Le Havre: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In September 1944 Allied bombing flattened the centre of Le Havre. The architect Auguste Perret was given the whole ruined area and rebuilt it in reinforced concrete, on one grid, in about twenty years. In 2005 UNESCO listed his city as a World Heritage Site, one of very few from the 20th century. This walk takes about two hours on flat streets and starts from the church that is the town's landmark.
Live camera
All cameras in town (3) ▾
A short history of Le Havre
King Francis I founded the city in 1517, because the old ports on the Seine were silting up and he needed a deep-water harbour on the Channel. For four hundred years Le Havre was France's gateway to the ocean, and ships left from here for America. In 1872 Monet painted "Impression, Sunrise" from a window overlooking the port, the picture that gave Impressionism its name. In September 1944 the Allies bombed the city almost to the ground, and thousands of civilians were killed. The architect Auguste Perret replanned it in concrete, with straight, spacious streets, and in 2005 the centre he built was declared a World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Le Havre
1Saint-Joseph ChurchGo inside on a sunny afternoon, when the coloured glass lights the tower
2Town HallPerret's long town hall with its tower; the gardens in front are the town square
3Perret Show FlatA 1950s flat furnished as new; guided visits only, book at the tourist office
4MuMaImpressionists in a glass box by the harbour mouth; the sea is part of the view
-
5Le Volcan
Niemeyer's white concrete theatre; walk round it even if nothing is on
6Notre-Dame CathedralOne of the few old buildings left in the centre after 1944
7Maison de l'ArmateurAn 18th-century shipowner's house that survived the bombing
8Natural History MuseumIn the old law courts, one of the few 18th-century buildings to survive 1944
9Graville AbbeyThe oldest building in town, on a hill in the eastern districts
10Hanging GardensGreenhouses inside an old fort, with a view over the whole port
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Le Havre →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Le Havre:
Free walking tours in Le Havre
Perret's concrete city
In September 1944 Allied bombing flattened the centre of Le Havre. The architect Auguste Perret was given the whole ruined area and rebuilt it in reinforced concrete, on one grid, in about twenty years. In 2005 UNESCO listed his city as a World Heritage Site, one of very few from the 20th century. This walk takes about two hours on flat streets and starts from the church that is the town's landmark.
- Saint-Joseph Church · The tower rises 107 metres, and was meant to be seen from the sea as a memorial to the dead of the bombing. Inside, 12,768 pieces of coloured glass by Marguerite Huré light up the octagonal lantern.
- Perret Show Flat · Perret built the new city on a grid of 6.24 metres, and every block and flat follows it. The show flat was furnished in the 1950s to persuade families from the ruins that modern concrete homes with central heating and fitted kitchens were worth moving into.
- Town Hall · Perret died in 1954 and did not see the town hall finished; the building with its tall tower was completed after his death by his studio. It closes the great square that he planned as the heart of the new city.
- Le Volcan · The Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the cultural centre, which opened in 1982. Locals call the white curved tower the yoghurt pot.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral · The church was built in the 16th and 17th centuries and is one of the very few buildings of the old town that the bombing did not destroy. It became a cathedral only in 1974, when the diocese of Le Havre was created.
- MuMa · The museum holds the largest collection of works by Eugène Boudin, the painter of Normandy beaches who first took the teenage Claude Monet out to paint in the open air. Monet grew up in Le Havre.
The Impressionist coast
The light over the Seine estuary drew painters here for a century, from Boudin and Monet to the whole Impressionist circle. This drive goes north up the cliffs to Étretat and then south over the great bridge to Honfleur, about 100 km in all. Roads are good but Étretat jams on summer weekends; go early. It fits the day before boarding, back by evening.
- Sainte-Adresse · Monet painted his "Garden at Sainte-Adresse" here in 1867, showing his own family on a terrace over the sea. During the First World War the Belgian government in exile had its seat in Sainte-Adresse.
- Étretat Cliffs · The rock needle beside the arch is the hiding place in Maurice Leblanc's novel "The Hollow Needle", where the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin keeps his treasure. Monet painted these cliffs dozens of times.
- Clos Arsène Lupin · Maurice Leblanc lived in this villa in Étretat and wrote many of the Lupin stories here. The house is now a museum where a voice guide leads you through the thief's adventures.
- Pont de Normandie · When it opened in 1995 its main span of 856 metres made it the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The deck is high enough for ships to sail up the Seine underneath.
- Honfleur · Samuel de Champlain sailed from Honfleur in 1608 on the voyage on which he founded Quebec. The tall slate-fronted houses around the Vieux Bassin are said to be so narrow because space on the quay was so precious.
- Maisons Satie · The composer Erik Satie was born in this house in Honfleur in 1866. The museum is a playful sound-and-light walk through his music, a little like his own humour.
