The Seine
Magical in its meanders from Paris to the sea, the Seine River takes you drifting through some of northern France’s most historic and storied landscapes.
Art lovers adore this region for its insights into the lives – and inspiration – of Monet, Pissarro and Renoir; in fact, it’s known as the cradle of Impressionism. Countless sights await curious travellers, from the D-Day landing beaches at Normandy to Paris’ Left Bank. A river cruise on the Seine is the perfect slow-down-and-enjoy-every-moment way to savour it all.
Paris is the obvious highlight to a Seine river cruise, with its lineup of iconic landmarks: the Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, L’Orangerie, the Grand Palais, Place de la Concorde, as well as 37 – count them! – picturesque bridges in the City of Love.
Many river cruises on the Seine include an overnight stay here to fully immerse guests in the romantic, architectural and cultural treasures of Paris.
Farther down the river, Rouen entices with its Impressionist sights, including the beautiful cathedral and Musée des Beaux-Arts. Quaint Honfleur is a wonderful diversion with its artistic background and mesmerising white cliffs and pebble beaches at Côte d'Albâtre – the very same cliffs that so inspired Monet and Renoir, among others.
Many river cruises include a stop at Claude Monet’s home and garden in Giverny, where he spent half his life and designed the very lily pond that led to Les Nymphéas, one of his most treasured paintings. Gourmet cuisine, exquisite wines, intriguing history, warm hospitality, stunning architecture – the Seine is the savvy traveler’s entrée to the finest France has to offer.
Hidden gems in The Seine
The Seine
The Seine
With Paris as its highlight, the Seine is made for romantics who seek the serene pleasures of river cruising with the in-depth exploration of the country that this – France’s second-largest river – provides. An inspiration for French impressionism, a setting for world wars and a boon for history lovers, the river is also replete with opportunities to indulge in the country’s fine wine and cuisine. Extending for more than 480 miles, the Seine originates in wine-producing Burgundy near Dijon and meanders its way lazily through Paris and Normandy to Le Havre, where it joins the English Channel. My personal highlights on a Seine river cruise include Paris (obvious), the clifftop village of Les Andelys, two-thousand-year-old Rouen, the lovely coastal town of Honfleur, and solemn visits to the Normandy beaches.
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The Seine
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