Étretat - the last trace of the White Bird

It was here that the dreamers were last seen wanting to ascend to heaven like Icarus. Did the sea beat them stubbornly on the chalk rock? Did you not have enough strength to face the ocean wind?

Étretat is a nice, small town that we can visit while passing through the French department of Seine-Martime. It is situated on the English Channel, on the Alabaster Coast (Côte d'Albâtre).

Impressions on chalk rocks

The Seine-Martime region is particularly picturesque. The chalk cliffs, which give the coast its poetic name, have been attracting tourists for years. They create jagged cliffs that cut into the sea sharply, and at high tide they fight it fiercely. In turn, the outflow reveals the beach, from which you can perfectly see the rock formations most often captured in the pictures - the arch named Falaise d'Amont and the aggressively protruding headland, Falaise d'Aval . The latter is somewhat reminiscent of a French schoolgirl who, half-timidly, half-coquettishly, soaks her foot in water.

The rock formations seen in Étretat, including the numerous spiers and cliffs, have long inspired artists - first painters, then photographers. Fascinated by the age-old struggle of elements with rocks, they came here one by one to record landscapes with a brush or a camera. The landscapes of the Alabaster Coast enchanted, among others Eugène Boudin as well as Claude Monet.

Once Étretat was a modest fishing village, today it is a holiday resort enjoying a lot of interest from tourists from all over the country (and not only). In summer it comes alive, in autumn and winter you can quietly listen to the murmur of the waves breaking on the cliffs.

The last flight of the White Bird

Young people probably do not remember that the famous fictional burglar-gentleman Arsène Lupine was born at the beginning of the 20th century. Like our homely Janosik, he deprived bad people of money and valuables. In Étretat there is Le Clos Lupine , a museum dedicated to his figure, created under the pen of Maurice Leblanc. In this way, the town repaid the writer for mentioning him in the "Secret of the Hollow Spire" , in which the famous burglar met the last descendant of French kings.

In Étretat, at the edge of the cliff, is the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Garde , patron saint of local fishermen. Despite its relatively small size, it makes a great impression on tourists, which is probably influenced by the background it decorates.

In the vicinity of the chapel we will see L'Oiseau Blanc (White Bird), a monument to two French pilots who in 1927 intended to fly to England through the Atlantic Ocean. They were last seen in Étretat, then Charles Nungesser and François Coli disappeared to the world.

Camping in Étretat

Camping Municipal d'Étretat ** offers guests the possibility of rest for 3.75 € for adults and 2.65 € for children 4-10 years old. A motorhome pitch costs € 4.80 per day, and access to electricity costs € 1 per day.

It is worth taking the opportunity to get to know the area. Approx. 16.5 km from Étretat is Fécamp, which produces the popular French liqueur. A little further (approx. 27.5 km) is Le Havre, which is a background for several cinema films, also known for the funiculaire, i.e. funicular railway. And in the resort itself, there is an attraction for amateurs of hitting the hole - Golf d'Etretat.

Nobody needs to be encouraged to spend even one day on the coast. Here you can walk along long beaches, climb cliffs or have a picnic on the green grass - in a word, breathe deeply in the surroundings of beautiful nature. In summer, some people may complain about the crowds, but it's still worth exploring the place.