France Cruise: Honfleur, Rouen, Fecamp
In this ninth post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Honfleur, Rouen, and Fécamp, France on her France Intensive Cruise on Azamara.
I got to spend two wonderful days in beautiful Honfleur on my France Intensive cruise. Honfleur is another port that I had visited back in 2022 on my Northern Cities Voyage cruise. So, this time around, Honfleur was a great starting point for me to enjoy two different excursions to two different places: Rouen and Fécamp. I also had a bit of time to revisit Honfleur itself as well.
France Intensive Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Honfleur, Rouen, and Fécamp, France. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- June 9 through June 11: Bordeaux, France
- June 12: La Rochelle and Île de Ré, France
- June 13: Belle-Île-en-Mer, France
- June 14: Nantes, France
- June 15: Brest and Quimper, France
- June 16: St. Peter Port, Guernsey
- June 17: Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel, France
- June 18: Cherbourg, Omaha Beach, and Sainte-Mère-Église, France
- June 19 & 20: Honfleur, Rouen, and Fécamp, France
- June 21: Oostende and Bruges, Belgium
June 19: Honfleur and Rouen
My first of two days docked in Honfleur got off to a slow, relaxing start. My excursion to Rouen was in the afternoon, so I had the morning to relax and recharge after a few very active days. I took the time to enjoy a quiet ship as many others headed off for morning excursions or to explore Honfleur on their own.
Rouen
In the afternoon, I joined my excursion group and headed about 50 miles east to Rouen, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. After about an hour-long bus ride, we arrived in Rouen. Rouen is a large and bustling city on the River Seine. It has a metropolitan population of over 700,000 people. But it still has a ton of charm and character. We started our visit with a walking tour through the old city.
Église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc (Church of Saint Joan of Arc)
The first stop on our walking tour of Rouen was the Église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc, the Church of Saint Joan of Arc. This modern Roman Catholic church was commissioned in 1969 and completed in 1979. It sits in the center of the ancient market square, Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 for heresy. The small garden area just outside of the main church entrance has a tall pole with a cross at the top, which marks the exact spot where she was burned at the stake. The architecture of the church itself is very striking. The curves symbolize two things: the flames that consumed Joan of Arc, and an overturned ship.
Scroll through the slideshow below for some pictures of the Church of Saint Joan of Arc:
The stained-glass windows in the church actually came from a nearby church, the Church of Saint Vincent. The 16th century church was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but the stained-glass windows were removed and safely stored. So, although the Church of Saint Vincent is now in ruins a few feet away, its 13 panels of glorious and beautiful windows are reborn here at the Church of Saint Joan of Arc.
Click through the slideshow below for some more pictures of the Church of Saint Joan of Arc:
Gros-Horloge (Great Clock Tower)
From the church, we continued our walking tour through the old town area of Rouen. Our next stop was the Gros-Horloge, the Great Clock Tower. This is a gorgeous 14th century astronomical clock, one of the oldest in France. The mechanism was made in 1389. The clock was moved to its current location in 1529, when a facade was also added. Today, one of the two bells in the tower ring on the quarter-hour. The phases of the moon are depicted in the oculus in the upper part of the dial; it completes a full rotation every 29 days. An opening at the base of the dial displays the day of the week, with allegorical subjects used to represent each day of the week.
Scroll through the below slideshow for some pictures of the clock tower:
Le Palais de Justice (Courthouse)
Next up was the stunning Palais de Justice, the Rouen Courthouse. It was constructed between 1499 and 1507, originally as the Exchequer of Normandy. It began serving as a courthouse during the French Revolution. This gorgeous Louis XII-style building was damaged during a large-scale bombardment of Rouen during World War II. It was then rebuilt and restored to its current state. However, you can still see several bullet holes and other markings from shrapnel in parts of the building’s facade.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen (Rouen Cathedral)
The last stop of our guided tour was the gorgeous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. This Catholic church is the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen. It was consecrated in 1063 and completed in 1880. Its striking facade includes three towers, each in a different style: the Saint-Romain Tower (seen on the left), the Butter Tower (seen on the right; so named because donors to this tower were given dispensation to consume butter and milk during Lent), and the central Lantern Tower and Spire.
Click through the slideshow below for some pictures of the Rouen Cathedral:
We spent time exploring the interior of the Cathedral, with its soaring nave and transept. The choir and choir stalls are beautiful. There are also tombs with remains of four Dukes of Normandy here, including one with the heart of Richard the Lionheart.
Architecture in Rouen
Throughout the guided walking tour, I saw many examples of the gorgeous architecture in Rouen. There are many half-timbered buildings, some more level and straight than others! The intricate designs, colorful paint, and whimsical displays made for a wonderful tour.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see some examples of the beautiful Rouen architecture:
After the guided tour we had some free time to explore Rouen on our own. I enjoyed wandering through the streets and soaking in the sights. Some more examples of the pretty sights along the way today are shown below. Even the local McDonald’s is quite fancy!
A Sweet Snack in Rouen
During my free time in Rouen, I stopped for yet another delicious gelato! This became my quest on this cruise…I liked to find a local spot for a refreshing gelato or ice cream in virtually every place I visited.
White Night in Honfleur
After a fun and educational afternoon in Rouen, we returned to the ship. Due to the afternoon timing of my excursion, the White Night party was already in full swing by the time I got back to the ship. I made a quick pit stop in my cabin to don my white outfit and headed up to the pool deck to join the festivities. White Night is one of my favorite nights on any Azamara cruise…it’s a fun and festive night of food, drink, song, and dance. Tonight was no exception. Things kicked off with a fantastic Beatles cover band during the extravagant dinner buffet. The crowd-favorite Crew Parade followed, where we all got to wave our white napkins to celebrate all of the hard-working crew members as they parade down to the main stage.
