Le Tréport: 10 sights for the gateway to the Alabaster Coast

Le Tréport is actually just the center of a tourist region that consists of three towns:

• Le Tréport – cliffs, harbor and fishing tradition.
• Mers-les-Bains – beach villas and Belle Époque charm.
• Eu – a castle town with a royal history.

All three are right next to each other, are separate places, and are even part of different departments. But if you’re in one of them, you’re actually also in the other two.

The breathtaking Côte d’Albâtre (Alabaster Coast) with its spectacular white chalk cliffs is particularly special here. It lies between Le Tréport in the north-east and Le Havre in the south-west.

Alabaster Coast Normandy: The most beautiful places along a 1-week road trip

1. Explore the more than 300 Belle Époque villas along the promenade

The promenade in Mers-les-Bains is colorful. And in the truest sense of the word. During the Belle Époque period at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, many Art Nouveau villas were built here in all kinds of colors and shapes.

You can see many of them up close on a walk along the Esplanade du Général Leclerc and its side streets.

2. Enjoy the cliff-top view from Notre Dame de la falaise

On the hills to the north-east of Mers-les-Bains, there is a small hiking trail that takes you to Notre Dame de la falaise. From up here you have a great view over the cliffs and the bay of Le Tréport.

3. Explore the Quartier des Cordiers

The Quartier des Cordiers is a district at the foot of the cliff in Le Tréport that is around two centuries old. It was originally the quarter of the poorer fishermen, who were called “cordiers”. These fishermen fished with long ropes with hooks as they could not afford nets. Hence the name: the French word corde means “rope”. The “cordiers” were therefore the “rope fishermen”.

There are now also many small cafés and stores in the district that you can explore and visit on a walk. I loved the monumental view of the limestone cliff in the narrow streets of the district.

4. Take the elevator to the cliffs

One of the main sights in Le Tréport is the elevator. It was originally built in 1906 to take visitors to the Grand Hotel on the cliffs. The hotel no longer exists today, but you can still take the funicular up to the cliffs for free and enjoy the view over the coast.

Tip: Get a coffee and a slice of Flan Normande cake at La falaise qui rougit at the top of the cliffs and enjoy the magnificent view of the coast.

5. Visit the Chateau in Eu

The castle of Eu is an important Renaissance castle that was built in the 16th century. It has a really beautiful castle garden which is well worth a visit. Inside is the Louis-Philippe Museum, which houses paintings, tapestries, furniture and other works of art. Admission costs €5.50 per person.

6. Get fresh fish from the municipal fishmonger

Almost every coastal town in France has a local fishmonger. Le Tréport is no exception: look out for the Poissonnerie Municipale building.

7. Visit the lighthouse

When walking through Le Tréport, you can’t avoid the green and white striped lighthouse in the village. Anglers often linger here with their routes and it’s just great to linger and enjoy the rough surf in a stiff breeze.

If you walk a little further, you will reach the beach of Le Tréport with its changing rooms with colorful roofs.

8. Visit the museum with the vaulted door from the 16th century

The Musée du Vieux-Tréport offers 5 floors of information about the life of the people of Tréport at different times, their professions and their way of life for just €3 admission.

9. Practise water sports

The Glisse Sensations Mers les Bains surf school offers SUP, windsurfing, kayaking and surfing lessons, among other things. You can even book 1.5-hour sessions with a trainer who will teach you how to surf.

10. Go on a bike tour

You can visit all the sights described in this article on a bike tour:

• This begins on the Chemin Vert du Petit Caux cycle path, which runs along a disused railroad line to Eu.

• In Eu, you drive to the castle and past the old town to Mers-les-Beins to the cliffs and the beach.
• From here, continue along the coast over the bridge to the port of Le Tréport and the Quartier des Cordiers.
• Take the elevator, which is also suitable for bicycles, to the top of the cliffs.
• A great coastal road takes you to Mesnil Val Plage.
• From there you return to the starting point.

Accommodation in Le Tréport and Mers-les-Bains

Le Tréport and its neighboring towns are not quite as popular as Étretat or Honfleur, but there is still a large number of accommodations throughout the region.

Hotel Le Saint-Yves is located right between Le Tréport and Mers-les-Bains and just 200 meters from the beach. It is perfect for exploring both places on foot.

The Hôtel De Calais is also located directly in Le Tréport and is not far from the coast. It is located in the former post inn right next to the 16th century church of St Jacques.

The Hotel Royal Albion in Mesnil val plage, just west of Le Tréport, is located in an old manor house and also offers rooms with a balcony and sea view.

Camping in Le Tréport

There are also a few campsites, but most of them are only open in the high season.

• Camping Les Voiles: This campsite is located a little inland in Floques and is very quiet. When I visited, everything was still under construction, but it was open out of season. There are also some mobile homes that you can book via booking.com.
• Camping Municipal Parc du Château **: The municipal campsite of the city of Eu is beautifully nestled in a park right next to the castle.
• Camping Val d’Albion Park in Mesnil val plage: Here you can spend the night with a direct view of the Atlantic. However, the site is only open from May 15 to September 30.
• Aire camping-car Le Tréport (falaise): Not a campsite, but a very nice motorhome site directly above the cliffs by the elevator in Le Tréport.

As you can see, Le Tréport has a lot to offer. What other sights should be on this list? Feel free to write it in the comments