Plage de Veules-les-Roses, Beach in Veules-les-Roses, Seine-Maritime, France.

The beach at Veules-les-Roses sits where sand and pebbles meet at the mouth of a small river, backed by white limestone cliffs of the Alabaster Coast. The shoreline runs between the river opening and the rocky formations that frame the entire bay.

Veules-les-Roses grew as a bathing resort in the 19th century, when Parisians reached the Normandy coast by rail and the village drew painters and writers. The mouth of the Veules, the white chalk cliffs and the watercress beds along the stream were the subjects they came for. The resort's villas and seafront date largely from that period.

The beach sits at the mouth of the Veules, which at about 1.1 km is often described as the shortest river in France. The river once powered watermills along its course through the village, and the name Veules comes from the Latin veula, a small stream. Visitors can walk the river's short course to the sea.

The village center sits just above the shoreline, making it easy to walk down from shops and cafes to the water. Parking areas are nearby, and several restaurants along the way serve fresh seafood and regional dishes.

The Veules, which gives the village its name, is among the shortest coastal rivers in France, running roughly 1.1 km from its source to the sea. It turns several small water mills within the village before crossing the beach shingle to the Channel.