Steep walls of rock - a photo on Flickriver

            Coastline of the Côte d'Albâtre with its chalk clifs near the little coastal town of Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Normandy, France

Some background information:

Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a fishing port on the Côte d'Albâtre (in English: "alabaster coast"). It has more than 3,900 residents and is situated about 32 km (20 miles) to the west of the harbour city of Dieppe. Its coastline is dominated by huge chalk cliffs that rise up from the pebble beach to overlook the English Channel.

The commune of Saint-Valery-en-Caux was most likely founded as early as the 7th century. At that time a monastery was built on the site of the present-day town, which was known as "Sanctum Walaricum". In 990, the settlement was first mentioned in a charter, in which Richard I, Duke of Normandy, gave Saint-Valery as a part of his personal property to the abbey of Fecamp.

From the 13th to the 17th century, the little town was a busy and thriving fishing port. In 1472, following the siege of Beauvais, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, set Saint-Valery-en-Caux as well as the whole region on fire. But the town recovered soon and was rebuilt by its residents. Its decline in the 17th century was due to the growth of the much larger port of Fecamp to the west.

However, Saint-Valery-en-Caux is perhaps best known as the place where the British 51st Highland Infantry Division commanded by Major-General Victor Fortune and French troops surrendered to Major-General Erwin Rommel on 12th June 1940. At the Battle of Saint-Valery, the town was partly destroyed. Rommel accepted the surrender on the town’s market place, which also allowed him to capture twelve generals of the Allies. 

On 11th September 1944, Saint-Valéry-en-Caux was liberated by a re-formed 51st Highland division, among scenes of great local jubilation. On 17th January 1945, the railway station was destroyed when a runaway train full of American troops crashed into it. Eighty-nine American soldiers were killed and another 152 were injured.

Today, Saint-Valery-en-Caux is again a bustling harbour town and also seaside resort. It has a casino and a waterpark. Futhermore, it has achieved the highest rating of four flowers in the annual "France in Bloom" competition. Hence, it’s no wonder that tourism now accounts for much of the commune's prosperity.

The Côte d'Albâtre is part of the French coast of the English Channel, corresponding to the coastline of Pays de Caux. Since 2009 it has been classified as a Natura 2000 site. It takes its name from the white hue of its high chalk cliffs, including those of Étretat, which stretch for over 120 km, dominating most of the coastline. The Côte d'Albâtre is part of the same geological system as the White Cliffs of Dover on the far side of the English Channel.

The Côte runs from the large container port of Le Havre to the small fishing village of Le Tréport, taking in the town of Dieppe, as well as Fécamp and Saint-Valery-en-Caux. Three river valleys punctuate the cliff face, making way for the harbours of Fécamp sheltering on the Valmont river, Dieppe on the Arques, and Tréport on the Bresle.

The Côte d’Albâtre was a favourite subject of Impressionist painters, including Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Other artists who painted the coastline include Gustave Courbet and Eugène Boudin.  Furthermore, the coastline was also frequented by composers associated with sea such as Claude Debussy and Albert Roussel. Finally the writer Guy de Maupassant grew up on the Côte d'Albâtre at Étretat, while other writers like the English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne or the French mystery writer Georges Simenon visited this seacoast too.

A Happy Easter 2023 to all of you! I wish you some relaxing days together with your families! Слава Україні –  Slava Ukrajini – Glory to Ukraine.

Taken in: France / Normandy / Arrondissement de Dieppe / Saint-Valery-en-Caux (show map)

Taken on: September 4, 2020

Tags:

Europe

Frankreich

Normandy

Normandie

Haute-Normandie

Upper Normandy

Seine-Maritime

Côte d'Albâtre

Alabaster Coast

Alabasterküste

Saint-Valery

Saint-Valery-en-Caux

French

französisch

Canon

cliff

bluff

Klippe

cliffs

bluffs

Klippen

rock

rocks

coastal rock

Felsen

cliff coast

coastal cliff

high coast

steep coast

Steilküste

beach

plage

Strand

pebble beach

shingle beach

Kieselstrand

coast

seaside

Küste

shore

seashore

coastline

shoreline

seaboard

seacoast

waterside

Küstenlinie

Küstenstrich

chalk cliffs

Kreidefelsen

Channel

English Channel

Ärmelkanal

German Sea

North Sea

Nordsee

sea

Meer

ocean

Ozean

sky

Himmel

clouds

Wolken

cloudy

bewölkt

view

evening

Abend

summer

Sommer

September

2020 « less

Sets appears in: • France: Champagne, Haute-Normandie and Metz 2020 • Landscapes - France more » • Seasides • Summer « less

Groups appears in: • France • Landschaft/Landscape more » • France image • Beside the seaside, besides the sea ... • Normandy, Normandie • European Vacation • Marine (3 per day) • Regions of France / La France des Régions • Sea and shores • Maritime (anything sea related from all around the globe) • Voyageurs du monde: Sweeper active ( Post 1 Comment 2). • *Nature* (comment 2) • Landscapes!!! • * Images de France * (France-Corse-DOM-TOM-COM) • NaturePhotographs • LANDSCAPES DREAMS -Please comment on two (2)!!! • Nature's Pot-of-Gold • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • Normandy Landscapes • Landscape Beauty ! • The concept is Europe • Flickr Normandie • Sky Above [Please, NO photos with Moon in it!] « less

Camera: Canon EOS 77D, f/11.0, 1/400 sec, 18mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 77D
Lens:	TAMRON 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD B028
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	18mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 2,352 views / 11 comments