When you hear the name of Le Havre, its port is the first thing that springs to mind. Yet this city in Seine-Maritime has many tales to tell. Much of the city was destroyed by bombing in 1944, and was rebuilt after the war by Auguste Perret. Many of its monuments are symbols of this rebirth today. The city centre's resolutely modern and surprising architecture earned Le Havre UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2005!
Charged with putting the city back on its feet, the architect created bright and functional homes, as evidenced by the Perret Show Flat: a visit there will take you right back to the 50s. Built in memory of the bombing victims, the majestic Church of St. Joseph, which has a New York skyscraper feel to it, overlooks the entire city. An architectural masterpiece of the 20th century, the building is one of France's listed Historic Monuments (Monuments Historiques), and is distinguished by its impressive 107-metre-high octagonal lantern tower! Inside, the innumerable multi-coloured stained glass windows are truly admirable...
Another exceptional place to discover is the Hanging Gardens, which are certified Remarkable Gardens (Jardins Remarquables) and Botanical Gardens of France and French-speaking Countries (Jardins botaniques de France et des pays francophones). Located in a former fort in Sainte-Adresse overlooking the Bay of Seine, its themed landscaped gardens offer a splendid view of the sea and Le Havre!
Consisting of two buildings in the shape of a volcano, the Oscar Niemeyer Centre, built in the late 1970s by the famous Brazilian architect, and the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art, with its remarkable Impressionist and Fauvist collections from the 19th and 20th centuries, will delight lovers of art and culture. Interested in finding out how the Le Havre bourgeoisie lived in the 18th century? Head to the Ship-owner's House (Maison de l'Armateur), a five-storey museum house where rooms with exotic wood floors unfold around an octagonal skylight.
Your visit to Le Havre would not be complete without a trip to the port, which stretches for some thirty kilometres. Founded at the beginning of the 16th century at the behest of Francis I, it is one of France's largest commercial ports today. You will be able to see huge cargo ships and liners that have come for a stopover. Board the Ville du Havre II and enjoy an outing exploring the port and the Bay of Seine.
Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its post-war city center, the city of Le Havre takes its place in Normandy, in the department of Seine-Maritime. Limitrophe of Honfleur, the second port of France after Marseille, it is also not far from Rouen, one of the regional capitals.
The most populous commune in Normandy, Le Havre was created on the orders of Francis I in 1517. Important economic pole during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, especially thanks to its commercial port, the city suffered heavy damage during the Second World War. It reappeared from its ashes a few years later thanks to the work of the famous architect, Auguste Perret, who unveiled a new center partially inaugurated by André Malraux in the 1960s.
Dynamic from an economic and cultural point of view, La Havre still unveils an important historical heritage that attracts many visitors each year. Its pebble beach, located in the city, also makes it a rare site in France. The City of Art and History, the Norman city is full of riches to discover during a stay in the region.
Known around the world for its downtown reconstructed by Auguste Perret, the city of Le Havre unveils to its tourists an important architectural and cultural heritage.
Rebuilt after the Second World War, downtown Le Havre is the work of Auguste Perret, a French architect specializing in reinforced concrete. Main historical attraction of the Norman commune, it extends on nearly 150 hectares, mixing housing and civil buildings. A true masterpiece of 20th-century art, it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Last monument created by Auguste Perret, the church of Saint Joseph stands proudly in the middle of the reconstructed center of Le Havre. A true sanctuary dedicated to the victims of the Second World War, the concrete building reveals a tower-tower of 110 meters in height, as well as impressive stained glass windows. It has been listed in Historical Monuments.
Inaugurated in the late 1950s, the town hall impresses with its façade and dimensions. Built by Auguste Perret and Jacques Tournant, it features a large 18-storey tower and a garden designed by Auguste Perret himself. The large esplanade now hosts part of the tramway route of the city.
Le Havre has, however, preserved some more ancient monuments, like the cathedral Notre-Dame, classified as Historic Monuments. Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, it dates from the end of the sixteenth century. Small originality, one can admire inside the old way of the cross of the ship, Normandy.
Other medieval religious buildings are also visible, such as the Graville Abbey, the oldest building in Le Havre. Classified as a Historic Monument, it blends Romanesque and Gothic styles. The chapel of Ingouville, of the fifteenth century, also deserves the detour with its flamboyant Gothic style.
There are also many monuments testifying to the maritime vocation of the Norman town, such as the Vauban docks, the Tourneville fort, or the famous hanging gardens. The latter are a botanical garden located inside the old fort of Sainte-Adresse and pays tribute to the city's botanists who have traveled the world to discover new plant species. One finds in particular greenhouses and thematic spaces on America or Asia.
The city of Le Havre also has five museums labeled Museum of France, following the example of the André Malraux Museum. Dedicated to art, it unveils collections from the end of the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. Monet, Renoir, Dufy and Boudin are appreciated here. Eighteenth century residence, the house of the Shipowner has been classified Historic Monuments and now houses a museum unveiling the life of the high dignitaries of the city under the Ancien Régime. Located in the old private mansion Dubocage de Bléville, the Museum of Ancien Havre allows to discover the history of the city through time. Do not miss the museum of natural history whose building is classified to the Historic Monuments. It is still home to interesting specimens of palaeontology and zoology.
