DEAUVILLE in the Normandy region of France has been hailed as the cheaper version of the southern Riviera.
Found on the coast, Deauville has beautiful beaches with multi-coloured parasols, and a long boardwalk decked out with the names of famous film stars.
The Deauville beach is adorned with multi-coloured parasols[/caption]
Villa Strassburger is a popular tourist spot in Normandy[/caption]
Earning itself the title of the ‘Parisian Riviera’, Deauville has a mile-long sandy beach with one visitors saying it was “one of the best beaches in France”.
On the beach are 450 coloured parasols with a parade of beach huts on the wooden promenade.
Called, Les Planches, the promenade dates back to 1923 and its where you’ll find beach cabins all named after Hollywood stars who have attended the Deauville American Film Festival.
Some of the names you’ll see are Gene Kelly to Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves.
There are also 22 beach-front shops and bars, a seawater Olympic swimming pool, riding school and tennis club all within walking distance.
Since 1975, Deauville has held a film festival devoted to American cinema.
Deauville has an incredible shopping scene, Place du Marché is a popular shopping street that has an open-air market which is open through July and August.
If you want to feel like a local, this is where you should go as where everyone in Deauville goes to shop, sit and have dinner.
There are lots of designer shops too from Louis Vuitton, Hermès. In fact, Coco Chanel opened her second boutique in Deauville in 1913.
Place de Morny is another popular spot with a fountain, cafes and restaurants.
Deauville has tall, Norman-style buildings and is a popular spot for sailing[/caption]
Deauville is also home to two race courses. The older of Deauville’s two famous racecourses, Deauville-la-Touques was built in 1864 and still hosts races throughout the year.
Minutes away from the race course and you’ll see Villa Strassburger that was built for horse-racing enthusiast Baron Henri de Rothschild in 1907.
A striking Anglo-Norman, Villa Srassburger, looks like a home from a children’s movie, and it was declared a national historic monument in 1975.
You can go inside the house in the summer months, but only as part of a guided tour.
The beach huts have the names of American celebrities who have attended their film festival[/caption]
The town’s huge casino sits near the seafront has 300 slot machines as well as classic roulette and blackjack tables.
Inside, there’s also a cinema, theatre and a night club.
For clubbing, there’s the popular Le Point Bar that opens at 11pm and parties till dawn.
One of the top-rated hotels on TripAdvisor is the Villa Augeval Boutique Hôtel & Spa.
One visitor called it a “beautiful boutique hotel” with others liking it for the hotel pool and proximity to the shops and bars. Prices start from £61 per night.
You can get to Deauville on the train if you take the Eurostar to Paris – tickets from London to Deauville start from £87.13.
Then take a direct train from Paris Saint Lazare (10 minutes by Metro from Gare du Nord) to Trouville-Deauville which station takes just over two hours.
Sun Travel took a trip to Trouville-sur-Mer and discovered fancy cakes and beaches galore.
Normany is a popular location for Brits in the summer[/caption]
