The harbour of Fécamp in Normandy by Hilke Maunder

About "The harbour of Fécamp in Normandy"

by Hilke Maunder

About the artwork

Fécamp conquers the senses. There is salt in the air, the seagulls cry out, the fresh breeze revitalises the spirit, making you fresh and curious. Next to the harbour entrance, the imposing chalk cliffs of the Alabaster Coast stretch into the high sky on either side.

No cliff on the Côte d'Albâtre is higher than Cap Fagnet, which borders the pebble beach to the north. It stretches 113 metres into the Norman sky and offers magnificent panoramic views from the vantage point.

On a clear day, the turbines of the first French offshore wind farm, inaugurated by President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 around 13 kilometres off the coast, are also visible. Since then, its 71 wind turbines have been supplying 770,000 people with wind power.
On the promenade in Fécamp stands a statue of a fisherman's wife with wooden shoes and heavy hands, her gaze turned towards the vast sea. She is waiting for her husband.

From the 16th century onwards, Fécamp was the home port of an important fishing fleet. It fished for cod off the distant coasts of Newfoundland. Overfishing eventually caused lasting damage to this once profitable industry.

On 8 December 2017, the successor to the Museum of the Newfoundlanders of Fécamp opened in the former cod and herring factory in Fécamp. Spread over seven floors and 4,700 square metres, the Musée des Pêcheries traces the centuries-long history of Newfoundland and herring fishing in Fécamp.

With a small, fine collection of paintings, the museum also takes you back to the years when the Impressionists came to Fécamp during the development of the seaside resorts.