DEAUVILLE

Once no more than a small Norman village known as Dosville, Deauville today is a four-star seaside resort. Nature-lovers will particularly appreciate the off season to stroll through the Calouste Gulbenkian park or enjoy a promenade on the planches, Deauville's signature boardwalk, in utter and total peace.

If elegance and the "high life" is more your idea of a holiday, time your visit for the peak summer season when beach-huts and parasols invade the coastline. Movie fans should probably visit in September to be there for the Film Festival, perhaps to rub shoulders with visiting U.S. film stars at the casinos or in a luxury hotel...

"Dosville" was, in 1850, home to a few dozen farms and 26 residences for a total population of approximately 100, all a stone's throw from the Saint-Laurent church (some of the church vestiges date back to the 12th century). The seaside resort grew from and around the racecourse, an evolution orchestrated by the Duke of Morny and several investors in 1858. The Parisian aristocracy quickly flocked to this stunning resort lined with imposing villas.

The town experienced a second economic and touristic "boom" in the 20th century when the casino was opened. The film festival created in the 1970s consolidated the town's reputation as an emblem of style, elegance and wealth.

The Promenade des Planches, a large promenade along the seafront, was built in 1923 and truly is the symbol of the city of Deauville. Made from azobe wood, this construction allowed ladies to walk the length of the beach without sullying their dresses with sand and seawater. Great French films, such as Lelouch's "Un homme et une femme", have helped built the mythical aura that surrounds the planches. Not far from there, on the grounds of the old 1864 Casino, there is the modern Casino de Deauville, built in 1912. It was designed by architect Georges Wybo who sought to create a festive, beautiful edifice inspired by 18th century architecture.