Villers-sur-Mer


Villers-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy, northwestern France, with a population of 2,765 as of 2016.

Geography

The commune is located on the French coast of the English Channel, on the Côte Fleurie, between Deauville and Houlgate, approximately 200 km from Paris.
It is the northernmost French commune through which falls the Prime meridian. The latter is represented on the seafront promenade with a blue mark on the ground and on the parapet. This mark is positioned 32 meters west of the actual meridian.

History

It seems that Villers-sur-Mer was more akin to a group of hamlets during the early 19th century. According to the Cassini map, Villers at that time is made up of a church, two farms, and a castle.

Population

The town had a population of 2,574 in 2006, posting a growth of just over 150 residents between then and 2016.

Sights

Villers-sur-Mer is known for the large topiary dinosaurs facing the sea from the garden of the office of tourism. In certain years, a baby dinosaur is added to the garden. It is the starting point of the Vaches Noires cliffsa site where many fossils have been discovered. There is a small museum in the enclosure of the office of tourism, which has an outline of the resources and discoveries. It is a place widely known by specialists in the ammonites and other fossils.

Curiosity

On the beach of Villers-sur-Mer, the last scene of the film by François Truffaut was shot: "Les 400 coups" in 1959.

Transportation

is on the line from Deauville to Dives-sur-Mer. The station building is no longer open but train services operate year-round on weekends, and also on weekdays during the summer.