The accommodation of the King's Lieutenant

The Lieutenancy, this prestigious building which sits at the entrance to the Vieux Bassin de Honfleur, has been completely restored and is now open to the public.

It hosts a CIAP on the maritime history of Honfleur and an artists' residency.

A glimpse into History

The Lieutenancy is the true witness to the history of the Norman port, it has survived the centuries and is quite simply the oldest building in the city.
It is also the last vestige of the old fortifications which surrounded the military city, it was then “La Porte de Caen” which controlled access to the central town of l'Enclos.

At the end of the 17th century the rampart was destroyed, the building was redeveloped and became the accommodation of the King's Lieutenant, this is where it gets its current name.

Loic Pilon
The Lieutenancy

What is a CIAP?

Good question, what exactly is a CIAP?

An Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center.

It is therefore not a museum because it has no collection to present. It's a cultural place that highlights the maritime history of Honfleur through lots of different media: audios, videos, models, digital installations... and of course the majority of media is interactive, so it's super fun, the families will love this new site!!!

What can we discover there?

It offers a permanent exhibition on three rooms and the terraces of the building.
The scenography of the exhibition spaces is designed to offer a immersive visit and active which is aimed at all, through: audio stories, virtual reconstructions, models, manipulation games, videos...
The first room gives a historical approach to the city, its major stages from its origin to today, based on a projection on a model. The military period is developed there.
In the second room, the visitor discovers the different facets which have forged the maritime identity of the city: the great explorations, fishing, maritime trade, shipyards, industrialization of the port, inspiration and artistic production and the tourist turn of the city.
The third room highlights the built heritage: construction materials and techniques are explained and illustrated by examples from Honfleur.

Old basin of Honfleur from the terraces of the Lieutenancy
C. Frémont

The Wow moment!!!

This is clearly our favorite moment of the visit, once we have visited the rooms the tour continues on the outdoor terraces of the Lieutenancy. An incredible 360° view which overlooks the basins of Honfleur. This high spot allows us to read the landscape and observe the city, its town planning, its port developments using models and its changes over time thanks to virtual reconstructions offered by binoculars.

I book my ticket
C. Frémont

Old Basin side

Front port side

Practical information

Admission fees Min. Max.
Basic price – Adult Full price
6 € -
Reduced price
4,50 € -
Opening hours from February 01 to April 03, 2025
Friday Open from 14 a.m. to 18 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Last visiting slots: 12:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m.
Opening hours from April 04 to June 30, 2025
Tuesday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Wednesday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Thursday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Friday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Last visiting slots: 12:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m.
Opening hours from July 01 to August 31, 2025
Tuesday Open from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Wednesday Open from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Thursday Open from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Friday Open from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Last visit slot: 18:15 p.m.
Opening hours from September 01 to October 31, 2025
Tuesday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Wednesday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Thursday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Friday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Last visiting slots: 12:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m.
Opening hours from November 07 to November 09, 2025
Friday Open from 14 a.m. to 18 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Last visiting slots: 12:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m.
Opening hours from November 14 to December 24, 2025
Friday Open from 14 a.m. to 18 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Last visiting slots: 12:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m.
Opening hours from December 26 to December 31, 2025
Friday Open from 14 a.m. to 18 p.m.
Saturday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Sunday Open from 10 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18 p.m.
Last visiting slots: 12:15 p.m. and 17:15 p.m.
Closed
Quai de la Planchette
14600 Honfleur
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An artist residency

A creative center to promote contemporary art and its artists,
The mission of the residency is to give artistic resonance to maritime heritage, promote artistic exchanges, raise awareness and encourage artistic practices.
Artists (visual artists, writers, photographers, musicians, etc.) will be welcomed for part of the year.
The objective is to organize artistic and cultural events by increasing the opportunities for communication and exchange between everyday life and the artistic.

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