This summer, connect Deauville-Trouville and Le Havre by boat
The flagship of the Manche waterways in summer, the Traversées de l'Estuaire de la Seine return from Saturday July 15 to Tuesday August 29, linking Deauville-Trouville and Le Havre. So, without cars or traffic constraints, the neighboring towns are revealed from the sea, through a beautiful iodized stroll, as a preview of the day rich in discoveries on the other side of the shore.
Les Traversées de l'Estuaire de la Seine, kézako?
Take to the sea and discover new lands: that's the promise of the Traversées de l'Estuaire de la Seine. Two shuttles are available to make the crossing: aboard the Gulf Stream II from Deauville-Trouville or the Ville du Havre boat from the Cité Océane.
The principle is simple: on each date, visitors and locals are invited to take a seat on the boat to the other end of the estuary. After a stroll through the streets, a picnic, a visit to the local museums, a stroll down the market aisles and, why not, a swim, it's time to return! In the evening, head to the port to enjoy the coastline under the golden sun.
Crossing dates 2023
A day in Le Havre
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Le Havre with its cultural heritage and unique architecture designed by the visionary Auguste Perret, who came to rebuild the ocean city after the Second World War. The city's must-sees :
- The Musée d'Art Moderne André Malraux; Impressionism is widely represented here, making this museum the second largest collection in France, after the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
- Auguste Perret's show apartment, a perfect example of a typical Le Havre Reconstruction dwelling. Once you're through the door, you're transported back to the 1950s, with furniture, fabrics, lighting, record players and other everyday objects from the period.
- Le Volcan, a cultural space and national stage that today houses the Oscar Niemeyer library. A stone's throw away, St. Joseph's Church resembles a New York skyscraper, with its octagonal lantern tower and 6,500 colorful stained-glass windows.
- The Maison de l'Armateur, a fine example of 18th-century civil architecture. From the exhibition rooms to the library and period apartments, the tour evokes the premises, their owners and the history of their businesses.
- The pebble beach, adored by the people of Le Havre and lined with restaurants, bars and colorful shacks.
A day in Deauville-Trouville
Jewels of the Côte Fleurie, Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer are two neighboring sisters well worth a visit. Separated by the Pont des Belges, through which all means of locomotion pass, they are also linked by Le Petit Bac, the orange boat used by pedestrians and renowned for making the shortest crossing in France at just 220 meters! Boardwalks, colorful beach umbrellas, breathtaking seaside villas... A compendium of must-sees, so you won't miss a thing for a day:
TROUVILLE-SUR-MER
- The fish market. This is Trouville's emblematic fish market. Here, freshly caught seafood is perfectly tasted under the fishmongers' stalls, and has been since 1935.
- The Savignac beach and promenade: nicknamed the "Queen of Beaches". And that's just the beginning! From the lighthouse on the jetty to the yacht club, villas, parasols and passers-by follow one another on the golden sandy beach. Boards and cabins take pride of place in the center, lined with benches bearing the names of artists associated with Trouville.
- The casino, home to the Hôtel des Cures Marines Trouville*****. In this grand neo-classical building, you can try your luck at the slot machines, enjoy seawater thalassotherapy treatments, appreciate the subtle dishes of the L'Ephemer restaurant and sleep with a view of the sea.
- The Villa Montebello Museum. Typical of Second Empire seaside architecture - bow-windows, grand staircase, roof decorated with finials - it now houses the Trouville-sur-Mer museum collections (paintings, ethnographic objects, etc.), focusing on the birth of sea bathing and the development of the Côte Fleurie resort.
DEAUVILLE
- Les Planches and parasols. The 643-metre-long promenade runs alongside the Pompeian Baths and their Art Deco cabins. In front of each cabin, lices are marked with the names of directors and actors invited each year to the American Film Festival. Directly opposite, the famous multicolored parasols are deployed to shelter vacationers or folded up with their skirts tied.
- Les Franciscaines : this former home of the Franciscan nuns is now a unique cultural venue, creatively reinvented so that everyone can settle in and create their own stroll. Reading times, exhibition visits, meetings and shows alternate and follow one another.
- The Villa Strassburger, a masterpiece of the Norman and Belle Epoque styles. It opens its doors for guided tours; as you step through the door, oil portraits of horses, relics from the life of the Strassburger family, furniture and caricatures bear witness to life at the time.
- The Deauville-La Touques racecourse, home to France's most popular flat race. Every summer, it hosts the Meeting de Deauville Barrière, renowned for its prestigious international races. And just a stone's throw away, the three polo fields come alive for the Barrière Deauville Polo Cup!
The "Traversées Cultural Pack
What used to be a leisure travel pass has become a cultural sesame. The Pôle Métropolitain de l'Estuaire de la SeineThe Pôle Métropolitain de l'Estuaire, which is responsible for the estuary crossings project, has formed a partnership with Les Franciscaines, Villa Montebello, MuMa and Bee Le Havre City Tour to promote access to culture for all. Simply present a ticket for a crossing from Deauville-Trouville or Le Havre, and discounts are instantly applied at these four major players in local tourism along the Seine Estuary.
