Honfleur, France

Situated where the Seine estuary meets the English Channel, Honfleur has been an important port of trade and defense for centuries. Tall, narrow buildings line cobblestone streets in the Vieux Bassin, the historic harbor, and attract Parisians on summer weekends. Look up for the 15th-century wooden spire of the Église Saint-Étienne, the oldest church in town and now a maritime museum. Contrast it with the Église Sainte-Catherine, built entirely of wood by the town’s shipbuilders. Honfleur has a long tradition of inspiring artists in the impressionist school. One is native son Eugène Boudin, whose work is on display in a museum dedicated to him. Honfleur is also the gateway to the beaches of Normandy, where Allied troops landed during World War II, and the D-Day Landing Museum.