Deauville (France) is one of the most famous and exclusive Norman resorts. This is a very cozy town on the English Channel, as if intended for relaxation. It is considered the most prestigious and closest seaside resort to Paris in the country. But this town of France is famous not only for bathing, restaurants and aristocratic holidays. The sights of Deauville, and what you should definitely see there, are dedicated to our article. We will talk about what is interesting in this resort, as well as what is worth visiting in the vicinity.
Deauville (France): how to get
This resort town is both far and close to Paris. It is 200 kilometers from the French capital. There is an airport in Deauville, this is Saint-Hatier. But only flights from London and Montpellier arrive there. Therefore, there are two ways to get there from Paris - by train or by your own or rented car. You can, of course, consider such an option as a taxi, but it's too expensive. Trains to Deauville depart from Saint-Lazare Station. Drive about two or three hours. It all depends on the class of the train - whether it is an electric train or a high-speed train. A car gets to Deauville in about the same time. It is best to go on the A 13 motorway. It is both fast and free.
Resort History
Glamorous Deauville (France) was built specifically for people of high society to enjoy sea bathing. This was done in the fifties of the XIX century by Charles de Morny. Legend says that his wife, the former Princess Trubetskaya, advised him to do this. And Charles de Morney himself was a relative of Napoleon Bonaparte, although very distant. From a small fishing village, nothing more remarkable, he managed to make an aristocratic resort. Very high-ranking ladies and gentlemen began to come to rest there. It is interesting that in our democratic times, celebrities and rich people also aspire to Deauville. Of course, Deauville was also chosen by movie stars: Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani ... A beautiful beach, ocean waves, a lot of various entertainments - casinos, various colorful festivals and gambling auctions - all this seems to be intended for pastime “in a rich way”. This resort is a "pioneer" in the field of bathing suits and customs. Back in those years when undressing and entering the sea waves was considered the height of indecency, Coco Chanel began to do this in public. Since then, bathing suits and tanning have become popular.
City districts
Deauville (France) consists of several strips, moving away from the sea. The first of them is the famous wide sandy beach. It is often cool here, but never hot. The beach stretches for many kilometers. The second is the wooden embankment, where vacationers and tourists walk, the nobles and the rich, onlookers and actors, ladies with dogs and budget backpackers who came to stare at social life. Farther from the sea there are various sports clubs, spa centers and pools. And then there is a line of hotels. Unlike the southern resorts, hotels in Deauville are not located on the seashore - too damp and windy. And across the Tuk River from this city is the neighboring resort of Trouville. It is often perceived as a district or a continuation of Deauville. These cities differ very little from each other. Everywhere there are a lot of very beautiful and stylish cafes and restaurants where it’s nice to just sit on the terrace with a cup of coffee and look at others. And the fish market of this city is known for its giant oysters, which will be served on the table right after the purchase. They are so huge that an ordinary person can barely handle a serving.
Coast
As already mentioned, the first attraction of Deauville (France) is the beach. So it was in the century before last, so it remains now. The coast in these places is considered the "king of Norman beaches." People love walking and jogging on wet sand near the water. They look at beach cabins, built with the belle époque style, as well as colorful umbrellas wrapped in scarves. Not without reason this coast received the name "Cat Fleury" or Flower. Each of the booths belongs to a movie star. There are benches on their terrace. Inside the booths there is nothing extraordinary, they are simply designed for individual dressing. But if you are not sorry for ten euros, then you can rent it and for some time to amuse your vanity. Interestingly, earlier on the site of this sand was just clay. But for the sake of vacationers, local authorities built a wooden flooring - Le Planchet. And then they began to import sand regularly. It is added and sieved daily. Therefore, there is no rubbish on the beach.
Boardwalk and Thalassotherapy Center
The wooden promenade of La Planche has a length of about two kilometers. It is located 300 meters from the water. Here is the most prestigious place for walks of citizens and especially vacationers who can make them in any weather. The French come here as whole families and walk their children, grandparents and dogs. The most fashionable clothes on the boardwalk - a kind of "uniform" - are a kind of "sailor suit", T-shirts and thin sweaters in blue stripes. And parallel to the embankment stretches Avenue Eugene Cornush - the most luxurious Avenue Deauville (France). In the reviews, tourists highly recommend taking a walk along the promenade. There are hotels where Hollywood stars stop during film festivals. The thalassotherapy institute Algoterm is located on the same avenue. Here you will be offered various massages, baths, applications from therapeutic muds, as well as creams and ointments based on seaweed. In this center they treat venous insufficiency, relieve stress, cleanse the skin. There are special programs for weight loss.
