Les Sables-d'Olonne

Template:Expand French Template:Use British English Template:Infobox French commune

Les Sables-d'Olonne (Template:IPA; French meaning: "The Sands of Olonne"; Poitevin: Lés Sablles d'Oloune) is a seaside resort and port on the Atlantic coast of western France. A subprefecture of the department of Vendée, Pays de la Loire, it has the administrative level of commune. On 1 January 2019, the municipalities of Olonne-sur-Mer, Château-d'Olonne and Les Sables-d'Olonne merged, retaining the latter name.<ref>Arrêté préfectoral 17 August 2018 Template:In lang</ref>

Location and geography

Template:Expand section Les Sables-d'Olonne is a seaside town in western France, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated on the coast between La Rochelle and Saint-Nazaire, near the coastal terminus of the A87 that connects it and nearby communities to La Roche-sur-Yon, Cholet, and Angers to the northeast. The nearest major metropolitan center of France, to Les Sables-d'Olonne, is Nantes, to the north (approximately 105 km, by road).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Les Sables-d'Olonne station has rail connections to Paris, La Roche-sur-Yon and Nantes.

It is at the level of administrative division in the French Republic of a commune and is a sub-prefecture of the Department of Vendée.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Commune des Sables-d'Olonne (85194), INSEE.</ref>

Climate

Les Sables-d'Olonne has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) closely bordering on a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb). The average annual temperature in Les Sables-d'Olonne is Template:Cvt. The average annual rainfall is Template:Cvt with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around Template:Cvt, and lowest in January, at around Template:Cvt. The highest temperature ever recorded in Les Sables-d'Olonne was Template:Cvt on 18 July 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was Template:Cvt on 12 February 2012.

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History

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File:P1080387 Mairie des Sables d'Olonne.JPG

The Hôtel de Ville

Les Sables-d'Olonne (Template:IPA) is French for "the sands of Olonne". It was founded in 1218 from Havre d'Olonne by Savary I de Mauléon, the Lord of Mauléon, Sénéchal of Poitou and prince of Talmont.Template:Citation needed Its history is tied to the ocean for which it has served as a port and point of maritime commerce.Template:Citation needed Louis XI separated Les Sables d'Olonne from the town of Olonne in 1472, improved the harbour, and fortified the entrance.<ref name="EB1911">{{#if: |

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  }}{{#ifeq:  ||}}</ref> It became the largest cod-fishing port in France, with 14,000 inhabitants, in the 17th century.Template:Citation needed In 1696 Sables was bombarded by the combined fleets of England and the Dutch Republic.<ref name="EB1911"/> During the French Revolution, unlike the surrounding Vendée, the city supported the Republic, and so was often besieged—unsuccessfully, because of its port.Template:Citation needed

The Hôtel de Ville is a former private house which was acquired in 1803.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The current local tourism industry traces its roots to bathing establishments, first begun in 1825. Rail service reached Les Sables on 29 December 1866, via the line from La Roche-sur-Yon, Bressuire, Saumur, and Tours;Template:Citation needed express service to and from Paris would arrive in 1971.Template:Citation needed The city's port served as a base port for American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.<ref name="SoS">Template:Cite book</ref> Germany occupied Les Sables d'Olonne during World War IITemplate:Citation needed and, upon evacuation of that army at war's end, the German army made an effort to destroy the port, and mined the harbor.Template:Citation needed

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Les Sables-d'Olonne proper, in its geography at the given years. The populations of Olonne-sur-Mer and Château-d'Olonne, absorbed in 2019, are not included.

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Interests and events

The Vendée Globe yacht race, which takes place every four years, starts and ends at Les Sables-d'Olonne.Template:Citation needed

The Vendée Air Show has been held on the beach "La Grande Plage" on three occasions, first in 2017, then in 2019, and most recently in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Musée de l'Abbaye Sainte-Croix is a municipal museum situated in a 17th-century building that is devoted to modern and contemporary art, and that has "Musée de France" status.Template:Citation needed It includes works of Gaston Chaissac (1910–1964) and Victor Brauner (1903–1966).Template:Citation needed Template:Why

Zoo des Sables is a zoo in the town, that is home to about 500 animals, and features around 50 species.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Les Sables-d'Olonne is the setting for 1948 novel Template:Interlanguage link, by Georges Simenon.Template:Citation needed

The town is the birthplace of pirate François l'Olonnais.Template:Citation needed Template:Why