History of Deauville
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Top 10
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19th century: Birth of the seaside resort of Deauville
How did Deauville become one of the most attractive cities in Normandy?
How could this town of only 4,000 inhabitants multiply its population by 10 at certain times of the year? At the beginning of the 19th century, seaside resorts were springing up, frequented by the aristocracy and the Parisian bourgeoisie, eager for pleasure and entertainment. Joseph Oliff, a doctor in Trouville, a small fishing town nearby, saw enormous potential in the 240 hectares of meadows and marshes that stretched down to the sea. He joined forces with the Duke of Morny, architect and half-brother of Napoleon III, to design the town of Deauville. At the beginning of the 20th century, Eugène Cornuché, owner of the Maxim’s restaurant, established the attractiveness of the town of Deauville by building a casino and two luxury hotels: the Normandy and the Royal.
Deauville: 21st district of Paris
Very quickly the town became the symbol of the Roaring Twenties: Coco Chanel, Mistinguett, Sacha Guitry and many other influential personalities frequented the resort of Deauville to play at the Casino and to party. The whole of Paris flocked to visit “the 21st arrondissement of Paris”.
The kingdom of Anglo-Norman architecture
Imported from England, Deauville’s seaside bathing concept is a chic English style that influences even its architecture. The seaside villas now combine bow-windows and English landscaped gardens, with half-timbering and traditional Norman finials. Built between 1907 and 1912 at the request of Baron Henri de Rotschild, a great racing enthusiast, and later owned by Ralph Beaver Strassburger, the Villa Strassburger in Deauville is a true hymn to the Anglo-Norman style.
The emblems of the resort Deauville
Chabadabada… Deauville: The setting for successful films
In the collective imagination, Deauville is all about romance. In 1966, Claude Lelouch’s film “A Man and a Woman” brought the seaside resort to the forefront. This story of a passionate love with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée, these cult scenes on the beach of Deauville and this famous ritornello “chabadabada, chabadabada …”, travels around the world. Other films borrowed the charm of Deauville: “Nous irons à Deauville” with Louis de Funès, “Je suis timide mais je me soigne” with Pierre Richard... to make it the capital of the 7th art.
Born in 1975, the Deauville American Film Festival has transformed the 643 meters of the Deauville boards into a “Walk of Fame”. The names of the greatest American stars who have attended the Festival are inscribed on the booths lining the beach in Deauville.
Deauville lives to the rhythm of the horse
In Deauville, the horse is an emblem. The Deauville la Touques racecourse was built in 1664… before the church. To cope with the growing number of horse racing enthusiasts, a second racecourse was even built in the 1900s: the Clairefontaine racecourse. The best jockeys and horses in the world meet throughout the year to compete in races with dizzying gains. In Deauville, the sales of yearlings, young horses, represent the 2nd largest market in the world. Deauville has also been the showcase of French polo for nearly a century: international matches take place at the center of the Deauville La Touques racecourse.
The mythical parasols of Deauville
For 150 years, more than 450 parasols have colored the beach of Deauville. True postcards of the city of Deauville, blue, green, yellow, orange… they proudly display their famous Deauville bow. Managed by the parasoliers of Deauville, they can be rented with a pitch from the Easter vacations.
Deauville and business tourism
To meet the growing demand from event organizers, the Deauville Convention Center was opened in 1992. A symbol of the vitality of the city of Deauville, it hosts nearly 140 events per year : international political summits, corporate conventions and seminars, trade shows and also shows, concerts and festivals.
- Top 10 Deauville on the podium of business destinations to organize a seminar
Sources: Flux Vision, Cœur Côte Fleurie territory — InDeauville — Trouville
/ Holidu ranking, search engine for vacation rentals — 2021 / Se loger ranking 2019 / Petit futé 2020
