Les Planches

Les Planches is a wooden boardwalk on the beach in Deauville on the northern coast of France, stretching more than six hundred meters parallel to the sea. Along its edge stand beach cabins in different colors that serve as changing rooms and carry signs with actress names.

The boardwalk was built in the nineteen twenties to make beach access easier without visitors soiling their clothing in the sand. The original concept aimed especially to allow women in long skirts to walk freely along the shore.

The boardwalk connects the harbor with the beach and serves as a popular meeting point for walks along the Normandy coast. Visitors can admire the colorful beach cabins whose facades have displayed famous film names for decades, commemorating those who celebrated the festival here.

The boardwalk is open year-round and is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, as it runs completely level. Stairs and ramps lead down to the sandy beach from several points, so visitors can switch between the promenade and the shore.

The wooden planks are made of Azobé, a tropical hardwood from African forests that is especially resistant to seawater and salt air. This material was chosen because it hardly splinters and lasts for decades without decay.