What to see and do within the sands of olonne | EUROtoday

The Vendée Department of West France has lengthy been the nation Retreat of Parisians. It’s a various and historical panorama with Woodlands, Wetlands, and Stunning Beaches. And proper on the Heart of the Vendée Coast and the Côte De Lumière, is the Bustling, Sandy and Sunny Town of Les Sables d’Olonne Says Local and Writer Lucy Pitts.

What to see and do within the sands of olonne

You arrive to three km of Sandy Beach within the Form of the Grand Beach and A Wide Seafront Promenade (Le Business) the place cafés and eating places Spill onto the pavement and seashore. Despite Being on the Atlantic Coast, It’s Got A Slightly Mediterranean Feel and You Only Have To Walk A Short Distance from the Seafront to Find Yourself Lost in Narrow Backstreets, Yacht Watching in One of Its Three Marinas or Resting within the Shade of the Town’s Interesting buildings.

The Town Dates again to 1218 Although folks lived within the space lengthy earlier than that. Salt Marshes and Vineyards Were Developed within the Surrounding Countryside 2.000 Years Ago and To The North of Where Les Sables Now Stands, was the Town of Olonne sur Mer. It was occupied by the novels, Had a Bustling Port and was actually the Birthplace of the Pays d’Olonne. The Harbor of Sables d’Olonne was developed within the 13^th Century and was bustling with merchants promoting or transporting fish, wine and salt. By the 15^th CENTURY, Louis XI HAD commanded the creation of a fishing harbor that was to turn out to be France’s massive port for cod.

In the 19^th Century, with the Arrival of the Train, Les Sables Started to Attract Tourists for Sea Bathing and the Fashionable and Wealthy of the Day Flocked to the Coast to Enjoy This Chic and Stylish New Resort with its on line casino. Many of the Stunning Buildings That You See Now Were Built During this Belle Epoque.

The greatest solution to get your bearing in Les Sables is with a Stroll Along the backfill and the massive seashore. There are Dozens of Magnifiment Buildings and Villas, Spot the Statute of Ulysses (Installed in 2024) on Rocky Section of the Beach and L’Estacade, A Lighthouse Built in 1874, One of Several within the Town.

As you Wander, look out for rue de l’Enfer (Hell Street), Officially the Narrowst Street within the World, and Penotte Island, A Series of Narrow Streets the place the Houses and Walls have been Decorated with dozens of Seashell Mosaics Inspired by Mythology, Fairy Tales and Folklore.

A MAIN REASON FOR VISIting this a part of France is the Stunning Beaches, and if the three km of the sheltered, South-Facing Grand Plage is not Enough you, there are Dozens of Other Beaches inside Easy Reach. There are Planty of Water Sports from Wave Walking, To Surfing, Kayaking, Jet-Sking, Kite Surfing, Sailing and Paddle Boarding, and within the Summer, You Can Hire Beach Tents and Deck Chairs. There are additionally eating places on the seashore if you wish to spend the Whole Day Sunbathing and Mucking about within the Sea.

If you want a break from the Sun, there’s full to discover within the Town Including the Museum of Shellfish, Dedicated to Shellfish and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which is housed within the Form Sainte-Croix Benedictine Priory Founded in 1622.

There are Dozens of Places to Eat, Many Not Surprisingly Specializing within the Freshest of Seafood. It’s Definitely Worth Trying to Get A Table at One of the Restaurants Right on the Beach Along The Failpi for the Full Les Sables Experience.

Catch a water ferry throughout the harbor lenses to the chaume that’s the outdated fishing quarter with slender limewashed streets. Here you’ll be prioress-st-nicolas, a restored 11^th Century Church and Form Fortress Directly Overloking the Sea. Legend has it that the chapel was constructed by a sailor who survivated a shipwred and who devoted it to st nicolas, the patron saint of fishermen. There’s a walkway throughout the watery rocks to the lightthouse, and nice views of the 15^th CENTURY ARUNDEL TOWER AND SAINT-CLAIR CASTLE, NOW HOME TO THE TOWN’S SEA AND FISHING MUSEUM.

If you wish to Head Out of the Town, Places To Visit Include L’Ile d’Olonne – An Ancient Salt Workers Village and the Surrounding Salt Marshes Dotted With Windmills, Historic Churches and Forest walks. HEAD AROUND THE BAY TO VISIT THE CHATEAU DE TALMONT ST HIRAL, BUILT IN 1020 IT OF THE OLDEST CASTLES IN FRANCE.

Les Sables d’Olonne has that blissful mixture of a wealthy historical past, stunning structure and a ugly again, sunny, seaside vendée vibe. With tons for the lively to discover, it additionally offers an incredible luck to sit back, take in the solar and unwind.

by Lucy Pitts, Travel Writer and Editor of Sussex Exclusive

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