Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gazing at its cozy harbor lined with skinny, soaring houses, it's easy to overlook the his-
toric importance of Honfleur (ohn-flur). For more than a thousand years, sailors have en-
joyedthisport'sideallocation, wheretheSeineRivergreetstheEnglishChannel.William
theConquerorreceivedsuppliesshippedfromHonfleur.SamueldeChamplainsailedfrom
here in 1608 to North America, where he discovered the St. Lawrence River and foun-
ded Quebec City. The town was also a favorite of 19th-century Impressionists who were
captivated by Honfleur's unusual light—the result of its river-meets-sea setting. Eugène
Boudin (boo-dahn) lived and painted in Honfleur, drawing Monet and other creative types
from Paris. In some ways, modern art was born in the fine light of idyllic little Honfleur.
Honfleur escaped the bombs of World War II, and today offers a romantic port en-
closed on three sides by sprawling outdoor cafés. Long eclipsed by the gargantuan port of
Le Havre just across the Seine, Honfleur happily uses its past as a bar stool...and sits on it.