Rarely in the country, Le Havre houses within its downtown a pebble beach. It has a number of recreational and entertainment facilities, such as children's playgrounds and sports fields, and enjoys the benefits of the Channel Sea.
The city of Le Havre, which has inspired many painters and artists of all kinds, has retained an important cultural tradition.
Le Havre markets are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays in the morning. A Christmas market also takes place in December.
Literary Festival, the Taste of Others is held in January. Through lectures, lectures and other cultural events, it highlights the literatures of the world.
Original, the Fest Yves is an event in Breton colors that takes place in the Saint-François district every May.
Dixie Days is a jazz festival that takes place in June on the beaches of Le Havre and Sainte-Adresse.
Polar at the Beach, a literary festival dedicated to detective novels, is organized every year in July. Like the world music festival, Moz'aïques, it takes place in the Z'Estivales, street entertainment taking place throughout the summer.
In September, the feast of the sea unveils the start of a race linking Le Havre in Bahia, Brazil.
Exposition : Yvon Bobinet - Géographie Désenchantée
- From 9 may to 24 june 2023
- 9 Rue Rollon
- Graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Nantes, Yvon Bobinet discovered stereoscopy and its almost virgin artistic potential thanks to one of his teachers E. Rautenstrauch. - Experimenting with different techniques as he researched stereoscopic representation, he devoted most of his time to it in parallel with his job as a teacher of applied arts. - For him, the main interest of this mode of expression is the sensory, almost tactile quality of this mental space. - It is not a question of "augmented reality" but of binocular representation, a process which implies an active and voluntary behavior towards the image. - The themes that he deals with are strongly linked to the urban environment and its inhabitants, such as his immersions in Grande-Synthe or those of his series exhibited at the Atelier in Nantes. - At the Glacière, Yvon Bobinet offers us a look at himself and others, a "disenchanted geography", mixing humor, irony and poetry, but also denouncing a reality that is sometimes more cruel. - Opening on May 20 at 6 pm. - Exhibition from May 9 to June 24, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 3 to 7 pm.
Exposition : Respectus - Hommage aux Peuples Amérindiens
- From 15 may to 15 july 2023
- Rue du Fort
- It is by discovering texts and Amerindian quotations, then by imagining a sculpture in symbiosis with the centennial ash tree of the southern garden, that Hervé Delamare has realized these last five years "Respectus, homage to the Amerindian peoples". New works to celebrate the different gardens of the site and more particularly the North American one. - More than thirty sculptures will interact with the whole of the Hanging Gardens, accompanied by native quotes. - To be discovered among the vegetation, within the four thematic gardens, the greenhouses and the exhibition gallery Alvéole 13. - Bio-sourced creations. - The sculptor has specially developed for the event, a set of sustainable techniques, favoring simple, economical and bio-sourced materials. Mainly the stratified flax fiber (Norman plant par excellence), as well as the clay-cellulose without cooking using even the clay of the ground of the Hanging Gardens. - Presence of the artist in the gardens, Thursdays and Sundays from 3 to 6 pm. - Free guided tour, on reservation : exposition.respectus@gmail.com - Exhibition (entirely bilingual French/English) from Monday May 15 to Saturday July 15,2023.
Exposition : Memento Mori Animalis - Sailev, au Torture Garden
- From 1 to 30 june 2023
- 35 Avenue Foch
- For his first exhibition in Le Havre, artist Sailev has created a veritable cabinet of wild curiosities. Whether a naturalist ? S Alibaba cave or a taxidermist ? S dream, his paintings are teeming with exotic animals, each more colorful than the last, evolving amid skulls and skeletons as if in a post-apocalyptic Garden of Eden. The bubbling diversity of nature confronts the implacability of death, allowing the artist to recall the inevitable while honoring nature. It's a way of nurturing our questions and anxieties about man's ephemeral condition in the light of the climate emergency. - Whether in scales, feathers, hair or bone, everything in Sailev's paintings is designed to seem real and to deceive the senses. Hyperrealism transcribes matter, and death appears as real as life. - Sailev was born in the Hauts de France region. He now lives in Normandy. It was during his travels in Asia, where he spent 6 years, that he developed a vision of the world that is both poetic and alarming. His paintings have been exhibited in Europe, Asia and North America. In 2021, he was awarded the Environmental Art Prize at the Artists For Conservation Festival in Vancouver. - Exhibition from June 1 to 30,2023 at Torture Garden - Vernissage on June 1 from 6:30pm. - Free admission, Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm.
