Le Havre, Ferries and Ferry Crossings

Welcome to the Le Havre (France) section of FerryCrossings.org, the site for information about major UK and continental ports and the ferries between them. Our site includes an introduction to a number of ports and feature pages about the various crossing ways, lanes and routes and companies operating between them to help you plan your journey and discover interesting travel destinations along the way. You can even compare prices and save money on your ferry tickets with ads from selected major ferry lines.

Port of Le Havre, France

Le Havre. Le Havre, France's biggest city port, is in Normandy, at the mouth of the River Seine and just a couple of hours from Paris. It has the dubious distinction of being the place to suffer the most devastation, in France, during the Normandy Invasion in the Second World War. Its centre was completeley destroyed by allied bombing and, as the German forces retreated they destroyed the port area with its 17 kms of quayside, warehouses, offices and cranes. To all intents and purposes it was virtually wiped off the map and stripped of its identity. In 1949 the city was awarded the Legion of Honor, one of France's highest decorations.

The city's history goes back to 1517 when the city was founded and known as Franciscopolis until it was subsequently re-named Le Havre-de-Grace. The port flourished in the 18th century as the trade with the West Indies grew. For a few years in the late 18th century the city was renamed as Havre de Marat, in honour of the French revolutionary, but by 1795 it had become simply, Le Havre.

The Normandy Bridge, the construction of which took 7 years from 1988 to its opening in 1995, was the longest road-bridge of its type at the time. It spans the the River Seine and links Le Havre with Honfleur on the other side of the river.

The reconstruction of Le Havre after the Second World War was placed in the hands of the architect Auguste Perret. His intention was not of restoration of the old but of a completely new city of innovative concept. His plans and design were not always welcomed and sparked a great deal of furious debate and hostilty. Over the next 15 years his new city was built from the re-inforced concrete that he saw as the means to creating his inspirational, modern buildings. Although his work hasn't always attracted enthusiastic acclaim the city's unique character was recognised in 2005 when UNESCO designated the city centre of Le Havre a World Heritage Site, honouring the 'innovative utilization of concrete's potential' and its status as 'an exceptional example of architecture and town-planning of the post-war era' . Perret's Church of St Joseph, with its towering belltower (one of the tallest in France) dominates the city and at night, when illuminated, can be seen as a beacon from far out at sea.

Amongst the attractions the visitor passing through Le Havre wouldn't want to miss is the museum and art gallery which houses an impressive collection of impressionist paintings