What to do and see in Le Havre, Normandy: The Best Art Museums

The first thing you notice about the Musée d'art moderne André Malraux-MuMa Le Havre is its breathtaking coastal setting. As you approach the spacious, light-filled museum building, Henri-Georges Adam's monumental concrete sculpture The Signal heightens the experience, framing a slice of the maritime landscape that inspired many of the works in the museum's collections. Le Havre has nurtured artists like Monet, Dubuffet, Friesz, Dufy and Braque. And MuMa is a pillar of the city's art history. Inaugurated in 1961 by André Malraux, then France's Minister of Cultural Affairs, MuMa is known for its late-19th and 20th-century collections. From the Impressionists to the Fauves, the museum's collections have been enriched by gifts such as works from the studio of Eugène Boudin and the Marande donation. More recently, Hélène Senn-Foulds donated an impressive collection built up by her grandfather, Olivier Senn, in the early 20th century. Thanks to the donation, MuMa's collection of Impressionist works is today one of France's largest, and the public can now enjoy works by Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Courbet and Corot.

Paul Michel Thibault (1735-1799), the architect of the fortifications and hydraulic engineer of the city of Le Havre, decided around 1790, to build a mansion in a wealthy and coveted district of the city. In 1800,Martin Pierre Foache (1728-1816), a wealthy merchant, bought the house for use as a winter residence and to install his trading office there. He called another architect, Pierre Adrien Paris, former designer for the king, to decorate the interior. The facade is typical of the architecture of The Louis XVI period. It is extremely carefully designed; the parquet flooring of rare and exotic wood adjoins stone-tiled floors with geometric designs. the rooms are laid out around a central octagonal light-well.

"You must climb the hill, crossing over the shadowy terraces with their yew and boxwood hedges, to reach Graville Abbey and appreciate its size, while feeling the wind coming off the channel and enjoying an unrivalled view over the city of Le Havre. Guillaume Malet de Graville, a companion of William the Conqueror, gave the site all of its grandeur after returning victoriously from the Battle of Hastings. The church that he built has the characteristics of Norman Romanesque architecture, with the exception of the Gothic choir. The conventual buildings (12th to 18th centuries), now a national museum, house one of the finest collections of mediaeval statuary in Normandy. Stone pieces, paintings, engravings and a variety of other ornaments and an astounding collection of more than 150 scale-model houses (1896-1936) complete the collection. In the gardens, a monumental statue of the Madonna and Child, known as the “Black Madonna”, is a popular site for prayer." - www.abbayes-normandie.com

Contemporary art center located in the district Danton, in the heart of the old center of Le Havre. Featuring the work of renowned French and international contemporary artists, The Portique presents a broad overview of the current artistic production. Texts, documents and guides accompany the discovery of exhibitions.