Côte de Beauté
The Côte de Beauté (“coast of beauty” or “beautiful coast”) is only about 30 kilometers long on the French Atlantic coast and at the mouth of the Gironde .
geography
location
The Côte de Beauté begins roughly at the Pointe de la Coubre and extends along the southwest coast of the Arvert peninsula over the seaside resorts of La Palmyre , Saint-Palais-sur-Mer , Vaux-sur-Mer , Royan , Saint-Georges-de- Didonne to Meschers-sur-Gironde . According to the definition of the Conseil national de l'information geographique , the Atlantic coast on the northern tip of the Médoc to Soulac-sur-Mer also belongs to the Côte de Beauté.
landscape
The varied landscape profile ranges from flat sandy beaches in the northwest over flat rocky sections to the approximately 30 meter high cliffs in the southeast. The hinterland of the north-western coastline with its long beaches is partly forested - in the 19th century mainly maritime pines were planted. The south-eastern section, on the other hand, is characterized by medium-sized bays.
climate
The climate is influenced to a large extent by the Atlantic, especially that of Biscay - it is comparatively rainy, especially in autumn and winter, and even more rarely stormy. In summer, daytime temperatures are rarely above 30–35 ° C; night frosts are unknown on the coast in winter.
geology
Calcareous sandstone forms the subsoil, which is exposed in the southern section of the coast (e.g. near Meschers and Talmont ); this was previously partially dismantled to build churches and the mansions of the landlords ( seigneurs ), later also the town houses of the region. There is a thin and quite sandy humus layer on top .
Surname
The stretch of coast used to be part of the Côte d'Argent - a name that is only used today for the 100-kilometer strip from Le Verdon-sur-Mer or Soulac-sur-Mer to the mouth of the Adour River near Bayonne . The name 'Côte de Beauté' was chosen in 1931 by the Miss European elections committee . The French Jeanne Juilla won - after her victory in the competition for 'Miss Garonne' in 1930 - the election for ' Miss France ' in the following year and then - as the first French woman - the title of 'Miss Europe'.
Attractions
Apart from the diverse natural impressions, there is also the greater Royan area with the urban landscapes of Le-Palais-sur-Mer, Vaux-sur-Mer and Royan. The world-famous zoo of La Palmyre and the Romanesque church of Sainte-Radegonde near Talmont are also worth mentioning.