Why go: The birthplace of ImpressionismOn the Normandy coast, where the River Seine meets the sea, Le Havre is a briny port of call that also happens to be the birthplace of Impressionism. Claude Monet grew up sketching this harbor town, its cranes, and tides as his daily backdrop. In November 1872, he set up his easel in a hotel overlooking the basin and painted the port from his window. Still waves, ship masts, cranes, and a round orange sun pushing through the mist just before dawn. He called it, “A simple canvas that would lend its name to an artistic legacy.”