The beach resorts of Normandy, located in the north-west of France, are practically not chosen by Russian tourists. More precisely, they are known, but they usually visit them for half a day - a day in transit during a sightseeing trip through this region. However, the French and the British themselves (for nothing that they are neighbors) are kind to Normandy and its harsh, but picturesque beauties, and do not consider that it is necessary to go south for the beaches.
At the height of summer in Normandy, you can perfectly sunbathe on the wide comfortable beaches and swim in the English Channel. Throughout the year, people flock here to leisurely walk along the boardwalk along the ocean, enjoy the charm and service of hotels with over a hundred years of history, as well as play in the casino and eat in top-notch Michelin-starred restaurants.
Such ancient historical resorts of Normandy as Deauville-sur-Mer And Trouville-sur-Mer, is called the "Parisian Riviera" due to its proximity to the capital. However, this is not the only reason. Already from the middle of the 19th century, the French nobility went to Normandy on vacation, arriving in Trouville and Deauville on steamboats for some time from neighboring Le Havre, and then, from 1863, by rail, which was not slow to be laid directly to popular resorts.
A bit of history
These beautiful places on the coast of Normandy were “discovered” at the very beginning of the 19th century, when there was nothing here but tiny fishing villages and the endless ocean. Around the same period, not far from Normandy in the city of Dieppe, in 1812, the fashion for sea bathing, as well as sunbathing and walks along the sea, was born. Artists who visited Normandy in search of landscapes and inspiration brought paintings to Paris that drew attention to these places. Slowly aristocrats also came here - the coast was relatively close to the capital, and the rumor that the star of a new secular resort was rising quickly spread among noble fans of the English Channel.
First, in the form in which we can see it, Trouville appeared in the 1830-1850s, and after it - Deauville-sur-Mer. These resorts are located side by side and smoothly flow into one another. They are separated by the bed of the Tuk River and the port, founded at the foundation of the first of the resorts - Trouville. The SNCF railway station is also located in the middle between the two towns. When it became clear that Trouville had exhausted the possibilities for the construction of hotels, villas, entertainment venues, it was decided to create a second prestigious resort - across the river from it. The authors of the idea and its financiers were the Duke de Morny (half-brother of Emperor Napoleon III), his personal doctor Joseph Oliff, who promoted balneotherapy as a method of treatment and recovery, as well as the Parisian banker Armand Donon. So in record time, in about four years (from 1859 to 1864), the resort of Deauville-sur-Mer appeared. In the desert sandy areas, where there used to be places for horse racing and dressage, luxurious hotels, casinos have grown, a long promenade along the ocean has appeared.
By the end of the 19th century, Trouville and Deauville had already firmly taken their place among the favorite resorts of European aristocrats. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the Belle Epoque period, the "imperial" architectural ensemble of the resorts was replenished with new luxurious buildings in the Belle Epoque style. Sea bathing continued to be the center of attention of the secular community, especially when the fearless Coco Chanel began to swim on these shores. In general, Normandy at all times incredibly attracted celebrities. Another wave of popularity was associated with French cinema. In the late 1960s, director Claude Lelouch made Deauville famous by making it the backdrop for the film Man and Woman. The great Jean Gabin adored these places and not only constantly filmed, but also lived in Deauville from 1961 to 1974. In 1975, Deauville hosted the first American Film Festival, and since then every year it has been visited by actors, directors and producers of the first magnitude. It is no coincidence that Deauville's historic beach cabanas, with carved partitions, bear the names of American movie stars.
In addition to this festival, which follows the level of the famous Cannes, Deauville constantly hosts a variety of social events throughout the year. For example, contemporary art exhibitions, music festivals, the Rare Vintage Car Festival, the Asian Film Festival, yacht regattas, the World Polo Championship and prestigious horse races, horse auctions, poker tournaments and many, many others. If you want to see a place that bourgeois French families prefer to relax, you should definitely go to Deauville and Trouville to experience the atmosphere of a prestigious resort that has been cultivated for over two centuries.
Deauville traditionally hosts the Vintage Car Festival in May.
Normandy in general and Deauville and Trouville in particular are known in the world to all lovers of equestrian sports.
