant and abrasion resistant claddings are used. That is why the upper parts are covered. In between there are short sections of brick or stone buildings, which do not require such protection. Honestly, it is a bit sad, because the charming and elegant beauty of half timbered architecture is hidden beneath these coverings, resulting in a somewhat dull and rough appearance.

Still the harbor itself is extremely beautiful. There were small yachts, which in my opinion looked much more charming than large superyachts, colorful and delightful. And as for the weather, I think we were very lucky. Catching three sunny days in Normandy is a real stroke of luck. Usually one day is rainy, one is cloudy and only occasionally does the sun make an appearance.

In the Middle Ages, Honfleur was a fairly large and wealthy city. In its surroundings, salt, one of the most important preservative substances for thousands of years, was extracted. To store the salt, the city had three enormous salt warehouses that looked almost like fortresses from the outside. Until 1790 salt was an extremely important source of income for the French state treasury. All producers were required to bring their salt to these warehouses and retailers then had to buy it from the state at higher prices. In addition to the thick walls of these massive salt stores, the city naturally also had huge fortifications. The only remnant that survives today is a building known as the Lieutenant’s House.

In the fifteenth century royal lieutenants who controlled access to the harbor were stationed here. In the following century, the building was handed over to merchants. In the late nineteenth century, Claude Monet immortalized this structure in his paintings. Looking to the left, we saw a small, unassuming bridge. Today this bridge controls access to the other part of the city. When a ship approaches, the bridge is raised and traffic is stopped.

On the Porte de Caen Gate, adjacent to the Lieutenant’s House, there is a commemorative plaque reminding visitors of the importance of this harbor town. This is because in 1608, Samuel de Champlain began his expedition precisely from Honfleur. He became the first European to reach the Great Lakes and map them as part of Canada. He explored Niagara Falls and founded several settlements in the New World. The most famous of these was Québec, which would later become the capital of the province bearing the same name.

Honfleur left me with the feeling of walking inside a painting. From the church with its upside down boat roof to the colorful yachts in the harbor, every detail proves how beautifully the city has preserved its spirit. Enjoying this peaceful atmosphere under the lucky sunshine we encountered was priceless. If your path ever leads you to Normandy, I highly recommend stopping by this fairytale like town and breathing in its historical atmosphere.