Weekend in Deauville – Trouville

Deauville is known for its famous institutions: the racecourse, casino, golf course and auctions... But that's not all the town has to offer!

If you're looking for something more unusual, you can take guided tours around some of the villas, enjoy get togethers with top chefs, open-air dinner dances on the Pont des Belges: the bridge linking the town with Trouville…

And of course there's the magnificent Deauville beach immortalised in the Claude Lelouch movie, 'A Man and a Woman'. The beach huts are named after American movie stars (in honour of the American Film Festival), and striped parasols and the famous Promenade des Planches are waiting for you.

This long wooden beach walkway is a meeting place anyone who wants to hang out at the beach without stripping off. You'll find them watching the sand yachts, horses and prawn fishermen at low tide or enjoying a seafood platter on the terrace of the Le Soleil brasserie which overlooks the sea.

There's no shortage of eating places, from delicious Normandy galettes and crepes at the mini golf to Asian-French fusion cuisine at gourmet restaurant L’Essentiel (29 rue Mirabeau).

At meal times, many locals head towards Trouville, strolling through both town centres which are within easy walking distance.

Deauville-Trouville, is a perfect duo with a vast range of open air activities: horse riding, golf, water sports, tennis, swimming and "trouvillaises", a sort of family bicycle, rentals.

Leave your suitcases and head straight out into the pedestrianised streets. You can walk to Saint-Arnoult for splendid panoramic views over the coast, or weave your way through meadows and farms to the upper reaches of Trouville.

If you have a little more time on your hands, head inland to visit the beautiful undulating landscape of Calvados. About 30 kilometres away, towards Lisieux, the lovely "Route du Cidre" (Cider Trail) in Cambremer country takes you across picturesque fields of apple trees and into the cider cellars, introducing you to the region's most scenic stud farms on the way. the Calvados area coastline has other treasures in store, such as the quaint port of Honfleur or the resort of Cabourg.

Trouville abounds with fashionable café terraces which line the quays and the Rue des Bains.

For brunch head to Chez Dupont. If you're looking for typical brasserie dishes such as mussels and chips, there's Les Voiles, Les Vapeurs, Le Central or the beachfront terrace of Le Galatée.

Time for tea? Seek out the Charlotte Corday tearooms famous for their delicious pastries named after French personalities (Karl Zéro, Antoine de Caunes, etc.). Dinner can be ultra trendy at the 4 Chats or a more intimate affair at Topolina with its huge floral displays and old furniture sourced from local antique shops.

Deauville is home to a lovely marina while Trouville is still an active fishing port. Here you can watch the trawlers come and go, hailed noisily by seagulls, and purchase the latest catch from the fisherwomen on the quays (sole, mackerel, wild sea bass, scallops, etc.).

The markets are particularly lively. Stock up on crabs, spider crabs and fish soup (from Pillet) at the daily fish market and the main Normandy market takes place on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The smaller Trouville beach has its own "planches" (boardwalk) dotted with Raymond Savignac posters and bordered by superb villas, one of which, the "Villa des Roches Noires", was turned into holiday apartments which have welcomed the likes of Marcel Proust and Marguerite Duras.