Concert : Antes & Madzes + Von Vs
- On 7 june 2023
- Rue du 329ème Régiment d'Infanterie
- > Antes & Madzes [Rap] - Antes & Madzes write a rap tinged with rock and electronic music, between Orelsan and Set&Match. Their specialty ? To put simple words on the complex evils met by the youth, always with humor. They make defeats fashionable, transform routines into adventures and misfortunes into great parties. After a first album and concerts in support of BigFlo & Oli, Guizmo or PuppetMastaz, the duo released in 2022 their second EP "En vrai". Uncomplicated songs, juggling with sounds, like small scripted stories. A real ball of energy that feels good ! - > Von Vs [Rap] - Von Vs, a native of Le Havre, has been immersed in hip-hop culture since his teenage years via the freestyle aspect of rap. Influenced by Orelsan, Nepal, Sopico or Twenty One Pilots, he uses writing as a bag to depict reality. Scoring words, rhythm, alternating volcanic times and lulls, making vibrate, moving too, are the essence of Von Vs' music.
Minute Patrimoine : Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
- On 7 june 2023
- 133 Boulevard de Strasbourg
- Organized by Pays d'Art et d'Histoire. - One Wednesday a month, we invite you to take a 30-minute tour of a significant element of our local heritage, and to continue your exploration with a visit or lecture a few days later. - Bernardin de Saint-Pierre : - Take a tête-à-tête with the bronze statue of the writer Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, and plunge into the heart of the 18th century, when abolitionists and supporters of the slave trade clashed. - Meeting at 12:15 pm and 1 pm : in front of the Law Courts, Le Havre. - Free, no reservation required. - Duration : 30 min.
Rencontre : Aurélie Bambuck
- On 7 june 2023
- Maison de l'Armateur, Quai de l'Île
- To coincide with the release of Volume 2, author Aurélie Bambuck will talk to children and adults alike, retracing the history of Pacotille and revealing the behind-the-scenes story behind the creation of a comic strip. - Pacotille was born of a meeting between Aurélie Bambuck and scriptwriter Éric Corbeyran. Pacotille is the story of 6-year-old Nzinga, captured in the 17th century in the kingdom of Kongo and separated from her native land and her parents. After a terrible crossing, she was sold into slavery on the island of Martinique. To coincide with the release of Volume 2, author Aurélie Bambuck will talk to the children about the story of Pacotille, and give a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a comic strip. - Open to all - Free, booking essential.
Visite Guidée : Autour des Plantes Caribéennes
- On 8 june 2023
- Rue du Fort
- A walk in the greenhouses to discover the plants, roots and fruits grown in the West Indies. A trip that will remind you of the mild climate of the Caribbean or perhaps transport you to the 17th century when these products were worth their weight in gold… - This guided tour is offered on the occasion of the exhibition on the slave trade and slavery presented at the museum of the Hôtel Dubocage de Bléville from May 10 to November 10,2023. - Meeting point at the entrance of the greenhouses. - Duration : 2 hours. - Reservation required by email at reservation-mah@lehavre.fr
Live Music au Best Western Plus Le Havre Centre Gare
- On 8 june 2023
- 23 Cours de la République
- The hotel Best Western Plus Le Havre Centre Gare invites you to an afterwork concert in the bar BW23 on Thursday, June 8th from 7 pm. Come and discover the group "Pedrazzoli Sisters", during an a cappella concert.
Les Révélations - Traversez le Miroir !
- From 8 to 10 june 2023
- Quai des Antilles
- Within the framework of its public policy around the image, the City of Le Havre launches Les Révélations, an event which honors all the facets of this new language used by all, with the ambition to make discover their jobs and to live an "experience of the cinema" to cause vocations. - The Revelations is a meeting. A meeting between the public and personalities with inspiring talents (casting, directing, acting, screenplay…), who have aroused vocations. - It is also a discovery. A discovery close to those who "make" the image. - Who hasn't dreamed one day of participating in the adventure of a film or series shoot ? - Whether you feel like an actor or a dancer, whether you want to be an extra or try your hand at holding a camera, there are few opportunities to get your hands on this world where everything seems possible. Even if it's just the first time to try ? - You are thus invited to live an original experience through the reconstitution of a film set : through an immersive and participative course, it will be possible to test the various stages of a film shoot and to live the conditions of preparation (casting, make-up, dressing, rehearsals, stunts, dance…). This exceptional film set will be set up in front of the Pathé cinema and in the Docks Vauban shopping mall and will be open to all volunteers, from 6 years old, accompanied by an adult (to live this unique filming experience, register for free on the website). - Complete program on : https://lesrevelations.lehavre.fr/agenda
Atelier : Le Réel Distancié
- On 8 june 2023
- 2 boulevard Clemenceau, Musée d'Art Moderne André Malraux - MuMa
- Echoing the temporary exhibition Marquet en Normandie, Le Havre artist François Trocquet offers a 4-session workshop to experiment with the notion of "distanced reality" in the painter ? S work. - From observational drawing to landscape perspective, to a certain form of abstraction, François Trocquet will invite you to use the museum ? S interior and exterior landscapes as a starting point for recomposing drawn landscapes of all kinds. - Attendance at the four sessions (01/06,08/06,15/06 and 22/06) is not compulsory to take part in the workshop. You can attend one, two or more sessions, as you wish ! - Duration : 1h30 - On reservation.
