FRANCE: LAND AND SEA BARRIÈRE AT A GLIMPSE

Discover fascinating - and at times unexpected - landscapes, be they near the sea or in the countryside, thanks to Barrière’s resorts, hotels, spas, casinos and the many activities they have in store

Once again, Coco Chanel was right on the money: France isn’t too shabby. Located on the edge of Europe, it is a nation of a thousand landscapes and climates. Yet, it has managed to remain a unified entity throughout the ages. With its countless rivers, seas and mountains, France boasts many an interesting horizon and unexpected hideout: there is a surprise at every corner, ranging from the most relaxing to the most ground-breaking. We may sometimes take it for granted, but in 2020 more than ever, France is brimming with life.

For over a century, Barrière and its hotels have participated in France’s explorative experience, which the world is once again free to discover. The true stars of the show are France’s seas, the colours of which are reflected in the nation’s very first touristic destinations: from the coasts of Normandy to Brittany’s coves, via the Mediterranean’s guileful breeze and the vast plains along the Atlantic shoreline. Barrière hotels have always been there and always will, firmly rooted epoch after epoch, living their heritage day-to-day.

Barrière is here to take care of everything… especially you! All of our French destinations have some truly special and unexpected treats in store: discover a myriad of wonderful locations, mere minutes away from your Barrière accommodation.

Deauville in Normandie

Normandy is home to many a tale: French cinema legends, Napoleonic conquests and the arrival of the train, which opened up the coast to Parisian holidaymakers. Les Planches, Deauville’s legendary boardwalk made of exotic wood, appeared in 1923. Barrière knows the city’s every secret, as the group’s founder François André chose this location for his hotels Le Normandy, Le Royal and Hotel du Golf. Here is what you need to know, hear and taste. 

LAID BLUE

In Grangues, La New Ferme Cocotte produces positively peculiar eggs, served at Le Normandy’s restaurant La Belle Époque: their shells are naturally blue, an effect achieved through crossbreeding. Now a local delicacy, their creamy yolks make for the best soft-boiled eggs. lanewfermecocotte.fr. Cour de l’Arbre, Grangues.
Opens 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; Mondays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tel. + 33 (0)2 31 93 30 42.

ON THE TROT

At the Deauville racetracks, France’s no.1 female jockey Coralie Pacaut trains with Jean-Claude Rouget’s stables. Full of rigour and discipline, she and her horse certainly put on a show. Coralie Pacaut will be racing at the Barrière Deauville Meeting from 30 July to 30 August.

hippodrome-deauville.com

APPLES AND… APPLES

Located on Normandy’s “cider road”, Dupont distilleries produce the best cider in the Calvados region since 1886, as well as many other delicious apple-based beverages. Visits, tastings and cocktail workshops will help you better understand the libations served at Le Normandy’s bar, selected by cocktail master Marc Jean. Domaine Dupont in Victot-Ponfol.
reservation@calvados- dupont.com.
Open all year round from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Open Sundays in July and August.
Tel. + 33 (0)2 31 63 24 24.

Dinard putting the Brit' in Brittany

Dinard is a gem: the ebb and flow of the tide, the cool sea breeze, local simplicity... It can also be extravagant, like the town’s plush 19th century villas. Grand Hotel Barrière is part of the local legend: in the 20th century, it welcomed Europe’s first “holidaymaking” elevator, intended for King-to-be Edward VII of Great-Britain who would moor his yacht nearby. Years later, Dinard’s British Film Festival, dedicated to Sir Alfred Hitchcock, would form a permanent bond between Britain and Brittany.

WHATEVER NEXT?

