Port of Honfleur
Port of Honfleur, Port de Honfleur, is the harbor of the Norman town of Honfleur, France. Vikings founded it, and expeditions from this harbor helped reach Quebec.
In the 17th century, Samuel de Champlain left Honfleur and founded Quebec. Later, Louis XIV encouraged settlements, turning the area into Norman colonies with thousands of peasants.
In 1681 the port was expanded by Abraham Duquesne under Colbert’s orders, and the western fortifications were removed. The harbor is bordered on three sides by two styles of buildings: on the south, large stone houses (Quai Saint-Etienne); on the north, tall wooden houses (Quai Sainte Catherine). The Lieutenancy building at the harbor entrance is an 18th-century former governor’s home; part of it is the old gate called Port de Caen, planned as part of the city’s fortifications. It housed the king’s lieutenant from 1684 to 1789 and became a commerce tribunal in 1793.
Official records from Calvados show port activity. In 1881, 199,789 passengers traveled to and from Le Havre, 2,320 to Rouen, with smaller numbers to Southampton and Littlehampton, totaling 345,992. Fishing boats were common; 75 ships were registered in 1881, and seafood sales reached 391,390 francs. Most seafood was eaten locally, with some sent to Paris by train. Notable imports included wood from Norway, coal from England, wheat from America, and lime. Large visiting ships included the Aneroïd, Nostra-Madre, and Newsleydale, with drafts up to 5.3 meters.
Today the Port of Honfleur is a series of basins linked to the Seine by an access channel.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:47 (CET).