Fécamp, the Newfoundland fishermen's city

Fécamp, the former capital city of the Dukes of Normandy is an authentic town turned towards the sea and its treasures.

The town, located in a deep valley spreads over the two sides of the cliff… Fécamp has inherited a rich, multi-faceted historical past. The sea has always been part of the town's life: cod fishing and herring fishing have always played a major role in the lives of thousands of men and women.

Men, brave sailors from a different era, used to leave for months-long fishing campaigns in the French waters off the coast of Newfoundland. Campaign after campaign, cod fishing made Fécamp's wealth, which became the Newfoundland fishermen's capital city. The port was always packed with trawlers. The quays were bustling with activity. Men used to spend several months at sea. Life on board was harsh, danger was everywhere, but they came back the boat full of fish. On land, women sold fish, maintained the nets and repaired the tarpaulins. All the jobs in the town revolved around fishing: salting, curing, cooperage, rope-making, boat construction, sawing, etc.

This golden era, wealthy and busy, came to an end when Canada set fishing quotas. The fishing boats were not profitable anymore…

Some fishermen started to fish off the coast of Dieppe, Boulogne, Saint-Malo…

Nowadays, Fécamp still has remnants of the curing activity with numerous brick buildings in which herrings were smoked, a fish having pride of place in Fécamp…

Very close to Fécamp, nestled at the bottom of a wooded valley, which protects the village from the sea winds, Yport has a charm of its own…

 This former fishing village surrounded by high cliffs, which is inhabited by about 1,000 people, has not changed at all and has kept its authenticity and strong maritime character thanks to its brick and flint houses, its winding narrow streets, its seafront with nice small boats lying on the pebble beach… But today, just like Fécamp, Yport is not a fishing village anymore, no more sailors, no more fish… Yport, a thousand year old marine village has now become a seaside resort.

It has been, and still is, one of those places along the Alabaster Coast where painters have set up their easel. Beach huts, colourful boats, the cliffs, a golden light and the sea everywhere: Yport is a treat to all those who look for the simple beauty of the coast in Seine-Maritime.