Dinard shines bright on the shores of Brittany’s “Emerald Coast”. The sun dips behind the clouds, only to return more flamboyant than ever. In the bay, discover Dinard’s extravagant villas, terraced gardens and chiselled blinds, which beautify the surroundings in every season. A bike ride (electrically assisted or not) may be in order: Cap Fréhel, the majestic Fort La Latte and the dam over La Rance River, which produces green electricity since 1966. Full of history and modernity, Dinard is the culmination of Brittany’s diversity.

barrière-dinard.com

La Baule Unveiled

Pine forests, sand dunes, seashells… in other words: La Baule. Discover the nearby Guérande salt pans, Piriac, Pen Bron, and the port of Lérat. Barrière hotels Le Royal, Le Castel Marie-Louise and L’Hermitage let you experience these locations on their rental bicycles (electrically assisted and not). You may also enjoy Branféré zoo and botanical gardens or the villages of Rochefort-en-Terre and La Gacilly. Guardian of Brittany, La Baule is marked by the ebb of the tides and the flow of history, which Barrière hotels have embodied for nearly 100 years.

 
A SECRET TREAT

The Pédron family is in the seaweed business: their farm is located near an age-old salt pan in Le Croisic and boasts some of the latest, greenest agro-marine technology. Their produce is eaten fresh or as fine caviar (a favourite among French chefs). Dried and canned seaweed is also used in sweet dishes and even drinks! Discover a truly unexpected palette of taste. Saline Saint-Goustan, 5, Rue Raymond Poincaré, 44490 Le Croisic.
lesjardins-delamer.fr, poiscaille.fr

 
VEG’ WITH A SEA VIEW

Huitric Producteur have set up amid the sea pans of Guérande to cultivate their passion for vegetables. The 70 seasonal varieties they grow all benefit from the greenest, most organic certifications you could wish for. Congor, Guérande.
huitric-producteur.fr

Ribeauvillé Delights from Alsace

Riesling wine isn’t the only delight Alsace has to offer; proving that being unique doesn’t mean excluding diversity. Like the region’s «mountainous and fluvial» landscapes - as Marcel Proust would put it - the Barrière Ribeauvillé Resort (17 kilometres from Colmar) is sure to spike your curiosity... and never disappoints. Alsace is a frontier, a horizon and a deeply rooted local culture. Throughout History, it has seen skirmishes of all kinds, without ever losing sight of its essential nature: its taste for all things genuine. Alsatian legends and local heritage are true to their word. Like the vineyards that cover its hills, the region should be discovered with one’s senses: hear the language, touch the velvety soil, soak in the landscape and climb the thousands of steps that lead to its ancient - and very peaceful - châteaux. The town of Ribeauvillé is no exception.

CANDLES AND THE TURCKHEIM WATCHMAN

The watchman is a unique character. During the warm season (May to October) in the Fecht Valley - below Munster and 15 kilometres from Ribeauvillé - he comes out into the streets of Turckheim just before 10 p.m. to call out: «Listen to what I have to say. The bell has just truck 10. Take care of both hearth and candle. » This tradition has been going since 1540. Today, the watchman still reminds local villagers that a lit or badly extinguished candle can be dangerous. The houses were, and still are, made of wood and the smallest fire could set the town ablaze. Thus, the Turckheim watchman corps was born. Five centuries later - under the protection of modern electric lighting - four volunteers still enact this positively unusual procession. Their nightly rounds are a popular tourist attraction and received the local Grand Bretzel d’Or award in 2012. The walk of the watchman corps. Ends 31 October.

Tel. + 33 (0) 3 89 27 38 44

Autumn and Winter Blue and White

De la montagne à la mer. Des milliers de kilomètres les séparent. Mais Courchevel sous la neige et Saint Barth dans les Caraïbes ont un point commun : l’atmosphère Barrière. Dans le confort de la simplicité et le «lâcher prise». 

In Courchevel 1850,

the majestic mountains and starry sky are part and parcel of Hotel Barrière Les Neiges - now classed among France’s five-star “palaces”. Reopens in December.
hotelsbarriere.com

In Saint Barth,

In the French Caribbean territory of Saint Barth, Hotel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf ***** invites you to discover the tropical dolce vita. Opens in autumn.
hotelsbarriere.com