Saint-Nazaire and the submarine pens
with Christopher Macgowan
with Christopher Macgowan
You know when you are nearing the town as a towering bridge looms into view which takes you across the estuary and drops you into what is still looking like an industrial centre. There is still shipbuilding here and fishing - albeit fishing is a tad more complicated these days because of politics. Nonetheless it built the SS Normandie, the RMS Queen Mary 2 was built here in 2003 and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique is still one of the largest shipyards in the world. Indeed, during my visit it was fitting out a new cruise liner and testing a military combat ship in the harbour.
I love the place because it looks out towards the Atlantic Ocean and for me is a lovely diversion when I am travelling on the west side of France and need a break. Bordeaux is south and Le Mans a bit further in land. And if you like a bit of industrial history let alone WW2 history, Saint-Nazaire is well worth a visit. It will never rate highly in France's top tourist attractions and with a population of 70,000 there is plenty to do, but, for me and I suspect most visitors, the primary attraction, are the famous - and infamous - submarine pens. Very close by is a parking area and next to that a pay-for aire
I love the place because it looks out towards the Atlantic Ocean and for me is a lovely diversion when I am travelling on the west side of France and need a break. Bordeaux is south and Le Mans a bit further in land. And if you like a bit of industrial history let alone WW2 history, Saint-Nazaire is well worth a visit. It will never rate highly in France's top tourist attractions and with a population of 70,000 there is plenty to do, but, for me and I suspect most visitors, the primary attraction, are the famous - and infamous - submarine pens. Very close by is a parking area and next to that a pay-for aire
During WW2 - which our French friends refer to as The Occupation - Saint-Nazaire became the French HQ of the German navy and as a result a major target for the allies.
The pens understandably have become a major tourist attraction and are fascinating. They were built under appalling slave labour conditions and in a sense they now act as a monument to continued peace and the folly of war.
The pens understandably have become a major tourist attraction and are fascinating. They were built under appalling slave labour conditions and in a sense they now act as a monument to continued peace and the folly of war.
