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Le Havre was levelled by Allied bombing in September 1944 and rebuilt from 1945 to 1964 under the architect Auguste Perret, which is exactly why its centre became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Most of the best things to do in Le Havre are architectural: a 107-metre concrete church tower, a shipowner’s house that survived the war, and the museum where Monet grew up painting. Below are the attractions worth your time, with hours and prices checked for the current season; the Le Havre weather by month page shows the climate to plan around, and our Le Havre travel guide links every district.
Things to Do in Le Havre: Perret Architecture
Église Saint-Joseph
Perret’s church on Boulevard François 1er is the symbol of the rebuilt city. The 107-metre octagonal tower is filled with around 12,700 pieces of coloured glass that shift the light inside from blue to gold through the day, and it doubles as a memorial to the roughly 5,000 civilians killed in the 1944 bombings. Entry is free and it is open daily from about 10:00 to 18:00, closed during services. Go on a bright morning for the best effect.
Appartement témoin Perret
This model apartment at 181 rue de Paris reconstructs a 1950s flat exactly as Perret intended it, down to the fitted kitchen and period furniture. It is the clearest look at how ordinary families lived in the new city. Visits are guided, last about an hour, and must be booked through the Maison du Patrimoine; a ticket costs around €5. It is the single most useful stop if you only have time for one museum.
Hôtel de Ville and Place Auguste Perret
The 18-storey town hall tower and the wide Place Auguste Perret form the heart of the UNESCO zone. Stand in the square and you see the full Perret grid: wide boulevards, concrete buildings on a strict 6.24-metre module, and colonnades at street level. It is free to walk at any time, and the tourist office inside the square runs regular guided walks of the district in French and English.
Things to Do in Le Havre: Museums and Culture
MuMa, Musée d’art moderne André Malraux
MuMa on Boulevard Clemenceau holds France’s second-largest Impressionist collection after the Musée d’Orsay, built around the harbour scenes Monet painted while living in Le Havre. Note that the original Impression, Sunrise (1872) is in Paris at the Musée Marmottan Monet, not here; what you get at MuMa is a deep collection of Boudin, Monet, and Dufy. It is open Tuesday to Friday 11:00 to 18:00 and weekends 11:00 to 19:00, closed Mondays. Entry is about €10, free for under-26s and free on the first Saturday of each month.
Maison de l’Armateur
This five-storey 18th-century shipowner’s house on Quai de l’ÃŽle is one of the few buildings that survived the 1944 bombing, and its central light well and maritime interiors are the best surviving example of the pre-war city. Admission is around €5, with reduced rates for students. It closes on Tuesdays and tends to be quieter than MuMa, so it makes a good rainy-day backup.
Le Volcan, by Oscar Niemeyer
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer designed this white, volcano-shaped arts centre near the Place Auguste Perret, opened in 1982 and now rebranded Le Volcan. It houses a national theatre, a cinema, and a public library that is free to enter. Even if you skip a show, the curved concrete exterior is one of the most photographed spots in town. Check the programme on the Le Volcan website for concerts and plays during your visit.
Things to Do in Le Havre: Waterfront and Outdoors
La plage du Havre
The pebble beach runs about 2 km south of the centre, backed by a wide promenade, beach huts, and the casino. It is Blue Flag rated and good for sunbathing, beach volleyball, and sunset walks, though the water is cold. The LiA tram and the free funicular both connect the town to the seafront, and the beach is where the city gathers on warm summer evenings; for hotels near the sand see where to stay in Le Havre.
Les Jardins suspendus
These gardens occupy the ramparts of a 19th-century fort on the Sainte-Adresse escarpment, with themed plant collections from different world regions and a clear view over the city, the port, and the Seine estuary. The outdoor gardens are free and open daily, roughly 09:00 to 20:00 from April to October and 09:00 to 17:00 in winter; the tropical greenhouses carry a small entry fee. Reach them by funicular or on foot up the hill.
Catène de containers
Vincent Ganivet’s 2017 sculpture stacks 28 brightly painted shipping containers into two arches on the Quai de Southampton, a nod to Le Havre’s role as France’s busiest container port. It was built for the first Un Été au Havre festival and became permanent. It is free, outdoors, and best photographed at sunset against the cranes of the working port.
Things to Do in Le Havre: Day Trips
Étretat cliffs
The white chalk cliffs and needle of Étretat are 28 km north, reachable in about 35 minutes by car or on the Keolis bus from the station. The clifftop path above the Aval arch and the Aiguille is free, but it is steep and exposed, so wear grippy shoes and check the tide if you go down to the beach. Monet painted these cliffs repeatedly; combine the trip with a stop in our Le Havre neighborhoods guide’s seaside district.
Honfleur
Honfleur sits across the Seine estuary, 24 km away via the Pont de Normandie cable-stayed bridge (toll around €5.70 for a car). Its Vieux Bassin harbour, lined with narrow slate-fronted houses, is the classic Normandy postcard, and the Eugène Boudin museum there is worth an hour. The drive is about 25 minutes; buses also run from Le Havre station.
Pont de Normandie
The bridge itself is a sight: its 856-metre main span was the world’s longest cable-stayed span when it opened in 1995, and it carries the A29 across the estuary 214 metres above the water at its highest point. Drivers cross it en route to Honfleur; pedestrians and cyclists can use a free shuttle for part of the crossing. It is especially dramatic at dawn, when fog sits over the estuary; check the Le Havre travel tips page for reaching it without a car.
For more on when to come and what is on, see best time to visit Le Havre and the Le Havre events and festivals guide.
