Le Havre turned out to be a surprisingly interesting place to visit. Le Havre is marketed as the "gateway to Paris" for cruise ships but we decided to forego the 7 hours on a train and discover the local area instead. With a population of around 190,000 this city celebrated its 500th anniversary as a seaport in 2017. The town centre was rebuilt by architect Auguste Perret and is Europe's first mid-20th-century urban settlement to be included in the World Heritage List. Known as the "poet of concrete," Perret rebuilt Le Havre in a style of post-war architecture that ranks as a tour de force of modernism. The church of St Joseph must be seen to be believed the MuMa (Museum of Modern Art) is a must for art lovers.

Sights to see in Le Havre include;

St Josephs Church is simply a must see attraction and one of the most impressive churches built in the 20th century. This church is regarded as Perret's masterpiece and replaces an earlier church which was destroyed in WW2. The church resembles a cathedral and from the outside looks like it is simply a concrete block and tower (having used 700 tons of steel and 50,000 tons of concrete). BUT when you get inside you are left speechless. The 107 metre bell tower was built according to the principle "God is the centre where the spirit rises" and contains over 12,700 pieces of multicoloured glass. Conceived by artist Marguerite Huret she uses 7 colours: orange, green, violet, red, a greenish shade and white, and plays with 50 nuances. She commences with a choice of vibrant colours near the bottom and moving in shades towards white according to the symbol "Man becomes purified, rising toward the white then toward God". Free to visit and only closed during religious ceremonies.

Le Havre's Malraux Museum evokes the Normandy sea and skyline, not only through its large collection but also through the innovative 1960's glass-and-metal structure itself. A work of art inside and out, the museum features large windows that allow museum visitors to view the works of the great impressionists in the light that inspired them. As the "Birthplace of Impressionism," Le Havre claims an Impressionistic art collection that is second only to the collection at Paris' Musee d'Orsay. The Malraux Museum costs 7 euro per ticket and is closed on Tuesdays.

Le Volcan is a curved building designed by Oscar Niemeyer which houses the national stage and a huge media library. One look and you know how it got its name which means the volcano

Notre Dame Cathedral (does every city have one?) This cathedral was built from 1575 to 1630 and was fortunate not to be destroyed during WW2. The north portal is called Hail Mary and there is a huge organ which was added in 1637.

Musee Hotel Dubocage de Bleville is a museum about the history of the city and is housed in the former mansion of a Le Havre family of merchants. Dubocage de Bléville Mansion belonged to the merchant sailor Michel Joseph Dubocage de Bléville (1676-1727). After a nine-year voyage, he arrived in Le Havre and purchased the mansion. He set up there, with his son, and converted it into an important merchant shipping firm and a cabinet of curiosities. The seventeenth-century main buildings has a view on a French formal garden. It is well worth while to see life as it was and also compare the changes in the harbour. Contains loads of old original maps as well as artifacts that ship merchants bought back to France..Free to visit but closed on Tuesdays.

Maison de l'Amateur (Shipowner's House). The interior of the late 18th-century mansion (one of the last traces remaining of 18th-century Le Havre) is architecturally stunning. The house features an octagonal light shaft that dominates the centre of the multi-story home. Rooms flanking the central well are furnished in period style and feature maritime artifacts. The Shipowner's House cost 7 Euro per person and is closed on Thursdays.