Enjoy the seafront at Saint-Nazaire
View itineraryEven if you have never been to Saint-Nazaire, you may already be familiar with parts of it. How? Thanks to its maritime history and having regularly featured in films and TV programmes, this seaside town has been as a key witness of major events of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Mr. Hulot’s Holiday
Saint-Nazaire is a seaside resort quite unlike any other. It was the setting for the well-known film Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, an iconic 1950s comedy by Jacques Tati. In the film, we can see all the charm of the town and its seafront, which has been maintained or indeed enhanced today.
From among the twenty beaches found here, the director chose to film his quirky character on that of Saint-Marc-sur-Mer. During your visit to this seaside town, you can relax, go hiking, enjoy watersports and look out for references to the film.
Saint-Nazaire and its submarine base
The town’s economic and demographic development took off at the end of the 19th century with the construction of a transatlantic port. Until 1940, this “Little Breton California” saw cargo and passenger ships sail between France and the West Indies and Central America.
When the Second World War broke out, Nazi Germany built a huge submarine base in place of the port to protect itself from the enemy. Today, this base is one of the exciting features of a tour of the town’s historical heritage, which culminates with the Ecomuseum.
To fully immerse yourself in history, you can also visit:
- The Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, birthplace of some of the world’s most stunning liners
- The Espadon submarine, the only afloat submarine open to visitors in France
- The Escal’Atlantic in the submarine base, where you can experience life on board a transatlantic liner for a while