{"id":12199,"date":"2023-09-02T08:41:18","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T06:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/normandielovers.fr\/visit-cathedrale-notre-dame-du-havre\/"},"modified":"2024-08-12T17:39:22","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T15:39:22","slug":"visit-cathedral-notre-dame-le-havre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/normandielovers.fr\/en\/visit-cathedral-notre-dame-le-havre\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit Notre Dame Cathedral in Le Havre (tips + photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you plan to visit Le Havre Cathedral<\/strong> during your stay, you’re in for a surprise!<\/p>\n\n

Surely one of the smallest<\/strong> cathedrals in <\/strong>France, it is one of the few buildings in the city to have survived the bombardments of the Second World War.<\/p>\n\n

In this article, we tell you all about theatypical history<\/strong> of this place, with tips<\/strong> and photos<\/strong> to help you prepare for your visit.<\/p>\n\n

\"View<\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n\n
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This guide is completely independent<\/strong>, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Why visit Le Havre Cathedral?<\/h2>\n\n

Is Le Havre Cathedral worth it? Our opinion:<\/h3>\n\n

Although Le Havre Cathedral may not<\/strong> be impressive<\/strong> (just 62.9 m long, 27.3 m wide and 13 m high, a far cry from the 151 m of neighboring Rouen Cathedral), it is not without interest, particularly from an architectural<\/strong> point of view.<\/p>\n\n

In fact, it’s a combination of the different architectural styles of the 16th and 17th centuries. The Gothic-inspired<\/strong> tower is joined by a Baroque-style<\/strong> main facade, while the side facades are in Renaissance<\/strong> and Classical<\/strong> styles…<\/p>\n\n

This building is an art history lesson in itself! This is one of Le Havre’s must-see places<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\"Photo<\/a>
The chevet of the Cathedral<\/figcaption><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n\n

Why is Notre Dame Cathedral famous?<\/h3>\n\n

Because this is the church where our mother did her catechism… <\/p>\n\n

On a more serious note, the Cathedral occupies a special place in the hearts of the people of Le Havre, and in the city’s history, because it is one of the few buildings not to have been razed to the ground <\/strong>after the terrible bombardments of September 1944.<\/p>\n\n

While 82% of the city was destroyed in the space of 5 days, the Cathedral, though damaged, did not collapse.<\/p>\n\n

, via Wikimedia Commons” href=”https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Le_Havre_hiver_1944-1945.JPG”>\"Le<\/a><\/center>\n\n

Auguste Perret<\/strong>, the architect in charge of rebuilding Le Havre, decided to save it and even push back the Rue de Paris, one of the city’s main streets, to give the Cathedral a square<\/strong> worthy of the name.<\/p>\n\n

At the same time, he commissioned the construction of St. Joseph’s Church<\/strong> a few hundred meters away, in a resolutely modern style, creating a striking contrast between these 2 religious buildings.<\/p>\n\n

Don’t confuse Le Havre Cathedral with Saint Joseph’s Church<\/h3>\n\n

Having lived next door to these 2 places of worship since our youth, we’ve regularly come across visitors looking for the Cath\u00e9drale Saint Joseph<\/strong>, or the Cath\u00e9drale Perret in Le Havre<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

\"View<\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n\n

On the one hand, there’s Notre Dame du Havre Cathedral<\/strong>, a large church built in the 16th and 17th centuries and elevated to Cathedral status in 1974, and on the other,Saint Joseph’s Church<\/strong>, a masterpiece of modernism built by Auguste Perret from 1951 to 1957.<\/p>\n\n

It’s not hard to imagine why Pope Paul VI <\/strong>preferred the much more traditional church on rue de Paris to the revolutionary building on boulevard Fran\u00e7ois 1er, so far removed from the codes of Catholicism at the time. If you’d like to find out more about Saint Joseph’s church, read our full article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

700 metres and four centuries separate these 2 religious buildings!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Both are well worth a visit, even if you only have a day’s stopover at the cruise port of Le Havre<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

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WHERE TO STAY<\/span> IN Le Havre<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Our favorites: neighborhoods and hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the waterfront:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hilton Hotel with its modern decor and balconies – see prices, photos and availability<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downtown, in the heart of Perret architecture:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

H\u00f4tel Pasino, for ultra-spacious rooms – <\/strong>See prices, photos and availability<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotel Vent d’Ouest, a charming place to stay – See prices, photos and availability<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Hotel<\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

See our complete selection of the best hotels in Le Havre<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See all available hotels -><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

History in brief<\/h3>\n\n