Etretat is a special place whose cliffs have been agilely sculpted by the sea. A tiny fishing village which grew into a chic seaside resort, Etretat became a muse for painters, musicians, and writers, a spectaular site to visit for nature lovers…
Although the fishermen’s district is still part of Etretat, life is very different today. A certain Alphonse Karr, journalist and novelist, changed this quiet little village forever when he visited and wrote about it in the mid 19th century. Chic villas were soon scattered everywhere for wealthy Parisians and Versaillais vacationers. Amazed by the unique spectacular coastal formations, the greatest Impressionists, musicians, and writers haunted its cliffs from whence they drew inspiration. At the turn of the century, Maurice Leblanc – the French Sherlock Holmes – chose Etretat as the most important player in his whodunnit, the Hollow Needle.
Strolling through the streets of Etretat, we will recreate the past: the lives of the fishermen as well as those of the chic summer residents. Like those before us, we will amble along the boardwalk lining its pebbled beach and admire the magnificent cliffs of the Alabaster coast.
