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Deauville of France is branded as the queen of Norman beaches because of its marinas, harbour, conference centers, racecourse, Grand Casino, sumptuous hotels, and villas. These wonders of the city draw a horde of tourists which will not come only once but for a couple more times.

Way back in 1060, the village was given a name of “A Enilla”. During this era the place was more of a fishing hamlet rather than a village. The name “A Enilla” was derived from a German word “Auwja Auwa: which means wet meadow.  Originally, the village was situated up on a hill and only a few houses were constructed at the St. Laurent Chapel’s vicinity.

However, the villagers are lucky enough to have the kind of location bestowed to them. If not for their site near the coast, the village could have not enjoyed the beauty and pride of having a small harbor on the Touques River. This river is a minute coastal river which is 104 km long. It begins in Perche in Pays d’Auge in Normandy, France. The villagers are allowed to navigate the Touques only within 800 m from its estuary. Sailing in the river beyond that distance is a big no-no.

By the end of the 19th century, the Touques River was sidetracked and straightened while the swamps nearby dried out. On the side of the river’s previous bed, Trouville-Deauville station was constructed. Because of the wearing down of the dock’s stone wall, Trouville’s harbor dock wall was restructured sometime in late 1990s.

Tourists who’ve been to Deauville could really say that this place is a destination beyond comparison. It is indeed a blend of enchanting village and lavish intercontinental capital. Its gate, The Pays d’Auge which is a genuine garden putting forward its bountiful scenery to produce of the Normandy soil. The valley is renowned for its elegant manors and stud farms, their slate or thatched roofs nuzzling in the luxuriant scenery; the best thoroughbreds gambol in the meadows and, the cattle which are humbly producing good food lovers with milk, cheese and cream under the shade of the apple-trees.

Duke the Morny, who was a horse aficionado put up the Deauville-La Touques racecourse in 1864. The earliest stands were constructed in 1864 on the Fontainebleau model and were replaced in 1913 by new amenities which are of the same kind to those at Longchamp. The latter model was designed by the architect LeFranc.

Realizing the success of the horse-racing, Deauville then gave more significance to horse fairs especially those regions which were utterly enthusiastic to the horses. Establishments like Chéri and then Tattersall Français controlled the original horse trading fair way back 1887.

Le Circle was built in 1875. This place was where the race-horse owners met here and became a private club since then.

In 1864 the Casino  first became operational but it didn’t stay for too long. After 30 years of giving fun and enjoyment, the Casino was demolished, that was in 1912.

The Town Hall building which is standing tall now was constructed in 1881 by the architect Saintin, under commands from Breney. The Town Hall keeps its original structure and design up to these days. Since then, it was Normanised : blown up with half-timbering by the architect Albert Guy, in 1961.

In 1910, Bluyset built the villa Les Abeilles. Bluyset was well-known for Madame Paquin, the famous Parisian Milliner, and for his villas in Le Touquet and the Parisian cinema Le Grand Re. He created a building with big openings and smooth lines through the help of concrete. This was more of a mediaeval in style rather than Norman, and the noted André Citroën rented this place between the wars.

The Normandy Barrière Hotel was built in 1912 when a businessman and the maker of Maxim’s in Paris, Eugène Cornuché; the Mayor of Deauville,  Désiré Le Hoc; Théo Petit, the architect, while replacing the Normandy Hotel and the casino and updating the Second Empire style of construction. Indeed, with its level of relief, amenities, equipments and novel internal ornamentation the new sumptuous hotel was without more ado successful. The outer surfaces are finished with mock wood paneling in celadon, the pale green used in Chinese porcelain.

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