Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Commune of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage |
|
| Location | |
  |
|
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Department | Pas-de-Calais |
| Arrondissement | Montreuil |
| Canton | Montreuil |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de Communes Mer et Terres d'Opale |
| Mayor | Daniel FASQUELLE (2008-2015) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0 m–42 m (avg. 5 m) |
| Land area¹ | 15.31 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
5,640 |
| - Density | 347/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 62826/ 62520 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
 |
|
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a coastal town and commune of the Pas-de-Calais département, in northern France. Population (2005): 8,500.
Le Touquet has a reputation as the most elegant holiday resort of northern France - the playground of rich Parisians, with many luxury hotels.
Ever since the mid-1990s Le Touquet's villas have become extremely fashionable amongst architecture lovers throughout Europe, rediscovering the "folie" of seaside architecture of both the Roaring Twenties and the Thirties. The most famous local architect is Louis Quetelart, whose style was named after him Louis Quetelart Style.
Contents |
[edit] History
The resort was created in 1876 by the owner of the Paris newspaper, Le Figaro. Then this was an area of wild sand dunes and forest - part of a hunting estate. It became known as "Paris by the sea", and strict building regulations encouraged the most talented architects to create imaginative and innovative developments.
[edit] Le Touquet and the wealthy British
In 1903, a British Gentleman bought the land, and set out to sell properties to the rich from across the English Channel. In the 1920s Noel Coward and the 'smart set' from England spent weekends here, and commissioned more outstanding villa designs echoing traditional and ultra-modern domestic styles. Today the town tourist office offers organised trails to see outstanding examples of 19th and 20th century domestic architecture, which are now preserved and protected.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Inland from the beach, hotels, casino and horse racing course, a wide range of sports, particularly golf are offered.
Every year in February, a motorbike & quad race called 'Enduro' where bikes race along the beach and through the dunes.
Le Touquet was the birthplace of Christian Ferras (1933-1982), violinist[citation needed].
[edit] Twin towns
Le Touquet participates in international town twinning; its current partners are:
Winterberg, Germany (since September 1966), winter sports town.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png)
Rixensart, Belgique, green suburbs of Brussels
Witney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, upscale seaside town in the suburbs of Tunis
Cary, North Carolina, United States
Eckbolsheim, France, 5 km from Strasbourg
[edit] Photo Gallery
 Le Touquet Celebration |
 Le Touquet Aqualud |
 Christmas band outside one of the Le Touquet's casino |
 Le Touquet sports centre |
 Christmas carol service in Le Touquet |
[edit] External links
 |
This Pas-de-Calais geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
