Dieppe

Dieppe is a historic port town on the Alabaster Coast in Seine-Maritime, northern Normandy. It has been an important cross-Channel ferry port for centuries and is famous for its scallops (coquilles Saint-Jacques), its Gothic church, and the Dieppe Raid of 1942. The town has a lively harbor, a pebble beach, and a dramatic cliff-backed setting.

Dieppe is connected to Paris by train (Gare Saint-Lazare, about 2 hours). Ferry services from Newhaven (UK) arrive at the port. The A28 and N27 roads provide access by car. Regional buses serve the surrounding area.

The town is walkable, with the train station a short walk from the harbor and beach. The château on the clifftop is a steep but rewarding walk. Local buses serve outlying areas.

• Château-Musée de Dieppe — a 15th-century castle perched on a cliff, housing ivory carvings and maritime art

• Église Saint-Jacques — a Gothic church with Renaissance stained glass

• The harbor and fishing port — watch the catch come in

• Café des Tribunaux — a historic café associated with Impressionist painters

• Plage de Dieppe — the main pebble beach

• Visit the Dieppe market on Saturday and Sunday mornings (one of the best in Normandy)

• Take a seal-watching boat trip in the bay

• Walk the cliff path towards Pourville-sur-Mer and Varengeville-sur-Mer

• Attend the Fête de la Mer et des Mariners (August)

Seafood restaurants around the harbor serve plateau de fruits de mer, moules-frites, and Dieppe's famous coquilles Saint-Jacques. Crêperies and bistros offer alternatives inland.

Cafés and bars line the quays and the main square. Norman cider and Calvados accompany most meals.

Options range from harbor-front hotels convenient for ferry passengers to mid-range hotels in the town center. Budget chain hotels are on the outskirts.

Dieppe is famous for its scallops — buy them fresh at the harbor. The Saturday market is excellent for cheese, cider, and regional produce. Antique shops dot the town center.

• Rouen — 60 km south, the historic capital of Normandy
• Étretat — 40 km west, famous for its cliff arches
• Varengeville-sur-Mer — a pretty cliff-top village with a famous gardens
• Le Tréport — another seaside town to the east
• Honfleur — 90 km west along the coast