Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and hotels.

The city and its region of the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) have long been home to the French upper class's seaside houses and is often referred to as the Parisian riviera.

The history of Deauville can be traced back to 1060, when seigneur Hubert du Mont-Canisy controlled the land, which was previously known as Auevilla.

Duc Charles Auguste Louis Joseph de Morny, the half brother of the emperor Napoleon III, transformed Deauville into a more travelled resort on request of his wife Sofia Sergeyevna Trubetskaya and her friend, art collector Konstantin Rudanovsky.

Renovations were carried out and extensions were made to the hippodrome, telephone lines were set up, the sales of yearlings saw historic highs, and up to 62 English and French yachts occupied the basin.

During these years many luxury boutiques opened in the streets of Deauville, including Coco Chanel's first shop; many stores from Paris decided it was worthwhile establishing themselves in the up-and-coming resort.

The combination of the national financial crisis and World War II ensured Deauville would not regain its stature as a resort town until the 1950s.

Michel d'Ornano was established as the new mayor and Lucien Barriere succeeded his uncle Francois André at the head of the Hotels and Casinos of Deauville, and the town again became a centre for high society and celebrities.

He described the village as: Cité calme, aux rue désertes, elle forme avec Trouville, animée et bruyante, un contraste absolu.

It was in 1858 that doctor Oliffe, who owned a villa in Trouville, decided to create a "town of pleasure" on the sand dunes and in 1862 the first stone of today's Deauville was laid.

In the 1860s visits by Napoleon III made the coast of Normandy adjacent to Deauville fashionable, and soon speculators developed the infrastructure necessary to accommodate members of the Imperial court and the growing Parisian bourgeoisie.

Nonetheless, the town and the surrounding coastline still contain high-profile seaside resorts, haven for the rich and famous as well as for the more discreet families of French high society such as the Rothschilds, who own a Norman manor near Deauville.

As a result, the city is twinned with Lexington, Kentucky and County Kildare in Ireland, both of which are world leaders in breeding thoroughbred racehorses.

Deauville is internationally known for its horse culture, its famous tracks, Yearling sales and its multiple Group One annual races.

[citation needed] Weekend Wives, 1928 The Prix de Deauville for songs and books are awarded in April annually.