The borders of this historical province, with rare exceptions, have remained virtually unchanged throughout its centuries-old history. Upper and Lower Normandy border Brittany, the Lands and the Loire Valley, the Ile-de-France and the Hauts-de-France. On the territory of Normandy flows the Seine, and from the northern and western parts of the region is washed by the English Channel. You can get here from Paris in about 1.5 hours (about 130 km) by train or car. And due to the fact that Rouen has an international airport, you can fly here from other countries directly, bypassing the French capital.
Enchanting Normandy is famous for its legendary resorts, bewitching sea, special blue skies and vibrant greenery. It is no coincidence that this picturesque region attracted many French artists and poets - Claude Monet, Maupassant, Flaubert and Proust were looking for inspiration here. This province is also known for its large apple plantations (in particular, the production of apple brandy - Calvados) and the dairy industry. First-class Camembert, Livaro, Pont Laveque, Neuchtel and others are produced in this part of France.
Deauville
When the conversation turns to Normandy, almost everyone remembers Deauville - perhaps the most legendary seaside resort in this part of the country. This town was built by Duke Charles de Morny, a distant relative of Napoleon Bonaparte, on the advice of his wife Princess Sophia Trubetskoy in 1859 as a place of rest for the Parisian nobility. Therefore, it quickly became the center of attraction for the respectable public. It was here in 1913 that Coco Chanel opened her first boutique, where secular fashionistas flocked from all over the country, introduced the fashion for tanning (unthinkable for the upper strata of society of that time) and vests.
After the First World War in the 1920s, this resort again wins the love of the European aristocracy and the families of wealthy industrialists. It is by their order that elegant houses with amazing architecture are being built on the seashore. The Deauville casino, sparkling with thousands of lights, became the venue for important meetings and social events, and the most gambling horse racing enthusiasts from all over France gathered at the local hippodrome.
A few decades later, the whole world heard about this French region, but in a different capacity. During the Second World War, a Franco-Soviet squadron was formed, which was sent to the Western Front, where it had already been reorganized into the Normandie air regiment. He participated in the Battle of Kursk, the Smolensk and Belorussian offensive operations, as well as in the battles to defeat the Nazi troops in East Prussia. For military merits and courage during the fighting during the crossing of the Neman River, the regiment was given the honorary name "Neman", and it became known as "Normandy-Neman".
In the 60s, Deauville again found himself at the zenith of fame, this time cinematic. It was here that Claude Lelouch filmed Man and Woman with Anouk Aim and Jean-Louis Trintignant, which became a classic of world cinema.
And today Deauville continues to be in demand among the most demanding home buyers. The city managed to preserve its historical appearance and the spirit of the old times. An abundance of luxury hotels, a chic casino, horse racing, magnificent sandy beaches, golf courses and a marina continue to consistently attract high society representatives from all over the world. Here, sales of premium real estate are constantly growing, and properties worth several million euros quickly find their buyers, especially when it comes to resort housing. The main buyers of local square meters are not just the French, but the residents of the capital. That is why Deauville is sometimes jokingly referred to as the 21st arrondissement of Paris.
Rouen
The city of Rouen is the historical capital of Normandy, one of the oldest in the country, now it is the center of Normandy and the prefecture of the Seine-Maritime department in northern France. Traditionally, the authorities of Rouen allocate much more funds for the construction and maintenance of local monuments than is the case in other provincial cities. In addition, it is also both a sea and river port, one of the main in the country in terms of imports of citrus and tropical fruits.
Rouen inscribed itself in history as the place where Joan of Arc was burned. Here are the world-famous churches and cathedrals with unique stained-glass windows (it is no coincidence that Rouen is called the “city of a hundred bell towers”), the Museum of Fine Arts (Rouen is a famous center for porcelain craftsmanship and pottery) and the theater of arts.
The city has a metro built in 1998. Rouen Airport is located 9 kilometers southeast of the city. It, like the central railway station of Rouen, is well connected by bus services. Rouen now has 62,000 housing units, of which 54,000 are permanent residents. The city has well-preserved monuments from the Middle Ages: old quarters, wooden half-timbered houses, the Old Market Square.
But Rouen is also being actively modernized: the city center and embankments are being reconstructed here, and the transport network is expanding. In Rouen, prices tend to 4,000 euros per sq.m in new buildings, resale - about 2,000 euros per sq.m, real estate in the city center costs from 4,000 to 5,000 euros per sq.m.
Le Havre
Ships to America have been sailing from this port city for more than a hundred years. During the Second World War, it was almost completely destroyed, but, nevertheless, it continues to attract attention today. People come here to visit the Malraux Museum, the Church of Saint-Joseph, the city hall, the Japanese garden, take a walk along the embankment, try delicious cider in the bar. The average cost of buying a home in Le Havre is 2,000-3,000 euros per sq.m, but the price of an apartment on the top floors with a sea view can reach up to 4,000 euros.
Caen
The city of Caen is located in the central part of the region and is very similar to Le Havre. Because of the same strict architectural similarity, they are often referred to as twins. The main attractions of the city: the male abbey, the church of Saint-Etienne, the Koupsart estate. A small apartment in Caen can be purchased for 200,000 euros.
Thank you for your help in preparing the material:
Elena Utyumova, Director of INDOM
Daria Romanova, Montaigne Estate expert