Trendy Deauville
Deauville, Normandy’s most fashionable seaside resort, attracts celebrities from all over the world. Located along the Côte Fleurie in the Pays d’Auge region, Deauville is only two hours from Paris via the A13-A132, making it a favourite weekend getaway for Parisians. This has earned nicknames such as the “21st arrondissement of Paris” and the “Parisian Riviera”.
A somewhat startling fact: nearly 70% of the properties in Deauville are second homes!
The images that come to mind when you think of Deauville are its colourful parasols and beach huts, as well as the famous Promenade des Planches, a wooden boardwalk along the sandy shoreline. That said, Deauville was not always the luxury seaside resort it is today.
In 1060, Deauville was just a modest fishing hamlet belonging to one of William the Conqueror‘s lieutenants. Located at the mouth of the Touques River, it developed over the centuries around the Church of Saint-Laurent atop Mount Casiny. Farmers cultivated sainfoin in the alluvial plains near the marshes and quicksands bordering the Touques. This early village evolved into the present-day Vieux Bourg.
Deauville and the sea bathing fashion
Deauville experienced a true boom in the 19th century, when sea bathing became a social phenomenon, particularly among the wealthy. The Duchess du Barry, daughter of Charles X, started the trend in 1812 during her stay in the fishing port of Dieppe on the Alabaster Coast. The emerging post-Revolutionary bourgeoisie quickly followed her example, flocking to the Normandy coast. From 1850 onward, the aristocracy of the Second Empire followed suit, followed by wealthy English and Belgians.
The neighbouring fishing villages rapidly transformed into seaside resorts: Houlgate attracted the industrial bourgeoisie, Cabourg became a favourite spot for writers and actors, and Honfleur captivated the Impressionists with its incomparable light. Villers-sur-Mer, for its part, established itself as the quintessential family seaside destination.
Trouville-sur-mer, located on the north bank of the Touques River, also became a world-renowned seaside resort, but its modest size limited its growth. This paved the way for the development of Deauville, situated on the south bank, which absorbed the influx of visitors from Trouville by positioning itself as a luxury destination, a paradise for pleasure-seekers, designed to attract heads of state, royal families, aristocrats, and the gentry. Thus, during the Second Empire, Deauville fully deserved its title of “queen of seaside resorts.”
Deauville, the birth of a luxury seaside resort
In the 1860s, Deauville embarked on a vast project to drain the marshes and level the dune, and developed a new district between the Vieux Bourg, on Mont Casiny, and the coastline.
The instigators of this monumental development were Parisian investors, influential figures at the court of Napoleon III.
The plan of this “new” Deauville was thus quadrilateral. It included the creation of La Terrasse, a promenade laid out along the beach, and the Avenue Impériale, the main thoroughfare parallel to the sea, which still runs through the heart of the resort today.
The first racecourse was built at the foot of Mont Casiny, along with a wide avenue perpendicular to the sea providing access to it.
Four districts
This development gave rise to four distinct areas within the seaside resort:
1- The waterfront became the symbol of luxury, adorned with sumptuous villas, a prestigious casino, a hydrotherapy centre, and grand hotels.
2- Behind the casino, a lively district housed merchants, domestic staff, and construction workers.
3- The marina flourished at the mouth of the Touques River, and in 1863, Deauville acquired its own train station, providing direct access from Paris without having to travel through Le Havre.
4- The fourth district developed around the racecourse, and a bridge was built to span the Touques and connect Deauville to Trouville.
The opulent seaside villas boasted an eclectic range of architectural styles, from Swiss houses to Norman half-timbered homes, and even Moorish palaces, all reflecting the success for their owners. While many of these residences have been replaced by modern buildings, some still stand today.
The Villa Strassburger, built in 1907 for Baron Henri de Rothschild near the racecourse and Mont Casiny, is a perfect example. Designated a historical monument in 1975, it was bequeathed to the town of Deauville in 1980.
Deauville’s long, fine sandy beach, a symbol of leisure and relaxation, holds a well-kept secret: it is artificial! The beach was created during the construction of the jetty in the 1840s at the mouth of the Touques River. Although the jetty facilitated the development of the marina and served as an embarkation point for travellers arriving from Le Havre by boat, it indeed unintentionally altered the sea currents, leading to the accumulation of fine sand on the shore.
Deauville – Second Empire to WWI
Deauville’s attraction faded after the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, prompting the aristocracy, royal families, and gentry to abandon their sumptuous villas.
This decline was exacerbated by a violent storm during the winter of 1874-1875. This storm indeed caused the formation of an underwater shingle bank about 300 metres from La Terrasse promenade, creating a 15-hectare area of marshy land isolated from the sea. This area was initially transformed into a lake, with a jetty extending into the sea. It was later converted into green spaces and private gardens, bordered by a newly paved promenade.
However, the receding sea altered Deauville’s landscape, diminishing its appeal and encouraging crowds to return to Trouville. However, Deauville experienced a revival at the beginning of the 20th century when a new casino and luxury hotels were built to replace the grand mansions. The outbreak of the First World War, of course, interrupted this recovery. Men were conscripted, and the hotels were converted into military hospitals.
Promenade des Planches
Deauville experienced a complete renaissance during the Roaring Twenties, as people were eager to put the horrors of war behind them. A second racecourse was thus built in 1927 and all of Paris flocked to the Deauville casino, marking a return to leisure and luxury.
The iconic Promenade des Planches was created in 1923. This long boardwalk, made of azobé wood, stretches along the beach from the marina to the neighbouring town of Tourgeville. Named to rival the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice, it has attracted numerous international celebrities, including the Queen of England, who have strolled along it. Each beach hut lining the promenade is named after a personality who participated in the American Film Festival. The trendy cafes, with their director’s tables and chairs, which line the boardwalk, have become a favourite spot for visitors and locals.
Deauville, today
The Germans occupied Deauville during World War II and installed a battery, part of the Atlantic Wall defence system, on Mont Casiny. Deauville was liberated on August 24, 1944, by Belgian troops, supported by the British. In tribute, the bridge linking Deauville to Trouville was rebuilt and renamed Pont des Belges (Belgian Bridge).
However, it took Deauville several years to fully recover from this ordeal.
The reopening of the casino and the creation of the American Film Festival in 1960 were key to this revival. Every September, the festival indeed attracts numerous celebrities from around the world.
Today, Deauville is a luxury seaside resort, popular with an affluent clientele. It offers a multitude of activities and services, including a casino, two racecourses, a tennis club, a riding club, a mini-golf course, and a children’s club.
Finally, most of the major fashion designers are present in the town, making Deauville a hub of luxury and style.
Department of Calvados
Coordinates: Lat 49.353976 – Long 0.075122
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Header and Les Planches by Chabe01 CC BY-SA 4.0 – Beach with parasols by nigelb CC BY 3.0 – Villa Strassburger by Kamel15 CC BY-SA 3.0 – Casino by Matinee CC BY-SA 3.0 – Marina by Mbzt CC BY-SA 4.0 – Timber framed building by Zairon CC BY-SA 4.0