What can be seen in the city?
Since 2910, the list of architectural monuments of the city has replenished with a new paragraph. This is a city station. Its building is made in the neo-Norman style and is decorated with frescoes of art nouveau. One of them shows a map of the city with its environs. The center of Deauville's life is the Place Morny, the main square. She looks especially lively on market days. There is a statue of the founder of the city. And on the street Eugene Cole is the famous "Grand Casino", built in 1912. Its architecture has a mixture of Italian and Versailles styles. Next to it you can see the first, open Coco Chanel, a boutique. Every year in August, this city in France - Deauville - becomes the center of horse racing. They are held at the huge hippodrome, which has an area of 75 hectares. It was thanks to the investments of the hippodrome that the railway station was built, and the Parisians got the opportunity to come to the resort by train. Tourists also like to visit historic villas owned by various celebrities. For example, the mansion of the impressionist Eugene Boudin or the house of the millionaire baron Henry Rothschild.
Trouville
This resort is very similar to Deauville. But its main difference from the richer neighbor is that the mansions in the "Norman" style, many of which are villas for rent or hotels, are located right on the beach. It is very convenient for tourists who leave the hotel and go directly to the sea. Along the Trouville beach there is also a wooden flooring on which vacationers walk. Since this town is older than Deauville, real historical sights have been preserved here. For example, half-timbered houses, which in France are called "collageage". Very beautiful coastline. And the town itself is “real”, not created specifically for tourists. By the way, it was Trouville Deauville (France) who preferred to rest Gustave Flaubert.
Events
The brightest and most colorful events, of course, fall on the high season. These are the summer months and the first half of the fall, when most vacationers come to Deauville (France). Photos of various rallies, exhibitions, parades and festivals can then be seen in social networks and reports of tourists. The pictures are really colorful and interesting. Judge for yourselves: in Deauville, a parade of convertibles and retromachines is held, which, as we would say today, belong to the "luxury" class. People really like to be photographed against their background. Fans of modern art are in a hurry to get to the annual exhibition of the latest innovations. Moreover, the exhibits there are always different. In the fall, the Deauville Film Festival takes place here. At first it was just a resort show, but later different prizes were awarded for ribbons. Some of the films of this festivals have become iconic, such as "Being John Malkovich."
What to see in the district?
If you are tired of just walking along the beach, playing sports, sunbathing and playing in the casino, you can arrange excursions in the surroundings of Deauville (France). Normandy is a very beautiful province, and there are many natural and historical attractions. It is best to rent a bicycle - this makes it possible not to harm the environment and see interesting places. For example, go around the entire coast of Balbec, of which Deauville Beach is a part, and also visit the neighboring town of Cabourg.
Where to go from Deauville?
Want to see some Norman pearls in the distance? Then use local buses, they have a fairly convenient schedule. So you can visit Honfleur, where the Impressionists, Mont-Saint-Michel, Cherbourg, Le Havre or Rouen began to gather. Especially such trips are good on a bad trip when you can’t sit on the beach due to rain. The city famous for the film “Cherbourg Umbrellas”, the place where they burned Joan of Arc, or the famous monastery on the island, the road to which goes under water at high tide - all these Norman charms will make an indelible impression on you.
Deauville, Trouville (France) - attractions, traveler reviews
First of all, travelers, getting to this resort, go for a walk along the beaches in order to become like lions of the world. Also, everyone knows that in Deauville (France) the cult film "Man and Woman" by Claude Lelouche was shot. And among vacationers there is even a specific competition - who quickly learns landscapes from this movie. In addition, tourists are looking for the names of their favorite actors in beach cabanas. Prices at the resort, of course, bite, then if a budget tourist knows some life hacks, it will not be so expensive. For example, if you pre-reserve places in the center of thalassotherapy, then you can relax there not at all for a lot of money. But you completely relieve stress, improve your health, and also visit various interesting events. Also, tourists like to walk between chic villas, view gardens, flower beds and architecture. After all, this is a resort for the rich. And mostly people come here to see the "beautiful life." Trouville looks more democratic, and the prices there are cheaper. And the beach, according to reviews, is even better than in Deauville. And very beautiful half-timbered mansions - some look right like works of art.