Monet's Coast

Monet's Coast

Monet traveled to Normandy to immortalize on canvas the sea terraces at Le Havre and the ocean cliffs at Étretat -- for good reason. Normandy has 600 km (375 mi) of some of the most striking coastline in France. Bordering the English Channel, there are major ports -- Le Havre, Dieppe, and Cherbourg -- plus coastal towns with seafaring pasts, like Honfleur (itself the subject of dozens of canvases by Boudin, a noted Impressionist), and fishing villages, like Fécamp. Sandwiched between are beaches and fashionable resort towns such as Cabourg, Deauville, and Étretat. Though the waters are chilly, you might be tempted to take a dip on a hot, sunny day, but don't try this at Mont-St-Michel, where the tide rushes in at lightning speed.