Victor Hugo was forced to flee France in December 1851 because he was one of the most ardent political opponents of Emperor Napoleon III. Initially, Victor Hugo fled to Belgium but was soon forced to flee from there to Jersey, where he lived for about 3 years. However, after getting into trouble with Queen Victoria following an unflattering article he wrote about her, he was forced to flee again, this time to the neighboring island of Guernsey, where he was forced to live for about 3 years until his return to France following the fall of the Second Empire.
Because Victor Hugo lived on the island for 15 years, it left an indelible mark on him, and in fact, the island also influenced him quite a bit and made him write the book.Seafarers"(The Toilers of the sea). Therefore, for the benefit of Victor Hugo lovers who have decided to visit Guernsey, I have decided to provide a number of itineraries that follow in the footsteps of the writer and are a kind of complement to the itinerary following Victor Hugo in Paris, Which I posted before.
A walking tour in Saint Peter Port following Victor Hugo
This route follows Victor Hugo in the capital of Guernsey St. Peter Port where he lived. I built it especially for those tourists who would arrive in Guernsey by cruise ship and would have a limited number of hours to explore Guernsey.
Itinerary map
St. Peter Port – When the novel “Les Miserables” almost sank
Victor Hugo arrived here on October 31, 1855, straight from the island of Jersey. This is what he wrote about the event to his wife:
We will see a beautiful view before our eyes, a real Norman port! It doesn't feel English at all..
Unlike today, the ferry could not approach the port and instead had to park not far away and transfer passengers and their luggage using small boats. When Victor Hugo got off the boat with the suitcase containing the manuscript of “Les Miserables,” the suitcase fell into the water and was only miraculously saved. Now try to imagine a world without “Les Miserables” (since the manuscript was quite ready, it is hard to believe that Victor Hugo would have started writing everything from scratch). Creepy…
St. Peter Port Church – A Chilling Memory
This beautiful church, parts of which were built in the 12th century, appeared in Victor Hugo's book "Les Marines". Victor Hugo himself entered the church on January 3, 1868 and wrote in his diary:
I entered the church of St. Peter Port today and saw a baby being baptized. I immediately remembered my grandson Georges.
Georges was his first grandson, who died at the age of one…
Hotel Europe – Victor Hugo’s first residence in Guernsey
Next to the church was the Hôtel de l'Europe (now a branch of Marks & Spencer). Victor Hugo stayed here when he arrived in Guernsey on 31 October 1855 with his son François-Victor. Charles Hugo joined them on 2 November and all three continued to live at the hotel until 5 November of that year.
The Crown Hotel – Hold your lover close but not too close
Not far from where the “Europe” Hotel used to be, there used to be the “Crown Hotel” which today houses the pub-restaurant. The Ship and CrownIn this hotel Victor Hugo lodged his mistress Juliette Drouet, about whom we can read In this articleAnd here we can see a pattern of activity that will continue even when Victor Hugo moves to his permanent home, he keeps his mistress close to him but not too close...
By the way, Juliette Drouet really didn't like this hotel and claimed it was too crowded and noisy. Oh well, you can't always please everyone...
St. Peter Port Market – because even a famous writer needs to eat something
Retrace your steps to the church of St. Peter Port. The original fish market was not far from it, while the meat market was built in 1822 behind it and its structure still exists today (today there is a music shop, a health food store and a supermarket). In these two markets, Victor Hugo's servants bought the food that went on his table every day. In 1878, when Victor Hugo returned to visit Guernsey, he saw that the fish market had also moved to this area and wrote in his diary:
Here, on marble tables, an impressive treasure trove of fish caught off the coast of Guernsey is displayed.
20 Rue Hauteville – the first home of Victor Hugo and his mistress
After living briefly at the Hôtel Europe, Victor Hugo passed by the house at 20 Rue Hauteville. Here he finished writing his collection of poetry Les Contemplations. About a year later he moved to his famous house up the street, but in 1864 he bought this house and moved his mistress, Juliette Drouet, into it. As before, the mistress was far enough away to go unnoticed, but close enough to see when Victor Hugo was alone in the house, so that she could come to him.
Today it is a private house and cannot be entered, but some of the paintings that Victor Hugo gave to his mistress were returned to his Parisian home and can be found in the Victor Hugo House on the Place des Vosges.
