Etretat

Maupassant described Etretat as "a fairytale decor with two marvellous breaks in the cliffs". 

Etretat is without a doubt one of the most romantic places in the world when the sun sets over the white chalky cliffs.

Etretat, lined with a promenade along the pebbly beach, is flanked on the right by Amont cliff and its small chapel and on the left by Aval cliff with its arch of flint.

The Aiguille de Belval, 71 metres tall, stands proudly alone slightly further along the coast.

Behind Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde chapel, the Nungesser and Coli monuments pay tribute to two aviators who, in 1927, attempted in vain the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic ocean. 

Etretat, is also an old fishing town which became a popular seaside resort in the 1920s.  The opulent villas like the Villa Orphée, Salamandre manorhouse and the most famous, Clos Lupin, home to Maurice Leblanc, creator of the adventures of the famous gentleman burglar, Arsène Lupin, are reminders of this period.

Etretat and its cliffs have inspired numerous artists who were charmed by the town: artists like Courbet, Boudin and Monet, writers such as Maupassant, Leblanc and Karr as well as composers such as Messager and Offenbach... And what if you too fall under Etretat"s spell ?

Crédit-photos : Etretat© Seine-Maritime Tourisme-PixSide (n°1) - Etretat-Table-IMP© Seine-Maritime Tourisme-V.Henon (n°2)