Villas Belle Epoque

The sea front villas are charming examples of Belle Époque architecture. The town of Mers expanded spectacularly when sea bathing and its therapeutic benefits were discovered. In the late 19th century the railway brought the first holidaymakers, called "bathers". Belonging to the nobility and wealthy upper classes, these early bathers settled here for part of the year, building the first holiday homes of the modern world. Thalassotherapy had just been discovered. The villas were built in many styles: Anglo-Norman, Flemish, Picardy, Moorish, Renaissance, Louis XIII, Napoleon III, 1930s, etc. "Unique gems of architecture". Lovely walk along the Esplanade du Général Leclerc (800m) where villas in this conservation area boast bow windows, finely wrought balconies, colourful façades, ceramics - all charming features of the Belle Époque.