Once the Crew Parade wrapped up, it was time for the main event: a high-energy performance by the full entertainment team. The Signature Singers and Dancers, the Quest House Band, the Assistant Cruise Director, and the Cruise Director all kept us out on the dance floor for the rest of the evening. Even though the weather was a bit chilly, we all had a fabulous time.
My first day in Honfleur wrapped up with a stunning sunset over the port of Le Havre, across the harbor from where our ship docked for the night.
June 20: Honfleur and Fécamp
My second full day in Honfleur started off with another beautiful view from my veranda before setting off for breakfast. After filling up at Windows Cafe, I set off for today’s excursion, a morning in Fécamp, France. Fécamp is about 30 miles north of Honfleur, and a pleasant 45-minute bus ride got us there to start our excursion.
Palais Bénédictine (Bénédictine Palace)
Today’s excursion was to the glorious Palais Bénédictine, the world’s only distillery of Bénédictine liqueur. The Bénédictine Palace is beautiful, with a mix of neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance styles. It was built in the late 1800s. The grand palace includes the distillery and cellars, along with a museum and exhibition space.
Scroll through the below slideshow for some pictures of the palace:
Our tour started in the museum portion of the palace. This museum includes a large and varied collection of art and artifacts from 14th, 15th, and 16th century. Some of the collection is part of the personal collections of the founder Alexandre-Prosper Le Grand.
The slideshow below includes many highlights of the exterior and interior of the Bénédictine Palace:
Our tour continued through the museum, the distillery, and the cellars. Bénédictine liqueur is still made and preserved here, but the actual bottling takes place in another facility. The displays of some of the old bottles, including the oldest preserved bottle of Bénédictine, is very interesting.
Examples of the posters used in advertising the liqueur are also on display here, in a large room that connect the museum to the tasting area. There is also a display in this room of some of the 600-plus counterfeits of Bénédictine liqueur, one of the most copied liqueurs in the world. The Spice Room (where the 27 plants and spices used in making Bénédictine liqueur are highlighted) is also an interesting part of the palace.
Click through the slideshow below for some pictures of the tour:
Bénédictine Tasting
After the fascinating tour of the museum and the distillery, we ended up in the tasting room. This is actually a bar that is open to the public. But on this quiet Thursday morning, we had the place to ourselves! Our three-part tasting started off with the original Bénédictine first: D.O.M. This abbreviation stands for, “Deo Optimo Maximo,” or “To God, most good, most great.” This phrase was used in documents by the Bénédictine Order to dedicate their work. This was the sweetest and the least alcohol volume of the three we tasted.
The second tasting was Single Cask, which is a blend of the original Bénédictine and brandy. The Bénédictine Single Cask is only available here at the Palais de la Bénédictine’s store in Fécamp. Our last of the three tastings was 1888, which is a blend of the original Bénédictine and Cognac. This third one was my favorite of the three!
Afternoon in Honfleur
After spending the morning in Fécamp at the Palais de la Bénédictine, we headed back to the ship for the afternoon. I got a quick lunch on the ship before heading out to Honfleur for the afternoon. The ship is docked a few minutes away from the center of Honfleur, so there was a shuttle bus service available to get from the ship to the city. When I got onto the shuttle bus in the early afternoon, I was the only one heading into the city from the ship, so I had a private bus!
Once in the city center, I enjoyed a leisurely walk through the gorgeous area. Having visited here two years ago, I stopped to soak in some of my favorite sights from my first visit. The main harbor area is very picturesque, with small pleasure boats bobbing in the water alongside the gorgeous architecture.
Click through the below slideshow below to see some of the sights of Honfleur:
I enjoyed walking up and down the winding streets in Honfleur. There are tons of bustling shops, cafes, and pubs everywhere. The historic architecture is stunning. Scroll through the slideshow below for a few more shots of Honfleur:
A Sweet Snack in Honfleur
Of course, my free time would not be complete without another cool, sweet snack! I actually stopped at the same ice cream shop I visited two years prior and got a delicious scoop of mint chocolate chip. It definitely hit the spot as I wrapped up another busy and fun-filled day along the coast of France.
A Fabulous Performance
I wrapped up my two fabulous days in Honfleur with a fabulous performance this evening. Our beautiful and talented Cruise Director, Emily, put on her powerful show in the Cabaret Lounge tonight. She belted out some fantastic numbers, woven with some touching and personal stories. I have had the pleasure of knowing Emily since my first Azamara cruise two years ago. As beautiful and talented as she is, above all she is a truly wonderful person. I always enjoy sailing on a cruise where Emily is the Cruise Director.
Conclusion
My two days in and around Honfleur were wonderful. I got to spend a bit of time revisiting Honfleur and soaking in its beauty. But I also got to venture out on two excursions that took me out of Honfleur itself. The afternoon in Rouen was amazing, learning more about Joan of Arc’s tragic history while seeing some absolutely gorgeous sights. The following morning, visiting the Palais de la Bénédictine’s in Fécamp, was also a great experience. The museum and distillery are beautiful and interesting, and the tasting was, well, tasty! Getting to enjoy both White Night and the Cruise Director’s show during this two-day stop was just icing on the cake.
Links
Click the button below to read about my first visit to Honfleur, France in 2022:
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