38 Rue Hauteville – Victor Hugo's permanent home
Thanks to the success of his book Contemplations, Victor Hugo was able to buy the house at 38 Rue Hauteville in May 1856. Since Victor Hugo was not only a writer, poet, and painter but also a not-so-good interior designer, he made the interior design of the house one of the major projects of his life.
The result is a house where every painting, piece of furniture and item tells a particular story and together these stories connect to a larger story that describes the transition of the human soul from darkness to great light. Since, unlike Victor Hugo's house in Paris, this house was designed entirely from foundation to ceiling by Victor Hugo, it is clear that of the two houses, this is the most important house and therefore a visit to it is not to be missed.
pay attention: The Victor Hugo House is closed for renovations during 2018 and will reopen in 2019.
The Havelet Beach Pools – Victor Hugo's Peeping Beach
Retrace your steps through Hauteville and Lower Hauteville Streets, go down Cliff Street and then turn onto Strand Street. At the corner of Cliff and Strand Streets you will see, beyond the fence, a beautiful 15th century house with a small tower that has been converted into a sort of stairwell. Continue walking straight down Strand Street until you reach the beach.
There, opposite you, are the sea pools of the Walt Beach. In these pools, Guernsey women used to bathe naked and Victor Hugo used to peer into them through a telescope, which can be found today in his house in Guernsey. If you get hungry, then I highly recommend going to eat. At the Octopus Restaurant, which is located not far from there.
Castle Cornet
Victor Hugo loved to walk along the quay leading To the castle of Kornet, an ancient castle from the 13th century, whose role was to protect Guernsey from the French. If you enter this castle you will discover a lifebuoy that Victor Hugo donated to Guernsey in 1870.
If you continue along the quay you will eventually come to the Guernsey Lighthouse. Victor Hugo was present when the lighthouse was built and when it was first lit on March 1, 1867.
This is where our tour ends. If you feel like traveling further, you are welcome to visit two more places that are not on this route.
Statue of Victor Hugo in Candie Gardens
In the lovely Kennedy Gardens in Guernsey (which I pass every day on my way to work) stands the famous granite statue of Victor Hugo. The statue was the work of Jean Boucher, who completed it in July 1914. Not exactly the best possible timing, as the First World War broke out just then and the unveiling ceremony was somewhat sidelined.
Despite this, it is an excellent statue that manages to capture the character of Victor Hugo in all its complexity. The writer walks towards the sea, lost in thought and perhaps even composing a new poem? On the statue you can find the dedication that Victor Hugo gave to the people of Guernsey at the beginning of his book “The Seafarers” and from the area around the statue you can clearly see the harbor below.
Victoria Tower
If you are already in Kennedy Gardens, you are welcome to enter the Kennedy Museum and ask for the key to the Victoria Tower which is located not far away. Although the tower looks medieval, it was built in 1848 in honor of Queen Victoria’s visit to Guernsey. Victor Hugo loved to climb the tower and look at the view below. It was also there that he wrote the poem “Le Fin du Satan”.
And by the way, it is said that Victor Hugo and his lover Juliette Drouet carved their names on the stones of the tower. I was unable to find them, but maybe you can?
Foulon Cemetery – the place where the fiancée of Victor Hugo's son is buried
This cemetery is located in the suburb of Saint-Pierre-Port and is quite far from the town center but it is definitely worth a visit for its romantic atmosphere. In January 1865, Emily de Putron, the fiancée of François-Victor Hugo, died of tuberculosis. Victor Hugo delivered the eulogy, part of which is inscribed on the tombstone. Since then, Emily's grave has become a place of pilgrimage for Victor Hugo and his family whenever they come to Guernsey. Today, the tombstone is in not so good condition, but the Victor Hugo Society in Guernsey is about to launch a crowdfunding campaign to restore this important tombstone.
Did you like the article? Want to read more about Guernsey?
- You are welcome to read how I got there. In this article.
- Guernsey has 3 satellite islands, two of which I have written about before. The first is a small, wild island called Lift While the other is larger and no less charming in name SAARCAfter you read these two articles, I'm sure you'll start booking plane tickets to the island 🙂