Etretat

Étretat takes 1 day to see: the white limestone cliffs with their natural arches -the Falaise d'Aval with its famous «Arch» and the needle-shaped rock called the Aiguille- are nearly the sole reason to visit, with hiking trails at both ends of the village. April-September is best, avoiding the winter mud on the trails. It's mid-to-high priced by French standards. It was painted by Monet, Courbet and Boudin, among the first Impressionists, and it's also the starting point of the first attempted nonstop North Atlantic air crossing, in 1927, which ended in tragedy for its two French pilots.