Victor Hugo (1802-1885) had to flee France in December 1851, because he was one of the fiercest political opponents of Emperor Napoleon III. He first fled to Belgium, but soon had to flee from there to Jersey, where he lived for about three years. However, after getting into trouble with Queen Victoria over an unflattering article he wrote about her, he had to flee again, this time to the neighboring island of Guernsey, where he ended up living in the capital, Saint Peter Port, for about 15 years, until his return to France following the fall of the Second Empire.
Since Victor Hugo lived on the island for 15 years, he left an indelible mark on it, and to be honest, the island had quite an influence on him too, inspiring him to write the book “Toilers of the Sea” (The Toilers of the Sea). So for Victor Hugo fans planning a visit to Guernsey, I put together a few walking routes that follow in the writer’s footsteps, as a kind of companion to the Victor Hugo walking tour in Paris that I published before.
A walking tour of Saint Peter Port following Victor Hugo
This route follows Victor Hugo through the capital of Guernsey, Saint Peter Port, where he lived. I designed it especially for travelers arriving in Guernsey by cruise ship with only a few hours to explore.
Map of the walking route
The harbor of Saint Peter Port: when the novel “Les Misérables” nearly sank
Victor Hugo arrived here on October 31, 1855, straight from the island of Jersey. Here is what he wrote about the arrival to his wife:
A beautiful view unfolds before my eyes, a true Norman harbor! You would not think it English at all.
Unlike today, the ferry could not get close to the harbor, and instead had to dock a little way off, transferring passengers and their luggage by small boats. When Victor Hugo stepped down into the boat with the suitcase holding the manuscript of “Les Misérables,” the suitcase fell into the water, and it was only saved by a miracle. Now try to imagine a world without “Les Misérables” (since the manuscript was nearly finished, it’s hard to believe Victor Hugo would have started writing it all over again). Chilling.
The church of Saint Peter Port: a chilling memory
This beautiful church, parts of which were built in the 12th century, appears in Victor Hugo’s book “Toilers of the Sea.” Victor Hugo himself entered the church on January 3, 1868, and wrote in his journal:
I entered the church of Saint Peter Port today and saw a baby being baptized. I immediately thought of my grandson Georges.
Georges was his first grandson, who died at the age of one.
Hotel “Europa”: Victor Hugo’s first home in Guernsey
Next to the church once stood the Hotel Europa (today the site is part of the Marks & Spencer department store building). Victor Hugo lived here when he arrived in Guernsey on October 31, 1855, together with his son François-Victor. Charles Hugo joined them on November 2, and all three stayed at the hotel until November 5 of that year.
Hotel “The Crown”: keeping the mistress close, but not too close
Not far from where the Hotel Europa once stood was the Hotel “The Crown,” which today houses the pub-restaurant The Ship and Crown. Victor Hugo housed his mistress Juliette Drouet here, and you can read more about her in this article. And here you can already see a pattern that would continue even after Victor Hugo moved into his permanent house: he kept his mistress close by, but not too close.
By the way, Juliette Drouet really did not like this hotel and complained that it was common and far too noisy. Well, you can’t please everyone’s taste.
The market of Saint Peter Port: because even a famous writer needs to eat something
Retrace your steps to the church of Saint Peter Port. The original fish market stood not far from it, while the meat market was built in 1822 just behind it, and its building still stands today (today it houses a music shop, a health food store and a supermarket). Victor Hugo’s servants bought the food that ended up on his table every day at these two markets. In 1878, when Victor Hugo returned for a visit to Guernsey, he saw that the fish market had also moved to this spot, and he wrote in his journal:
Here, on marble tables, lies the impressive catch of fish taken from the shores of Guernsey.
20 Hauteville Street: the first house of Victor Hugo and his mistress
After a short stay at the Hotel Europa, Victor Hugo moved into the house at 20 Hauteville Street. Here he finished writing his collection of poems, Les Contemplations. About a year later he moved into his famous house further up the street, but in 1864 he bought this house and installed his mistress Juliette Drouet in it. Just as before, the mistress was far enough away not to draw attention, but close enough to see when Victor Hugo was alone at home, so she could come to him.
