Dieppe by the seashore 1

Start in front of the Tourist Office at Dieppe Marina. Across from the Office, you will see the Arcades de la Bourse. The arcades were built by the King’s architect, Antoine de Ventabren, after the 1694 bombardment. Head to Quai Henri IV, where you will find many different restaurants. The second façade belongs to the old Hôtel de Londres, built in the early 18th century, which still bears an inscription of sculpted letters. Continuing along the quay, you will see the Collège des Oratoriens, the Oratory’s second college founded in France, after Paris. An educational centre for the whole region in the 17th century, the college was requisitioned and converted into a barracks and a then a prison after the French Revolution.

Continue along Quai Henri IV, then turn left on Rue Beauregard. Before making that turn, stop to admire Crab Tower, part of the old town walls. At the end of the alley, turn right on Rue David Lacroix and then left on Rue de la Rade. Turn right again towards Estran Cité de la Mer, a not-for-profit scientific and technical cultural centre with a focus on the Upper Norman coastline. It is open to the public all year round, with 1,600 m² of exhibition space covering shipbuilding, fishing techniques, the coastal environment and the wildlife of the English Channel. It also houses multiple fish tanks populated with local species.

Turn left after Estran Cité de la Mer, onto Rue Bouzard, and follow it to the seafront. Cross Boulevard de Verdun and walk along the beach in the direction of the Museum of Dieppe, which you can glimpse from afar (the castle on top of the cliff). Part-way along, you will come across a sport, leisure and wellness centre. Les Bains offers four activities: an aquatic centre / swimming pool with a wellness and fitness area, a marine spa, a restaurant and a conference centre on the seafront. Cross back towards the town centre, heading for the Tourelles Gate. Built in the 15th century using sandstone and flint, and altered multiple times thereafter, the Tourelles Gate comprises a vaulted passage flanked by two circular towers crowned with conical roofs. This gate is the only survivor of the town’s original seven, five of which faced the sea.

Follow the passageway towards Saint-Rémy Church. On your right, you will see the Petit Théâtre, created at the impetus of the Duchess of Berry in 1826. After shutting down in 1961, it reopened its doors to the public in 2002 and is now home to a memorial to the Anglo-Canadian raid of 19 August 1942.

When you get to Saint-Rémy Church, you can admire this 16th century structure with its Gothic Renaissance-style choir. The work which has been interrupted by the Wars of Religion resumed in the 17th century, in the spirit of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Continue straight, then take Rue de la Barre on your right. Next, cross the intersection and follow Rue de Chastes to the Museum of Dieppe. Perched on top of the cliff, the château towers above the town and the sea and offers an amazing view of the seafront. The château was built up around a keep, from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Today, it is home to the town’s maritime records and one of Europe’s largest collections of objects made of ivory.

Keeping going up until you reach the esplanade overlooking the château and take advantage of the magnificent panoramic view of the town. Turn around and retrace your steps down to Dieppe’s town centre, then follow Grande Rue straight to the Tourist Office.