Located on the left bank of the mouth of the Seine, Honfleur has been mentioned since the 11th century among the important towns of the Duchy of Normandy. The development of the city, formerly called Honna Flow then Honnefleu, and of its port coincided with the Scandinavian invasions and the installation of the Vikings in the Baie de Seine from the 9th century. Its privileged geographical location as both an estuary and a seaport has determined its dual vocation as a point of defense for the royal river leading to Paris and a starting point for maritime exploration.