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The port of Saint-Nazaire

A visit to the port of Saint-Nazaire with its former submarine base

The visit concentrates on the maritime base area which has been abandoned for a long time and which is now being rehabilitated. A little far away is the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire. The submarine base was built by the Germans in 1941. Today it is a cultural complex including a museum, temporary exhibitions, a bar... The base still contains a French submarine called "l'espadon" which can be visited. You can also take the opportunity to walk on the roofs of the naval base to have a very nice view on the region of Saint-Nazaire. Not to be missed if you are in the area

Interest: very good (1 user)
Difficulty:
Duration: 3 h.
Practical information

The panoramic terrace

It is not difficult to find the panoramic terrace because it is written in very big letters on the building. The entrance to the museum for the visit of the submarine is located at the same place. There is a parking lot right next to the entrance.
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View from the panoramic terrace

The access to the terrace is free, arrived at the top you have a magnificent panorama on the port, the estuary of the Loire and the bridge of Saint-Nazaire
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The panoramic terrace

You can see the liners under construction just in the distance.
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The engine room of the submarine

The visit of the submarine is paying (13 euros), it lasts half an hour. The place is not recommended for claustrophobic people.
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Diving in the submarine

Everything is very cramped, one wonders how the 60 crewmen could live in such a place. The men had only 3 liters of water per day and per person to drink and wash themselves.
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L'espadon

Swordfish was the first French submarine to sail under the ice pack. It was in active service from 1960 to 1985.
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The passage

The submarines of the 1960s were very much inspired by the German submarines of the Second World War.
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The torpedoes

At the front of the submarine are the torpedo tubes and the machines to lift the torpedoes. Swordfish, which was built in the 60s, has never participated in a naval combat. Nevertheless, it had several problems: fire, collision with another submarine...
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La base des U-boote

Then you can go to the former main base of the German submarines. Here too you can climb onto the roof.
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The roof of the base

The base is huge. After the visit you can go back down to the city center by a footbridge.
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Along the ocean

After the visit of the submarine it is very pleasant to meet along the ocean for a drink.
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The fishermen's huts

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Other walks

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The coastal path in Pornichet

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A walk in Pornic

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The customs path on the peninsula of Croisic

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Along the quays of the Loire in Nantes
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