The seaside of Étretat is bordered by a pebble dike known as the perrey or perré. The city nestled between two cliffs became a seaside resort in 1843. The establishment of a casino and the railway put the coastal town within reach of Paris. Writers like Hugo, Maupassant, and Leblanc and painters such as Monet and Courbet participated in the reputation of Étretat. Today, the town with 1,200 inhabitants in winter welcomes nearly a million visitors each year.