Old Harbor (Le Vieux Bassin)
About Old Harbor (Le Vieux Bassin)
Le Vieux Bassin is the historic heart of Honfleur, a picturesque harbor basin constructed between 1681-1684 under orders from Louis XIV's minister Colbert. The harbor is surrounded by distinctive tall, narrow half-timbered houses dating from the 16th-18th centuries, their slate-covered facades rising 3-7 stories along Quai Sainte-Catherine. At the harbor entrance stands La Lieutenance, the last remaining vestige of the town's 14th-century fortifications. This exact spot served as the departure point for Samuel de Champlain's voyages to found Quebec in the early 1600s. The harbor also played a pivotal role in art history - painters including Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet, and other early Impressionists gathered here in the mid-19th century to capture the ever-changing light of the Seine estuary. Today visitors can stroll the quays freely at any time, browse art galleries, and enjoy seafood restaurants in the historic buildings. The harbor is particularly photogenic in early morning or at sunset when golden light illuminates the colorful facades reflected in the water.
Interesting Facts
The narrow houses along Quai Sainte-Catherine have an unusual ownership structure - many are split between different owners for upper and lower floors. Upper floors are accessed from Rue du Dauphin behind the buildings, not from the harbor-facing ground floor, a quirk dating back to when the houses were built on the old city moat's counterscarp around 1630.
A bronze bust of Samuel de Champlain on the Lieutenance wall has a remarkable history. It was originally created for the ocean liner SS Champlain, launched in 1932. When the ship sank off La Rochelle in 1940, divers recovered the bust decades later. A Montreal philanthropist donated it to Honfleur, where it was installed in 1983.
In 1858, local painter Eugène Boudin convinced an 18-year-old caricaturist named Claude Monet to try painting outdoors at this harbor. Monet later credited this encounter as the moment that changed his life, saying 'If I am a painter, I owe it to Boudin.' Art historians now consider this meeting a catalyst for the entire Impressionist movement.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
Quai Sainte-Catherine, 14600 Honfleur, France
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