What to do when it rains
10 dry outings
When the sun plays hide-and-seek with the clouds and the rain shows its face, it's tempting to stay at home. Yet rainy Normandy has inspired the creative spirit of many artists, painters and writers. What if this was an opportunity to discover the region in a different way? Take a behind-the-scenes look at a distillery or cheese factory, explore a museum, solve the riddles of an escape game... Here are 10 ideas for sheltered outings to brighten up rainy days and avoid boredom.
Shelter in a museum
TO THE FRANCISCANS
What better way to quench your thirst for knowledge than by visiting a museum? When it comes to culture Les Franciscainesan all-in-one place where art, photography and history enthusiasts can feel right at home, and where children can get busy in the Fablab to create objects of all kinds using an array of robotic tools, or simply relax in an alcove to read.
We love: the impressive 400m² chandelier, to be photographed from every angle, from ground to second floor.
AT THE PALEOSPACE
Science well par excellence, the Paléospace tells the story of the dinosaurs that once inhabited Normandy. Yes, fossils have been discovered on the beach at Villers-sur-Mer, at the foot of the Falaises des Vaches Noires. Other paleontological curiosities, such as the town's position as the point of entry to the Greenwich Meridianor the flora and fauna of the Blonville-Villers Marsh which surrounds the Paléospace, will delight young and old alike.
We love: the starry vault of the 360° Planetarium and its total immersion through the Milky Way.
Fun at the casino
120 years of history precede the Casino Barrière Deauvillethe fourth-largest casino in France and consideredone of the finest in Europe. By day, the immaculate white façade, adorned with balusters and wide windows, reflects the sun's rays; by night, it transforms into an enchanting place, glittering with a thousand lights. Once you've passed the majestic entrance, you're in for quite an experience: climb the steps of the monumental double-flight staircase, sit down in the grand gallery to admire the marble columns and crystalline chandeliers, take a look at the Salon des Ambassadeurs, the epicenter of the American Film Festival gala dinners where guest actors and directors flock, play at one of the ten poker and blackjack tables or at roulette such as Françoise Sagan - who won 8 million francs in Deauville on August 8, 1958, betting on her favorite 8!
We love: the Casino Barrière Deauville's Italian-style theater, inspired by the Grand Trianon in Versailles.
Savour the gastronomy of Normandy
Normandy's culinary specialties are known the world over, from plate to glass. On a rainy day, there's nothing more comforting than entering a distillerythe smell of warm apples coming from the still... And with Cidre, Calvados or Pommeau, what better accompaniment than cheese? Visit Village Fromager - Fromagerie Graindorgethe four Normandy PDO cheeses - Livarot, Pont-L'Evêque, Neufchâtel and Camembert - reveal their production secrets. What all these tours have in common is that each one ends with a tasting session to tantalize the taste buds.
We love: the boutique areas at each location, where you can put together your own gift basket.
Pamper yourself
Rain isn't always unpleasant... especially when it completes a massage! Its name, the "massage sous affusion", which thalassos and spa inDeauville thalassos and spas offer. The principle is simple: enjoy the expert hands of our practitioners under a fine, warm shower of seawater, for absolute relaxation. After these gentle minutes, relaxation continues with a sauna, hammam, whirlpool bath, seaweed wrap or facial.
We love: the escape offered by massages from other parts of the world (Polynesian, Ayurvedic, Creole, Balinese, hot stone...).
Visit the Villa Strassburger
The beauty of the site cannot be overshadowed by gloom; the Villa Strassburger is the only exceptional residence in Deauville open to the general public. And thanks to the success of our summer guided tours, the villa is now open all year round! Steeped in history and rich in anecdotes, the former home of Baron Henri de Rothschild and Ralph Beaver Strassburger has kept its period furniture, its paintings of horses and its rooms as they were.
We love: the grand salon on the first floor, renovated in 2022, now boasts a superb herringbone parquet floor, enhancing the Belle Epoque decor.
Hit the ball on an indoor tennis court
Whether on artificial turf, Taraflex or clay, tennis can be played even in bad weather! At the Blonville-sur-Mer, Saint-Arnoult, Touques and Villers-sur-Mer tennis clubs, indoor courts offer the chance to take lessons and improve your skills all year round:
- Tennis de Blonville-sur-Mer: Rue des Tennis, 14910 Blonville-sur-Mer
- Telephone: +33 (0)2 31 87 90 61
- Tennis de Touques Côte Fleurie: 3 avenue Charles de Gaulle, 14800 Touques
Telephone: +33 (0)2 31 88 37 67 - Tennis de Saint-Arnoult: Avenue Michel d'Ornano, 14800 Saint-Arnoult
Telephone: +33 (0)2 31 98 11 22 - Tennis Country Club de Villers-sur-Mer: Rue du Docteur Sicard - Stade André Salesse, 14640 Villers-sur-Mer
Telephone: +33 (0)2 31 87 52 40
Play
A few raindrops are all it takes to rush inside one of these three temples to entertainment! Whether you're into sports or puzzle games, take your pick:
- The most high-tech : Dama Factoryan avant-garde leisure complex featuring a Boxing Quiz with thrilling rounds, a connected mini-golf course, shuffleboard tables, interactive darts and an"Action Game" escape game directly inspired by Fort Boyard.
- The most strategic : Le Hangar à Enigmesescape game with multiple stories. Here, each budding investigator chooses his or her destiny for the next sixty minutes: sorcerer, pirate, thief, rocker, soldier... Freedom is only a key away!
- A must: Le Bowling de Deauville, with 10 brightly lit lanes and a games area with billiards and arcade games.
