Filming locations in Étretat

Etretat is the Normandy coast at its most theatrical, a place where white chalk cliffs and a natural rock arch have drawn painters for a century and, lately, the makers of Lupin. The hit series sweeps to this shore for a tense reckoning, and the cliffs you recognise from it are the same ones Monet stood before with his easel. The thrill is that the headline view costs nothing at all.

The cliffs are the whole show, and they are free to walk. Paths climb from either end of the little resort's beach, and from them you get the famous views of the arch and the slender rock needle, the Aiguille, that the camera loves. They are steep and exposed, so wear proper shoes and pick a clear day, but the reward is a coastline that looks staged by nature.

Below the cliffs, the small resort town keeps things simple, with cafes and parking and an easygoing seaside mood. There is no ticket to buy and no queue to join, just the climb and the wind and the long drop to the water. Linger at the top, where the series found its most dramatic frames and where the painters before it found theirs.

This is bracing country, lovely in good weather and wild in bad, so come prepared for either. Etretat sits within easy reach of the wider Normandy coast, making it a fine half-day or a slow afternoon. Aim for the soft light of early morning or the gold of late day, when the white rock glows and the clifftop paths are at their quietest.