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NORMANDY 

Le Havre -A visit of the city

Le Havre in history

A visit to the city

Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre

The vision of Auguste Perret made that Le Havre today is a city with one of Europe's largest squares with Hotel de Villa, liberally planted with flowers, trees and fountains. But let's start a walk from the BASSIN DU COMMERCE, now filled with pleasure craft, where a sailing school is housed. Walk on the pedestrian bridge to have a wonderful view on the city. Leisure nowadays takes strange forms, so the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, with its arts and recreation centre completed in 1982. Not everybody was happy with this building style. Totally opposed to Perret's style. From the grey shades of Perret to the pure white of Niemeyer. Inside you have movie theatres, exhibition halls and play theatres. On Sundays there is a large market between here and the port. 

Musee Ancient Havre

South of the Bassin du Commerce lays the MUSEE DE L'ANCIEN HAVRE, appropriately housed in a restored 17th century lodge. The city's history from 1517 is brought vividly to life through maps and engravings, photographs, paintings and more. You will leave with an immense admiration for its formidable powers and achievements. 
A pleasure boat tours the dock from the quai de la Marine and you will be able to see in comfort, the immensity of port operations and the size of the docks, some as big as lakes. 
Le Havre moots distinguished building, lies very near to the arrival of the ferries coming from England and Ireland: the ANDRE MALRAUX FINE ARTS MUSEUM.
A precious art collection, belonging to the city, the contemporary part in the  basement, works of Francois Villon, Raoul Dufy, and Fernand Leger on the main floor, the Impressionists are housed on the upper floors: Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin, together with some works of the 16th and 17th century (a few Van Dijck). Opened in 1961, it is perfectly adapted to its function of displaying pictures and sculptures, disregarding of period, in the best possible conditions. Inside; no walls but screens that can be shuffled into place like playing cards to give the interior new spaces, new volumes. Aluminium blinds in the glass roof filter the natural light as required. 
Back to the centre, of the original rue de Paris, only remains is the CATHEDRAL NOTRE DAME, and of that only the façade. What a contrast with the Perret's church of SAINT-JOSEPH! This concrete tower, looking more like the Empire State Building, rises 106 meters to its belfry above the city. When you enter, it could be the entrance of a super cinema. You would almost expect to be seated by a girl operating a torch. Simple, coloured glass windows and give a soft light. 
The boulevard Clemenceau lures us away to Havre's other persona as a seaside resort: the yacht harbour and the "plage". 
Next post, we walk to Sainte Adresse, a passable impersonation of Nice and the Graville Priory.
More about Normandy, its cities and memorial sites on my web site.

Bibliography


"Region Normandie, ses merveilles, ses cicatrices", by Louis Letellier (ed. Cloison, Rouen 1995, "Claude Monet : impressions of France : from Le Havre to Giverny" by John Russell Taylor, "Le peuple du Havre et son histoire" by Jean Legoy, "Hoog Normandie" by Sandra Vermoolen( ANWB reisgidsen,Den Haag)