Visiting Cabourg
Cabourg is a seaside town on the Côte Fleurie in Normandy, sitting right on the English Channel. Once a small fishing village, it began to transform in the mid-19th century under the direction of Henri Durand-Morimbau, who envisioned a resort town for the Parisian bourgeoisie to escape to. The town was designed with a radial street plan, almost like a Greco-Roman theater, with a wooden casino at its heart. In 1879, the arrival of the railway connected Cabourg to Paris, sparking a second wave of growth that filled the town with the opulent, varied villas characteristic of the Belle Epoque.
A bourgeois seaside resort
Early 20th-century hotel construction brought the Grand Hôtel de Cabourg, rebuilt in 1908 and famously frequented by Marcel Proust. He used Cabourg as the inspiration for the town of Balbec, which serves as the setting for characters in his novel In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower. If you are a Proust fan, do not miss the Villa du Temps Retrouvé, a museum in Cabourg that explores his work and immerses visitors in the historical and artistic context of the Belle Epoque.
In 1887, a promenade was built along the beach to prevent erosion and encourage tourism. Today, the walk is marked by the Meridian of Love, a sculpture featuring five columns inscribed with the word love in 104 official world languages. Other local highlights include race days at the hippodrome, evenings at the casino, and thalassotherapy sessions at dedicated local facilities.
Cabourg and nature
Beyond its elegant architecture and monuments, Cabourg has a surprising natural side. The expansive beach is the perfect place to enjoy the English Channel. You can try land sailing, kite-surfing, or stand-up paddleboarding. Several parks and gardens offer quiet walking paths, including the town hall gardens, the casino gardens, and the rose garden.
Head to the northern end of the avenue de la Divette to find trails through the marshes and dunes of the pointe de Cabourg. The salt meadows stretch as far as the eye can see and provide nesting grounds for migratory birds like storks. You can also take a ferry to explore the estuary of the Dives, and the surrounding area is packed with cycling paths if you want to explore on two wheels.
When to go
The Côte Fleurie is at its best between May and September. Be aware that July and August are peak tourist months. In June, the town hosts the Cabourg Film Festival, which celebrates romantic cinema.
Getting there
Cabourg is easy to reach by car via the A13 or A29 highways. Regional trains connect the town to the station at Deauville - Trouville or Caen. You can also find bus connections from Paris.
I discovered the town of Cabourg in the rain, which didn't take anything away from its charm. The beaches are really stunning, large stretches of white sand. The Belle Epoque architecture is superb. I especially recommend visiting the Villa du Temps Retrouvé if that era interests you.