Photo spot in Honfleur & Deauville
The Vieux Bassin from the Quai Sainte-Catherine
Tall, narrow slate-fronted houses standing shoulder to shoulder around a rectangle of water, doubled in it whenever the harbour is still.
About The Vieux Bassin from the Quai Sainte-Catherine
Get directionsThe Vieux Bassin is one frame that has been earning its living for two centuries: six and seven storeys tall, three windows wide, slate hung on the fronts against the weather, leaning very slightly, and repeated upside down in the water. Boudin painted here and brought the young Monet with him, which is why the light gets talked about — soft, silvery, and different every twenty minutes.
Shoot from the Quai Sainte-Catherine side early, before the restaurants put their chairs out and while the water is still enough to hold a clean reflection. The stone Lieutenance gate at the harbour mouth gives a second, more architectural frame, and the corner where the quay meets the gate is where the whole basin lines up. Overcast is not a problem here, it is the local look; rain is fine too, because the arcades and the covered market give shelter within a minute.
By mid-morning in season the quay is a slow-moving crowd and the terraces are full. The other end of the day works as well: after the restaurants light up, blue hour puts warm windows against a cobalt sky with the reflection still there.
Best time to shoot
Early morning for still water, or blue hour once the restaurant windows light up
Tips
The reflection is the picture, so go before the harbour breeze gets up. Overcast Normandy light is an asset here, not a reason to reschedule.
Other spots in Honfleur & Deauville
Église Sainte-Catherine and Rue Haute
The largest wooden church in France, its belfry standing separately across the square, and a street of half-timbered fronts behind it.
Les Planches at Deauville
A 1920s boardwalk along the sand, rows of parasols, and beach cabins carrying the names of the film stars who came to the festival.
Ready to book?
Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know The Vieux Bassin from the Quai Sainte-Catherine — free of charge.