Top 10 Things to Do in Le Havre

Le Havre at night Image source: Europe Institute

If you must choose a town to visit in France, then let it be this enchanting little town, somewhere where the Seine meets the English Channel; a city that boasts of multiple reinforced concrete monuments. The town is none other than Le Harve; a beautiful and important port in Normandy. Let me recommend ten things for you to look out for; that will convince you that you are making the right choice!

1. Graville Abbey

Graville Abbay – Par Jchancerel — Travail personnel

Graville Abbey; the masterpiece of the Romanesque art in Normandy became a museum in 1926. You will learn a bit of history there among the tales being that the Graville site became a pilgrimage destination when it housed the relics of Saint Honorine. It has very beautiful interiors and one of the most exciting things about the Graville Abbey is that you have to take a walk and climb a hill and cross over shadowy terraces to appreciate the gothic style museum contains documents of the abbey with a wide variety of religious art collections. I am sure this building with great history will make you appreciate Le Harve even more. 

There usually are guided tours every Saturday and Sunday from 4 PM, the family tours during school holidays from 3:30 PM while the gardens and cemetery are accessible all year round. 

2. Le Volcan

Le Volcan – Par Gfmorin — travail personnel (own work)

The very conspicuous white landmark was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The magnificent Arts Center hosts a theatre, puppet, circus, clown, dance, and music performances. The Centre, which is shaped like a volcanic mountain has two performance halls; one holding 800 seats with the other, holding 125. The very eye-catching white building is hard to miss. It is considered one of the most important national stages in France. It was listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2005 and has a vast library which you should visit as well as the café-bar. 

3. The Hanging Gardens 

Par Jeabapt — Travail personnel – Wikipedia

Who does not like the outdoors? The hanging gardens are located in a former military fort, where the gardens and the trees are displayed in greenhouses. This is a place you definitely have to visit. Why? Because here, you will get to experience the best view of the sea and, the Seine bay of Le Harve. There usually are 90-minute tours around the gardens conducted in English and the place also plays host to adult workshops, junior workshops, conferences, exhibitions, and themed activities. 

The flower gardens are set up where you can take long calming walks free of charge. The courtyard which has complex greenhouses will, however, require you to get a ticket. 

The hanging gardens are accessible by self-drive, a shuttle from the cruise dock to near the town hall; or taxis which will cost you about 10 Euros; and it is about a mile from town. 

4. Le Havre Beach

You will be visiting a city by the sea so a trip to the beach is a must-do especially if you will be in Le Havre during summer. It is only about 500 meters from the city center. You will get deckchair rentals, toilets, showers, play beach volleyball, bicycles, canoes, pedalboards, sun surfers and other things as well as experience exhilarating water activities. You will swim and will also get a chance to read on the beach since the region has a ‘reading on the beach’ made available to everyone. Afraid that you will get hungry with all these activities? Worry not as there are restaurants and bars where you can get food on the go. 

The beach is also accessible to the disabled since the beach obtained the Tourism and Handicap label assistance for the four mental, visual, hearing and motor disabilities. 

5. La Taverne Paillette

You need to enjoy some amazing cuisine at the La Taverne Paillette. There, you will savor some really good mussels, salads, a wide variety of seafood, different types of Sauerkraut and famous beers! You will leave fully fed and satisfied. You will need to make a reservation beforehand, but the ambiance, the food, and the service are worth it!

6. Le Havre Skate Park

Le Havre Skatepark – Wikipedia

Let’s put our history and art books aside for a while. Yes, we need some adrenaline and what better way to get it on than get skating in France’s largest skatepark? It is 1,800 m²! You do not have to be a professional skater to go there, you can watch as people speed past you at the seaside skatepark watch people do skateboarding, rollerblading, Scooter and BMX! If you are spectating, you will watch from outside the rig. 

It is open every day from 8 AM to 10 PM. 

7. Musée d’Arts Moderne André Malraux

MuMa – Courtesy of Wikipedia

This is a glass and steel building next to the marina. It is a fine arts museum located at the entrance to the port and it has the richest collection of impressionist paintings in the province. Since it is made of glass, you will be impressed at how the natural light let in by the glass shines on the impressive works done by some of the most notable artists like Monnet, Pissaro among others. It is enchanting!

Entry is free!

8. St Joseph Church

St Joseph Church, Le Havre – Courtesy of Wikipedia

The Nao-gothic modern themed St Joseph’s church stands 351 feet tall and acts as a guiding light for the marine traffic at night in the busy marine town of France. The church has stained glass and Is visible throughout Le Havre. It was erected in the memory of the WWII victims. When in Le Havre, make sure to go to St Joseph’s Church to check out magnificent interiors, enhanced by the light brought in by the stained glass, and its high vertical windows, bringing in lots of light and you will also notice the sharp contrast between the exterior of the church and the interior. 

Access is free every day except during mass.

9. Le Havre Port Cruise 

One of the best ways to explore a place is to have a planned tour with a guide to take you around. It would be exciting to involve a guide as you visit Le Havre so that you can get insights and teachings on different aspects of the town by someone who knows the town very well. Get to have conversations with him/her, ask questions, explore things like the restorations of the city, to indulging in Norman diverse cultural attractions; visit the Mont Saint- Michael, walk along the beaches and other activities. The difference between guided tours and individual ones is that you get to learn more about a place and you visit places that you might have missed out. The guide will also give you recommendations on where to buy souvenirs, where to eat and have a good time. In the guided tour, you also get to give your opinion on what you would like to see (and you get someone to get good photos of you! 

10. Witness Apartment Perret 

A part of the Witness Apartment Perret in Le Havre
Image Source: lehavretourisme.com

In Le Havre is where you will find the Witness Apartment Perre, designed by Atelier Auguste Perret for victims of Le Havre during the reconstruction period between 1945 to 1955. He presented the show flat in the 1947 World Fair, which was meant to introduce carefully designed spaces showing simple lives of family house settings after the bombing in 1944, which destroyed the lives of many people in the region.

The house has a collection of furniture and appliance done by different people; Rene Gabriel’s living room furniture, the parents’ bedroom by Andre Beaudoin, the children’s bedroom furniture was done by Marcel Gascoin. The apartment has appliances such as a washing machine, pressure cooker, stove, refrigerator, a record player, newspapers and even clothes! It maximizes the use of natural light, has interesting partitioning of rooms as well as utilizing space encouraging ‘family time’ at a time of transition for the French people. It depicts great detail paid to the modernity of Auguste’s design and probably a history of mass production of household items. 

It is a museum worth visiting as it will take you back fifty years and shows you trends in family living.

You will need to make reservations by email, phone or visiting the tourist office to book your slot. If you are in Le Havre on the first Saturday of the month, then an entry will be free, you just need to be at the tourist office at 10 AM!

It will be interesting to know that Le Havre was destroyed during WWII, so most buildings are not as old as those in most French cities and towns. It was rebuilt after the war and therefore has a touch of class and modernity. 

This is a town not to miss; with all these experiences, you ill sure leave Le Havre having learned about art, history, music, religion, and most importantly, WWII. Have fun and let us know what the highlight of your trip to Le Havre was!