Deauville is a year-round glamour destination and has been for a long time one of the most desirable addresses for a jet-setter's second dwelling. Gustave Flaubert and Yves Saint Laurent were regular visitors, Coco Chanel opened her first boutique here, and Rita Hayworth and Prince Ali Khan once called it home. Why? Because it’s simply fabulous, darling. The houses are expensive, the lawns are manicured, and much of the town centre features faux half-timbered Medieval architecture.
Add its two famous horse racing-tracks - Deauville la Touques and Deauville Clairefontaine - plus a marina, casino and huge number of exclusive, luxury hotels, and it's no surprise it’s become such a favourite among the international elite. In fact, there are so many Parisians popping by it's been called the Parisian Riviera. Of course, a high society crowd demands a high society social calendar. Golf, horse-racing, polo, tennis, clay-pigeon shooting, sailing and cycling are readily accessible day-time activities, and the full gamut of festivals - film, music, literature and photography. The American Film Festival is the big star, attracting a host of Hollywood celebs to the city every September. Just check out the bathing huts that line the wooden beach-side boardwalk if you want to know who’s visited since it began in 1975 – they bear the names of the major stars. It’s all rather glamorous, really.
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