Where to stay in Deauville
Deauville and Trouville have a huge selection of accommodation options to suit every taste and, of course, budget. For convenience, the official website of Deauville has special thematic collections, such as "legendary hotels / villas"; “objects near the sea/in the green zone”; "family apart-hotels"; "chain hotels"; "cheap hotels", etc. All historical luxury "five" like the hotel "Normandy" or "Le Royale" belong to the Barriere dynasty, which owns almost all first-class hotels and casinos in France.
Hotel Normandy
How to get to Deauville
By plane
A few kilometers from Deauville in the town of Saint-Gatien-des-Bois is the airport Deauville - Normandy, which receives international and domestic French flights. Naturally, there are no direct flights from Russia here, and the easiest way to get to Normandy from Paris is by train or car.
By train
Several times a day, there are direct trains from Paris to Deauville-sur-Mer from Saint-Lazare train station. Travel time is only 2 hours, ticket price starts from 20 euros. The station is called "Trouville-Dauville" and, as I mentioned above, is common to two nearby resorts. When you exit the station building, Trouville will be to your right, Deauville to your left.
By car
From Paris, take the A13 motorway, the distance between them is 195 kilometers, 186 of which are on the highway. Travel time is the same 2 hours. Then take the A29 north towards Amiens (9 kilometers).
You can choose and book a car for traveling around Normandy here:
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By bus
The intercity buses of the OUIbus company will bring you from Paris (departure from Porte Maillot) to Deauville at the lowest price (from 9 euros for a one-way ticket). This method is for people who like to travel the most budget.
Of the local bus routes that may be of interest to independent tourists traveling without a car, the following can be distinguished:
Line 20: Caen - Deauville - Honfleur - Le Havre;
Line 21: Deauville - Tourgeville - Saint-Arnoux - Touq;
Line 22: Deauville - Trouville - Touque.
What to see in Deauville?
Many hotels and villas in Deauville and Trouville can be called real architectural masterpieces. Luxurious villas are one of the main attractions of the resorts, and if you wish, you can study the history of architectural styles from them, however, for this you will need special literature on architecture or old postcards of these resorts. Try to find out more at the Tourist Offices, on the spot you will be shown the busiest routes around the city, indicating the most interesting buildings.
Even if you don't have much time in Deauville, be sure to take a look at Villa Strasburger- during the "high" tourist season from May to September, it is open at certain hours as a museum. The Norman-style villa was built in 1907 on land near the hippodrome, owned since 1837 by the family of the famous writer Gustave Flaubert. The first owner of the villa was Baron Henry Rothschild, who was a passionate lover of horses and preferred to live near the place where the races take place. It was then bought by the American media tycoon Ralph Strasburger, whose name it still bears. In 1975, the villa was included in the List of Specially Protected Monuments of France, and since 1980 it has been owned by the city.
Boardwalk art deco promenade 643 meters long in the form in which you can see it today, appeared in Deauville in 1923. The author of the project was the Parisian architect Charles Adda. Prior to this, the distinguished guests of the resort also fled along the sea, but the promenade looked different, and the ladies were stranding the sand with their expensive dresses. Therefore, the architect invited to reconstruct the promenade initially set a practical task - to make it clean and beautiful. As a result, the promenade was lined with “indestructible” dice made of exotic azobe wood. The architect also designed an atrium with 450 cabins. Today, beach cabanas with stunning mosaics inspired by the ancient baths of Pompeii, complete with carved partitions and names of American movie stars, are a perfect example of the eclecticism of the early 20th century. Still, like almost a hundred years ago, they can be rented - for one day, one week, one month or even a whole season.
What to do in Deauville
Casinos, a hippodrome, horseback riding along the English Channel are traditionally in demand here. In the immediate vicinity of Deauville and Trouville, you can find the impeccable golf courses for which Normandy is generally famous. On the territory of the resorts there is an excellent Thalassotherapy Center and many SPAs, swimming pools with heated sea water, a yacht club, tennis courts, etc. Around Deauville and Trouville there are also several beautiful landscaped parks where you can go in for sports or just take a walk.
Shopping centers with expensive and more democratic brands can be found on the territory between the hotels and the boardwalk - everything is located nearby and quite compact. In a word, everything is for the convenience of vacationers.
Best bars/restaurants by the sea
In Deauville, you should look into such establishments on the promenade as Bar de la Mer, Bar du Soleil and Le Ciro`s, in Trouville - at the restaurant Le 1912. These are old establishments with an atmosphere that have seen many celebrities from different eras.
Deauville photo
