Attractions and Places To See around Gainneville - Top 20

Notre Dame Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral of the diocese of Le Havre in Le Havre in the Seine-Maritime department and one of the few preserved pre-war buildings in the city center.

The Volcano is a unique architectural monument designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Place General de Gaulle is located in the heart of the newly rebuilt city centre of Le Havre

Le Havre, one of the most astonishing cities in France. Almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, it was redesigned and rebuilt by an exceptional architect duo: the Perret brothers. The heart of the city was enriched in 1982 with this sumptuous work by another immense architect: Oscar Niemeyer. Exiled in France since 1964, the architect of Brasilia, the Brazilian federal capital (1960), began designing important buildings: the headquarters of the Communist Party in Paris, the Labor Exchange in Bobigny, the headquarters of the newspaper L' Humanity in Saint-Denis and the Volcano in Le Havre. If there was only one reason to come and visit the city, this would be more than enough.

Very beautiful cathedral from the outside. Not quite as exciting from the inside.

During the Second World War, the church was badly damaged by bombing. Most of the church windows were destroyed in August 1941. A bombardment in June 1944 and the devastating bombardment of the city on September 5th and 6th, 1944 completely destroyed five arches of the nave. The reconstruction was finished in 1974. In 1994 the southern aisle threatened to collapse because of the swampy subsoil; therefore wooden buttresses were inserted. The renovation work lasted from 2001 to 2004. The church stands on the original ground level and no longer appears elevated next to the houses built on war debris. The church received an independent parish in 1801. In 1998 the bishop decided to transform it into a larger congregation; the church now belongs to the parish of Saint Yves de la mer. In 1974, Pope Paul VI founded the Diocese of Le Havre. With that, the Church of Notre Dame was elevated to the status of a cathedral on December 7, 1974. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_von_Le_Havre

In the 12th century fishermen built a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was no longer preserved in the 15th century. In 1520, after the port was founded, the parish priest of the Saint Michel church in Ingouville decided to build a wooden chapel with a thatched roof. It was often submerged by the tide and was destroyed on January 15, 1525 by the "Mâle Marée" (Heavy Storm Flood). A solid church with stone pillars was then built. The services in this church "Notre Dame de Grâce" (Our Lady of Grace) were held by the parish priest and the chaplains of Ingouville. In 1540 the construction of a 30 meter high bell tower began, crowned by an octagonal Gothic spire. This tower also served as a lighthouse. During the Wars of Religion, the city was conquered by the Protestants. To defend themselves against the king, they allied themselves with the English. The Notre Dame tower served as a stronghold against the French army in 1562. In retaliation, the authorities decided to demolish the tower, giving it its current form. The construction of the current church was decided in 1575 and directed by the master mason Nicolas Duchemin. The chancel was finished in 1585, the nave without the vault in 1597. King Henry IV granted an annual grant to complete the work. Because of the marshy subsoil, the substructure of the entrance facade had to be renewed. The main part of the church was completed in 1630. The Renaissance and Baroque forms testify to the change in architectural style. The church sustained damage during the siege by the English in July 1694 and later in 1759. During the French Revolution, the church was devastated. It was rededicated to a "Temple of Reason". Then it served as a feed store. From 1801 the church was used again for worship. The renovation, especially the beautification of the western facade, was completed in 1830. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_von_Le_Havre

Catène de Container is a sculpture in Le Havre, France. The sculpture is prominently located near the entrance to the port of Le Havre. Created in 2017 by Vincent Ganivet to mark the port's 500th anniversary, it consists of colored shipping containers arranged in two arches. One of the arches, composed of 21 containers, is high and steep, bridging a smaller flat arch composed of 15 containers. The shape and color of the containers give the impression of using large building blocks. The sculpture weighs a total of 288 tons and reaches a height of 28.5 meters. It manages without supports and uses the principle of the catenary used by the architect Antoni Gaudí, whereby the forces and tensions within a chain are used for support. The name Catène de Container goes back to the Latin word Catène for chain and means something like container chain in German. It is a double allusion to the construction principle used in the chain and to the supply chain, which also includes the containers and ultimately the port. The inauguration took place on May 27, 2017. Due to its unusual shape, size and striking location, the sculpture quickly became a landmark in Le Havre. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%C3%A8ne_de_Container