The little town of Caudebec-en-caux makes a great transit point to visit the picturesque harbour town of Honfleur, a favourite spot amongst French artists such as Monet and Boudin. It’s also close to the D-Day Beaches of Normandy, where over 150,000 Allied soldiers landed on French soil in 1944 to reclaim the country from Nazi occupation and which is now home to dozens of historical sites (including museums, bunkers and cemeteries). Caudebec-en-Caux itself features a beautiful Gothic church built in the 15th century, with famous stained glass windows from the same period.
World-renowned for its fashion, food, art and culture, Paris certainly lives up to its reputation. Spiralling out from the banks of the twisting Seine River, the French capital boasts stunning architecture in the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris; impeccable artworks in Louvre Museum and Musée d’Orsay and wide, tree-lined boulevards filled with the best of haute-couture clothing. Nevertheless, the City of Light still retains a quintessential French charm, with locals queuing at their favourite boulangeries each morning while musicians busk on street corners - magical!
Normandy’s largest city of Rouen is laden with history. It’s the birthplace of novelist Gustava Flaubert, the site where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake on charges of heresy in 1431 and the location of the stunning Rouen Cathedral - built in the 4th century and inspiration for more than 30 artworks by the artist Monet. It’s also where the heart of Richard the Lionheart was laid to rest. During WWII, large parts of the city were destroyed by bombs but the medieval quarter has been beautifully restored and now visitors on a Seine River cruise can enjoy a range of fascinating museums and attractions as part of Rouen’s cultural heritage.
Vernon, a small city famous for liberating itself from Nazi occupation in 1944, has some stunning half-timbered houses and a quaint mill built on a bridge - but it’s also only a few kilometres from Giverny, where the artist Claude Monet lived for the last 40 years of his life. Wandering the gardens that surround his pastel-pink house is like walking through a living impressionist painting. As you enter the house, the energetic colours and walls adorned with artwork beautifully frame the view of the lily ponds and Japanese bridge outside.
Which cruise lines sail along the Seine River?
