Hello dear travel lovers. Today I’d like to share my impressions and memories from our journey to Étretat. Our trip began in Paris. After spending a few days there, we decided to head to Normandy. To avoid constantly changing hotels, we rented an apartment in Le Havre for two nights. Although the city itself isn’t particularly dazzling, it’s very practical logistically. And since it’s a large city, accommodation prices are quite reasonable. We reached Le Havre by bus for just €15 per person and on the same day we set off toward one of the main goals of our trip: Étretat.
There isn’t much to explain here. Étretat is accessible only by road. Trains haven’t run here for over 50 years. If you come, you’ll most likely get off the bus or leave your car in the parking lot and walk toward the beach along the main street. The first small courtyard you encounter along the way feels like a miracle: immaculate greenery, flowers, half-timbered buildings, stone houses… Really a tiny green paradise. Be sure to stop by and then continue toward the center.
On our way to the beach, we saw the covered market with its tower and one of the town’s most famous hotels, La Résidence. At first glance, it looks like a classic half-timbered building with more than 300 years of history. The wooden beams look incredibly old… Yet the building was actually constructed in 1912. Being just a few steps from the sea, the aging process here progresses quite quickly.
We then climbed the northern slope to visit Les Jardins d’Étretat, one of Normandy’s most beautiful parks. In a place like this, you expect a colorful park filled with flowers, exotic plants and lots of sculptures. However, upon entering, some visitors may feel disappointed: everything is green, shrubs, greenery and more greenery. But when you look more closely, you realize this is a deliberate concept. The natural landscape has been preserved and only lightly embellished, making the few artworks far more striking. The park doesn’t impose itself immediately. It asks for a bit of acceptance. That was what surprised me the most.
The story of this place begins in 1905. At the time, many wealthy Parisians were buying land along the English Channel coast and building villas. The French actress Madame Thébault chose this beauty over comfort. Instead of buying land by the shore, she had a house built on the top of a windy hill. To enjoy the view, she also wanted a charming green garden to be created.
More than 100 years passed and only the house and small remnants of the garden remained. In 2017 landscape architect Alexandre Grivko began creating a new green space here. In just two years, a park emerged that became one of the town’s most important symbols. The gardens reflect Normandy’s nature and this windy location: the waves of the English Channel, spirals, sea vortices, farms, cliffs and the arches of the Alabaster Coast.
It was close to six in the evening and the park was about to close. We were lucky. We were almost completely alone there. The patterns formed by the greenery, shades of burgundy and brown and countless tones of green… Beautiful from every angle.
At the entrance to the Étretat Gardens stands a chapel. The first church was built in the mid-tenth century with donations from sailors. Before tourism, Étretat was a small fishing village. Unfortunately, the original structure was destroyed during World War II. Five years later, the present chapel was built. Dedicated to sailors, it was designed in the shape of a ship’s hull. Being made of rough stone gives it both an ancient feel and a sense of harmony with its surroundings. On the side walls, there are dolphin-shaped gargoyles.
There are very few churches in the world with such a location. Below lies a 100–120-meter cliff, terrifying, yet the view is incredible. If you come, be sure to climb up here, walk 100–120 meters from the church and take some of the most beautiful photos of your life.
I really regret not staying here overnight. The last bus from Étretat to Le Havre leaves at 9:20 pm, so we had to rush. Yet this is not a place to hurry through. The air should be breathed in, the views should be savored. I recommend either coming very early from Paris or definitely staying here for at least one night.
Normandy is my great love. The most striking place is undoubtedly Étretat. The landscape nature has created here is truly mind-blowing. Le Havre is good for accommodation, Honfleur is very charming, Deauville is elegant, but in my opinion, the best place in Normandy is Rouen. If you’re only taking a day trip from Paris, I strongly recommend visiting Rouen (or Orléans) to see the real provincial France.
That’s all from me. Thank you very much for reading.
See you on the next trip.