Today it is a private house and cannot be entered, but some of the paintings Victor Hugo gave his mistress have since returned to his Paris home, and you can find them today at the Maison de Victor Hugo on Place des Vosges.
38 Hauteville Street: Victor Hugo’s permanent home
Thanks to the success of Contemplations, Victor Hugo was able to buy the house at 38 Hauteville Street in May 1856. Since Victor Hugo was not only a writer, poet and painter, but also quite a talented interior designer, he turned the decoration of this house into one of the great projects of his life.
The result is a house where every painting, every piece of furniture and every object tells its own story, and together these stories build into a larger one, describing the journey of the human soul from darkness into great light. Since, unlike Victor Hugo’s house in Paris, this house was designed from top to bottom entirely by Victor Hugo himself, it is, of the two houses, the more important one, and a visit here is a must.
Important: Victor Hugo’s house was closed for renovations during 2018 and reopened in 2019.
The sea pools at Havelet beach: Victor Hugo’s peeping spot
Retrace your steps along Hauteville and Lower Hauteville streets, head down Cliff Street, then turn onto Strand Street. At the corner of Cliff and Strand streets, you’ll see, beyond a fence, a beautiful 15th-century house with a small tower that has become a kind of staircase. Keep walking straight down Strand Street until you reach the seafront.
There, right in front of you, are the sea pools of Havelet beach. The women of Guernsey used to bathe here naked, and Victor Hugo liked to spy on them with a telescope, which can still be found today in his house in Guernsey. If you’re hungry by now, I highly recommend heading to Octopus restaurant, which is very close by.
Castle Cornet
Victor Hugo loved to walk along the pier leading to Castle Cornet, an ancient 13th-century castle built to defend Guernsey against the French. If you go inside, you’ll find a lifebuoy that Victor Hugo donated to Guernsey in 1870.
If you keep walking along the pier, you’ll eventually reach Guernsey’s lighthouse. Victor Hugo was present during its construction and when it was lit for the first time on March 1, 1867.
This is where our tour ends. If you would like to explore a little more, you’re welcome to visit two additional places that are not part of this route.
Victor Hugo’s statue in Candie Gardens
In the lovely Candie Gardens of Guernsey (which I walk through every day on my way to work) stands Victor Hugo’s famous granite statue. It was the work of Jean Boucher (1870-1939), who finished it in July 1914. Not exactly the best possible timing, since World War I broke out right around then, and the unveiling ceremony was largely overshadowed.
Even so, it’s an excellent statue that captures Victor Hugo’s character in all its complexity. The writer walks toward the sea, lost in thought, perhaps even composing a new poem. On the statue you can find the dedication Victor Hugo wrote to the people of Guernsey at the opening of his book “Toilers of the Sea,” and from around the statue you get a fine view of the harbor below.
Victoria Tower
If you’re already in Candie Gardens, feel free to stop by the Candie Museum and ask for the key to Victoria Tower, which is very close by. Although the tower looks medieval, it was actually built in 1848 to mark Queen Victoria’s visit to Guernsey. Victor Hugo loved climbing the tower and looking out over the view below. It was also here that he wrote the poem “The End of Satan” (“La Fin de Satan”).
And by the way, it’s said that Victor Hugo and his beloved Juliette Drouet carved their names into the stones of the tower. I was never able to find them, but maybe you’ll have better luck.
Foulon Cemetery: the resting place of Victor Hugo’s son’s fiancée
This cemetery sits in a suburb of Saint Peter Port and is quite far from the town center, but it’s well worth a visit for its romantic atmosphere. In January 1865, Emily de Putron, fiancée of François-Victor Hugo, died of tuberculosis. Victor Hugo delivered the eulogy, part of which is inscribed on the gravestone. Since then, Emily’s grave became a place of pilgrimage for Victor Hugo and his family whenever they visited Guernsey. Today the gravestone is in poor condition, but the Victor Hugo society in Guernsey is about to launch a crowdfunding campaign to restore this important monument.
Did you enjoy the article? Want to read more about Guernsey?
- You’re welcome to read how I got there in this article.
- Guernsey has 3 satellite islands, two of which I’ve written about before. The first is a small, wild island called Herm, and the second, just as lovely, is larger and called Sark. After reading both of these articles, I’m sure you’ll be booking flights to the island 🙂
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