Harbour, fort and cliff
Le Havre was founded by order of King Francis I in 1517 as a new port at the mouth of the Seine, and it is still one of the biggest container ports in France. This route follows the city as a port: the docks turned into pools and art, an old shipowner's house, a fort turned garden and a cliff-top sea mark. It takes half a day by car or tram and bus, and fits well the afternoon you arrive.
- Catène de Containers · The artist Vincent Ganivet built the two arches from 36 shipping containers in 2017, for the 500th anniversary of the city's founding. They were meant to be temporary, but the city kept them.
- Les Bains des Docks · Jean Nouvel designed the pool complex, opened in 2008, as an all-white box inside, inspired by Roman baths. It stands in the old docks of the port, where warehouses have been turned into shops and pools.
- Maison de l'Armateur · The house was built around a tall central light well, so that every room opens onto it like a ship's gallery. It is one of the few buildings of the old Saint-François quarter to survive 1944.
- Graville Abbey · The abbey church goes back to the 11th and 12th centuries, long before the port was founded, which makes it the oldest building in Le Havre. The town museum of religious statues is in the old priory next to it.
- Hanging Gardens · The gardens fill the Fort de Sainte-Adresse, a 19th-century military fort on the hill above the city. The greenhouses in its old ramparts hold plants brought back by explorers from Normandy ports.
- Pain de Sucre · The white sugar-loaf monument on the cliff is a cenotaph for General Lefebvre-Desnouettes, who drowned in 1822 when the ship Albion sank off Ireland. His widow had it built as a sea mark for sailors.
Getting to Le Havre and getting around
- Le Havre Station · Direct trains to Paris Saint-Lazare in a little over two hours
- Le Havre Cruise Terminal · Cruise departure port at Pointe de Floride, on the Quai Pierre Callet, about 1.5 km south of the Saint-Joseph church: a 20-minute flat walk, a short taxi ride, or the shuttle bus to the town centre on ship days. By car, follow the "Terminal Croisière" signs and drop bags before parking
Cheap eats in Le Havre
Le Havre eats from the sea and from the Normandy fields behind it. Mussels with chips, sole and the scallops of the Seine bay come off the boats, and the cheeses of the region, Camembert, Pont-l'Évêque and Neufchâtel, are all made within a couple of hours' drive. Wash it down with cider rather than wine. A crêpe or a sandwich in the centre costs a few euros, and the covered market is the place to pack a picnic.
- Les Halles Centrales · Stalls for bread, cheese, fruit and cider; a picnic for two about €15-20
- Fromagerie Céline · Normandy cheeses on the Halles square; a heart of Neufchâtel about €4-6
- Poissonnerie Normande · Fish counter by the Halles; a bag of cooked grey shrimp about €5-8
- Crêperie Au Petit Breton · Savoury galettes and sweet crêpes in the Saint-François quarter, about €4-12
- Boulangerie de Saint-Nicolas · Baguette, croissants and apple tart for the road, about €1-4
Museums in Le Havre
- MuMa · Boudin, Monet and Dufy; the window wall faces the harbour mouth
- Natural History Museum · Animals, fossils and the Lesueur drawings in the old law courts
- Maison de l'Armateur · An 18th-century shipowner's house around a light well
- Perret Show Flat · 1950s furniture and kitchen; guided tours only
- Graville Priory · Romanesque church and a museum of religious statues on a hill
Nature and day trips near Le Havre
- Falaise d'Aval · The arch and the needle; the cliff path is unfenced
- Falaise d'Amont and the White Bird memorial · The other side of the bay, with the chapel and the best view of the arch
- Pain de Sucre · A white cone on the cliff of Sainte-Adresse, ten minutes from the beach
- Cap de la Hève · Lighthouse and cliff walk where the coast turns north
- Forêt de Montgeon · A large wooded park on the plateau, with lakes and paths
- Hanging Gardens · Plants from five continents inside an old fort
Things to do in Le Havre with kids
- Les Bains des Docks · Indoor and outdoor pools for all ages; bring caps and swimsuits
- Catène de Containers · Coloured container arches to run under on the quay
- Le Havre Beach · Pebbles, beach huts and playgrounds along the promenade
- Forêt de Montgeon · Playgrounds and paths under the trees for a run-around
- Natural History Museum · Skeletons and stuffed animals on three floors
Where to eat in Le Havre
- La Taverne Paillette · Seafood platters and choucroute in a big brasserie
- Le Grignot · A lively brasserie by the Volcan, handy after a show
- Crêperie Au Petit Breton · Galettes and a bowl of cider for a light dinner
- La Ferme Saint-Siméon · A grand dinner in Honfleur, over the estuary; book ahead
Frequently asked questions about Le Havre
What is there to see in Le Havre?
The top sights in Le Havre are Saint-Joseph Church, Town Hall and Perret Show Flat. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Le Havre?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Le Havre without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Le Havre?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Le Havre, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Perret's concrete city.
How do you get to Le Havre and get around?
The main ways are Le Havre Station and Le Havre Cruise Terminal. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Le Havre, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Le Havre that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Le Havre for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.