Deauville is the only Norman resort to have any delusions of grandeur. It is at the heart of the Norman Riviera, which in the late 19th century was particularly popular with elite Parisians.
It is still known as the “lady” of the French coast, and it was a very fashionable lady, in the form of Coco Chanel, who launched both her own career and the quality status of Deauville as a seaside town when she opened a boutique selling her avante garde pill-box and cloche hats to Edwardian ladies bowed under the weight of huge, elaborate millinery creations.
Although the town is overrun with tourists and the Edwardian splendour is fading, some of Chanel’s stylish elegance survives in Deauville. The town hosts numerous events including regattas, race meetings and polo tournaments and offers many diversions in the form of casinos, golf courses and exclusive shops. There is a strip of beach, the Plage de Deauville, which on warm days is packed with sunseekers. Nearby Trouville is a smaller and less glamorous version of Deauville.