The Macrons' house in Le Touquet: what we know, and what to respect

Yes, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have a house in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage: it is their usual place to unwind outside Paris, and it was at the resort's town hall that they married in 2007. The house remains a private home, in a neighbourhood lived in all year round.

In this article, we stick to the facts that have been made public: how the couple's link with Le Touquet began, the key known milestones, and what you can see as a visitor without disturbing anyone. You will deliberately find no address, map or photo of the house here.

Why Le Touquet? A family story

The Macrons' link with the resort comes first of all through Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux, from a family of chocolate makers in Amiens. Like many families from northern France and Picardy, the Trogneux family got into the habit of spending their holidays on the Opal Coast. Brigitte Macron inherited a family house in Le Touquet, which became the couple's second home.

This profile is very typical of the resort: according to INSEE, the French statistics office, nearly 80% of homes in Le Touquet are second homes, often handed down from generation to generation. Le Touquet is indeed often described as the holiday retreat of the northern French bourgeoisie, a trait the couple share with many other families.

Emmanuel Macron settled into this Le Touquet routine well before entering politics. In 2008, while still a finance inspector, he was for a time approached to stand in Le Touquet's municipal elections, before deciding not to run.

Key public dates

Here are the facts widely reported by the press and public sources:

On election days, images of the President slipping his ballot into the box at Le Touquet town hall have become familiar to French television viewers. In June 2017, during the parliamentary elections, he was followed by a small crowd of onlookers on the short walk to the town hall.

What we know about the house, and what we will not say

The useful information about the couple's home comes down to very little: it is a villa in the resort, like hundreds of others in Le Touquet, and it is lived in when the couple come to rest, particularly during holidays and on election weekends.

We have chosen not to give:

• the address or street of either the current or the former house;
• directions, a map or landmarks to get there;
• photos of the property;
• any information on when the couple are in residence.

The reason is simple: it is a family's private home, on a street where neighbours who asked for nothing also live. A house is not a tourist attraction, even when it belongs to a head of state. Every detail published online about this kind of house quickly translates into onlookers at the gates, which local residents could well do without.

What you can see as a visitor

If the couple's story interests you, the best way to "visit" it is to discover the resort's public places, which are also those of everyday life in Le Touquet:

• The town hall, where the 2007 wedding took place and where the President votes: a 1931 building in regional stone, topped by a 38-metre belfry and listed as a historic monument. Its façade can be freely photographed from the street.
• The semicircular covered market, another 1930s historic monument, lively on market days.
• Rue Saint-Jean, the shopping street that runs from the forest to the sea, and the seafront promenade along the beach.
• The forest and its villas, to explore on foot or by bike, staying on public roads.

Our article on what to see in Le Touquet describes these places, and the one on Le Touquet's iconic streets gives you ideas for walks.

Running into the President in Le Touquet: the right reflexes

During a stay, you may happen to run into the presidential couple in town. A few common-sense rules:

1. Do not go looking for the house. Loitering outside a private property bothers the neighbours and the police.
2. Follow security instructions. During official visits, security cordons may be set up; follow the officers' directions.
3. Be discreet. A hello is enough; avoid filming at close range or following the couple.
4. Think of the residents. Le Touquet is first and foremost a town where people live all year round; parking and noise outside homes are not welcome.
5. Do not geotag. Avoid posting photos or locations on social media that could pinpoint the couple's home: it is a matter of security as much as courtesy.

Charles's tip: our guests often ask us about "the President's house". We suggest instead spending a Saturday morning at the covered market, then walking along the seafront promenade to the town hall and coming back via rue Saint-Jean: that is where Le Touquet's life beats, the very life the couple come here for. From Villa Mon Étoile, everything is within walking distance.

"The Macrons' Le Touquet" and the resort's image

The 2017 election gave Le Touquet unprecedented national visibility: reports, books, visitors' curiosity. The resort had not waited for the President to become famous: as early as the 1920s it welcomed British high society and, in 2003, it hosted a Franco-British summit between Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair.

For many locals, the couple's presence is part of the landscape, without fundamentally changing the town's rhythm. Le Touquet remains above all a family resort, with its beach, its forest and the many famous figures who passed through during the 20th century. That is the atmosphere we invite you to discover, leaving residents, famous or not, the peace and quiet they came here for.

If you are planning a stay, our page on holiday rentals in Le Touquet helps you choose a convenient area, from which the beach, the market and the centre are all within walking distance, without a car.