Happy TravellerWelcome to Saint-Nazaire, a charming commune located in the Loire-Atlantique department of western France. This beautiful town is situated on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean, and has a major harbor that has a long tradition of fishing and shipbuilding. Saint-Nazaire is also home to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, one of the largest shipyards in the world, which has constructed notable ocean liners such as SS Normandie, SS France, RMS Queen Mary 2, and the cruise ship MS Symphony of the Seas, the largest passenger ship in the world until 2022.
But Saint-Nazaire is not just a town with a rich shipbuilding history. It also has a fascinating past that dates back to the Neolithic period, as evidenced by the presence of monuments like the tumulus of Dissignac, the dolmen located in the center of the present-day city, and ancient bronzes found in the vicinity. According to the 15th-century chronicler Alain Bouchart, Brutus of Troy, the mythical ancestor of the Bretons, traveled to Saint-Nazaire to set foot upon the new homeland of his people.
During the Middle Ages, Saint-Nazaire became the seat of a parish extending from Penhoët to Pornichet, part of the Viscountcy of Saint-Nazaire. Like the whole of Brittany, Saint-Nazaire formed part of the Duchy of Brittany until 1532 when it was annexed by France. In 1756, a fort was built on the order of the governor of Brittany to protect the town, which by then had 600 inhabitants. Until the French Revolution, Saint-Nazaire belonged to the province of Brittany.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the port only consisted of one simple harbor. As the town was so far inland, its main economy was not based on commercial fishing but on its strategic location as the lowest possible navigation point for large ships and on supplying pilots for navigation further up the Loire. However, from this point forward, the population of Saint-Nazaire experienced exponential growth, which was reflected in its nickname of Little Breton California, or Liverpool of the West.
In 1862, the first transatlantic telegraph lines were installed from France to South America, coming ashore at Saint-Nazaire. 1862 also saw the construction of major shipbuilding facilities, including those of Chantier Scott, which launched the first French metal-hulled ships. In 1868, Saint-Nazaire became a sub-prefecture of the town of Savenay. A second dock basin was created at Penhoët in 1881, to allow the handling of larger ships, but a lock gate built to access it cut the town in two, thus creating Old Saint-Nazaire and an artificial island called Little Morocco.
During World War I, the city became an important debarkment port of Allied troops, particularly in the latter stages for the United States Army. When they entered the war in 1917, they developed the town and port infrastructure, by adding additional drinking water storage ponds for the towns water treatment plants, and a refrigeration terminal to the docks for shipment and storage of meat and dairy products to supply their troops.
After the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht army at the start of World War II, the port immediately became a base of operations for the Kriegsmarine and was as such the target of Allied operations. A heavily fortified U-boat Saint-Nazaire submarine base was built by Organisation Todt shortly after occupation, with a 9 m-thick (30 ft) concrete ceiling capable of withstanding almost any bomb in use at the time.
Today, Saint-Nazaire is a vibrant town that offers visitors a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you’re interested in exploring the town’s rich shipbuilding heritage, relaxing on its beautiful beaches, or sampling its delicious local cuisine, Saint-Nazaire has something for everyone. So why not plan your next vacation to this charming French commune and discover all that it has to offer?
