Le Havre has had a rail link to Paris since 1847. The railway brought the city closer to the capital and as sunbathing became fashionable, Le Havre rose to prominence as one of the biggest seaside resorts on the Normandy coast. When the ‘Boulevard Maritime’ was established, the city’s sea front became lined with elegant townhouses and Art Deco apartment blocks, such as the Villa Maritime or the Transatlantique building, rare survivors of the 1944 bombings.
Wealthy tourists and spa guests came to enjoy the water at Bains de Sainte-Adresse then spent the rest of their time gambling at Casino Marie-Christine, buildings that no longer stand today. Since 1994, a pedestrian promenade landscaped by specialist architect Alexandre Chemetoff stretches the length of Le Havre’s beach, adding to its character and appeal. Several hundred wooden beach cabins, emblematic of the ‘Cité Océane’, have also stood lined up on the pebbled beach since the 1910s.
