‘Immortalised by Monet’: the enduring seaside charm of Trouville, Normandy

<p>The impressionist painter was much taken by the stylish villas and unique light of the French port, which 150 years on still refuses to be outshone by glitzy big sister Deauville</p><p>I get the feeling that the world divides into two very different halves as my two-hour train from Paris pulls into the splendid half-timbered station of Trouville-Deauville, with holidaymakers either turning left towards chic, luxurious Deauville, the Saint-Tropez of Normandy, or branching right, across the Touques River, to Trouville-sur-Mer, a more historic, easy-going destination.</p><p>I have opted to stay at Trouville, known as La Reine des Plages (The Queen of the Beaches), a tiny fishing port that was transformed from the 1820s onwards into one of France’s first fashionable bathing resorts by bohemian artists and writers, seduced by the unique coastal light, and the Parisian bourgeoisie looking for a healthy dose of sea air and a flutter in the glamorous municipal casino.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/sep/24/trouville-normandy-france-seaside-town-monet">Continue reading...</a>