Nearby Lisieux

Usuallly, the answer might be Honfleur, but part of the ancient harbour is closed off due to building safety.
My next suggestion would be Bayeux, so much to see from there and good restaurants.

We stayed at a lovely BNB called La Ferme de l'Oudon that had an adorable farm, an indoor pool and lots of charm.

Also, Honfleur is mostly gone now. The other side of the harbor is open.

Alexander, tell me a bit more about Honfleur. I remember there were a couple of buildings that were unstable / collapsed. What is left? Sorry Kate, hope you don't mind me hijacking your post.

Lavandula

The "older" side of the harbour is completely closed off, as is the street behind the backs of the buildings.. Two buildings were starting to collapse, taking those on either side with them.
Businesses and accommodations were immediately closed/evacuated, and remain so. The intention is to take the buildings down, effectively brick by brick, and restore as the originals.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2026/05/20/historic-buildings-in-normandy-s-honfleur-on-verge-of-collapse_6753652_7.html#

We loved Bernay. Its main street and adjacent square are lined with half-timbered buildings. Two streams run through it, which I always think adds to a town's charm. There's an unusual remnant of the past, a small medieval courtyard hidden from the street which we only learned about because we took the self-guided walking tour.

We once tried to plan a trip staying at mill-hotels with good restaurants and were partly successful. There just aren't that many but the ones we found were well worthwhile. So we've had our eye on Le moulin Fouret near Bernay but so far haven't stayed or eaten there.

I just checked and Le moulin Fouret is a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Pont-Audemer on market day was another small gem.

Le Bec Hellouin is tiny but charming.

In that area, there are lovely drives along the Seine with the chance to take the small free ferries across the Seine to Jumieges or La Bouille and back. Vieux-Port is nearly all half-timbered houses with thatched roofs. You can watch the tide roll up or down the Seine. We liked our visit to the HQ of the Parc Naturel Regional des Boucles de la Seine, set in a prosperous old farm.

Lin C, the other side has since been reopened . I was there the day they closed it and I was back to visit last month and you can completely walk around the harbor now.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and updates, I'm glad to hear Honfleur is on the mend! After Lisieux (or nearby) we will move on towards Amiens. I'll hijack my own post here and ask if you could offer similar recommends for that area? Or would you recommend staying in Amiens rather than nearby? We love gothic cathedrals, art, and all things food!

I would recommend staying Amiens, a very nice and interesting city. The Tourist Office is next to the cathedral.

I've never stayed in Amiens, always did day trips there while staying in Arras or Paris. I went back to Amiens again this summer, it's also a train hub, say to Cambrai, more war reminders and another famous cathedral.

If you have the time, check out nearby Albert/Somme and Compiegne, all grim and poignant places in the thick of the WW1 fighting. The reminders of war , ie memorials, etc are numerous.

You can stay in the Saint-Leu Quarter in Amiens adjacent to the cathedral. Lots of restaurants around the Somme river.

There are direct trains to Lille, taking 1h17 with a stop in Arras. Lille has loads of restaurants too and Vieux-Lille is charming with a Flemish twist. Not to miss is the Museum of Fine Arts and in case history is of interest you can visit the birth place of Charles de Gaulle. Lens west of Lille is within easy reach and is of interest for the Louvre-Lens Museum. Arras is worth a stop for it's two iconic main squares.

Lille is larger and is better located for visiting places in Belgium like for instance Bruges and Ghent. Tournai is also worth to visit, certainly for it's impressive cathedral..

Alexander, that's good to know.
How many of the buildings are under scaffolding/wraps?