WITH a mile-long golden beach and an annual film festival bringing in A-list movie stars – you might think this spot was on the French Riviera.
But actually, this destination is miles away on the northern coast of France – and it’s a place called Deauville.
The seaside town is a classic Norman resort with a huge beach, seaside casino and pulls in celebrity visitors every year.
Most of the famous faces will visit during September when it hosts the American Film Festival.
Over the years, tars like Clint Eastwood, George Clooney, Sharon Stone, and Johnny Depp have all been there.
And even when they leave, a piece of them remains as their names are adorned on beach huts called Les Planches – which have become an attraction in themselves.
Other names you’ll see on the promenade include Gene Kelly, Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves.
This year, it will be held between September 4-16.
The town is also known for fashion as designer Coco Chanel opened up her very first boutique there in 1913.
The shop closed in 1939 after the outbreak of World War II but you can still see where it once was at 13 Rue Lucien Barrière.
Another pull to the seaside town is to see its horse racing events.
Deauville has a long history of horse breeding and racing, as it’s home to the Deauville-La Touques Racecourse.
The race track is extremely famous and is considered a world-class venue for horse racing, especially in the summer.
The biggest event which is a held throughout August is the Barrière Deauville Meeting which has Group 1 races.
On the beachfront is the town’s huge Casino Barrière Deauville which has 300 slot machines as well as classic roulette and blackjack tables.
Inside, there’s also a cinema, theatre and a night club.
When the sun shines, a must-do in Deauville is to head to the beach.
Plage de Deauville is around 1.2miles long and is scattered with around 450 multicoloured umbrellas.
While they might look like you’re classic beach parasol, you won’t find these anywhere else as they are actually made in Deauville workshops.
It’s a popular spot amongst tourists and locals with some calling it ‘one of the best beaches in France‘, another called it ‘sensational’.
The beach is also open to horse riders before 10am in the morning and after 7pm in the evening.
There are also 22 beach-front shops and bars, a seawater Olympic swimming pool, riding school and tennis club all within walking distance.
Dotted around Deauville are the tall Norman villas with half-timbered frames and pitched roofs.
And Villa Strassburger is one of the most beautiful properties in the town and was designed by local Caen architect, Georges Pichereau.
It was built for horse racing enthusiast Baron Henri de Rothschild in 1907, later on in 1975, it was declared a national historic monument.
You can go inside the house in the summer months, but only as part of a guided tour.
You can get to Deauville on the train if you take the Eurostar to Paris – tickets start from £39.
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.
Discover the nearby Trouville-Sur-Mer…
Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited the nearby Trouville-Sur-Mer…
“Trouville-sur-Mer is a quaint seaside town popular with holidaymakers since the 1800s thanks to its huge sandy beach and fabulous cuisine.
“But it has resolutely kept its quaint charm. Yes, there’s a kids’ arcade but it’s tucked into the basement of the glamorous casino.
“Yes, there’s crazy golf but it’s petite, just off the old-fashioned wooden boardwalk surrounded by grand 19th-century mansions.
“As with all parts of France, food and drink are kings.
This particular area is famous for its crepes, so we made it our mission to sample as many as possible — with chocolate, ice cream and seafood.
“The humble lemon-and-sugar will no longer get a look-in at my house on Shrove Tuesday. Given its Channel-front location, the town is also very big on moules — we even spotted a pizza piled high with them.
“Keen to assimilate with the locals, or possibly just excited about using shells as cutlery, even my son tucked into a bowl at one of the town’s best restaurants, Le Central, opposite the fish market.
“I’m also keen to live like a local, so sampled as much of the local wine and Calvados brandy as possible, for shockingly low prices.”
Here’s more on the underrated French city that has a ‘bit of everything’ with picturesque beaches and new cheap hotels.