The villas of the Côte de Nacre around the Vélomaritime – Anatole Trail
The villas of the Côte de Nacre around the Vélomaritime
Pedal, explore and play with your family!
The Côte de Nacre stretches from Ouistreham to Courseulles-sur-Mer.
Cycling along EuroVelo 4 – the Vélomaritime – is the best way to admire, at your own pace, the pretty Belle Epoque villas that survived the Second World War.
As early as the 18th century, doctors recognised the benefits of the sea air. The Normandy coast is attracting more and more tourists, whether for health reasons or as a holiday destination.
Infrastructure and villas flourished along the seafront. This boom has enabled architects to rival each other in the inventiveness with which they build seaside villas in a variety of original architectural styles: Art Nouveau, Art Deco, neo-regionalism, Scandinavian chalet style…
Use your smartphone to travel back in time to the Belle Epoque and the Roaring Twenties, with 4 suggested itineraries via a free geolocated web application, suitable for children, to discover a range of highly unusual villas.
The historical content of this digital travel companion is enhanced by archive images, portraits of personalities, videos, games and quizzes so that young and old alike can share, play and learn about the different architectural styles and the history of seaside fashion. Discover the seaside heritage in a fun way!
The Anatole trail runs 4km from Luc-sur-Mer to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, revealing 16 architectural gems such as the emblematic villa La Loggia and its Art Nouveau details. Following the seawall, this flat route traces the rise of sea bathing, from the arrival of the railway to anecdotes about the “Queen of Iodine”. The app guides your eye along the unique façades for a total immersion in the Belle Époque and the Roaring Twenties. It’s an interactive walk where games and archives bring back to life the daily lives of the first seaside holidaymakers.
Each route is geo-located, so it’s easy to get from one point of interest to another.
Practical information:
– Web application available 24/7, free of charge without downloading, by scanning this QR code or by going directly to: www.villas-cotedenacre.fr
– Cycling difficulty: safe, signposted route, easy, flat terrain, mainly cycle paths; some sections are shared roads.
– From age 8, accompanied by parents
– Bring a telephone holder to attach to the bike for easy GPS guidance.
– Some villas of architectural interest are located just a few hundred metres from the Vélomaritime.
– Some cycle routes are subject to municipal regulations.
Need more info?
- Website
The villas of the Côte de Nacre around the Vélomaritime – Anatole Trail
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