Les Sables-d'Olonne

Location and geography

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). 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.

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 13.2 C. The average annual rainfall is 746.7 mm with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 19.8 C, and lowest in January, at around 7.0 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Les Sables-d'Olonne was 40.5 C on 18 July 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -8.3 C on 12 February 2012.

|Jan record high C = 15.1 |Feb record high C = 19.8 |Mar record high C = 24.0 |Apr record high C = 26.8 |May record high C = 29.7 |Jun record high C = 39.0 |Jul record high C = 40.5 |Aug record high C = 37.5 |Sep record high C = 33.6 |Oct record high C = 27.8 |Nov record high C = 21.1 |Dec record high C = 16.6 |year record high C = 40.5 |Jan record low C = -7.7 |Feb record low C = -8.3 |Mar record low C = -7.3 |Apr record low C = -0.6 |May record low C = 2.1 |Jun record low C = 6.0 |Jul record low C = 9.0 |Aug record low C = 7.6 |Sep record low C = 5.2 |Oct record low C = 0.5 |Nov record low C = -3.6 |Dec record low C = -5.4 |year record low C = -8.3 |access-date=21 November 2024}}}}

History

Les Sables-d'Olonne () 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. Its history is tied to the ocean for which it has served as a port and point of maritime commerce. Louis XI separated Les Sables d'Olonne from the town of Olonne in 1472, improved the harbour, and fortified the entrance. It became the largest cod-fishing port in France, with 14,000 inhabitants, in the 17th century. In 1696 Sables was bombarded by the combined fleets of England and the Dutch Republic. During the French Revolution, unlike the surrounding Vendée, the city supported the Republic, and so was often besieged—unsuccessfully, because of its port.

The Hôtel de Ville is a former private house which was acquired in 1803.

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; express service to and from Paris would arrive in 1971. The city's port served as a base port for American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Germany occupied Les Sables d'Olonne during World War II and, upon evacuation of that army at war's end, the German army made an effort to destroy the port, and mined the harbor.

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.

| graph-pos = bottom |1793 |5039 |1800 |5168 |1806 |5723 |1821 |4698 |1831 |4906 |1836 |4778 |1841 |5076 |1846 |6280 |1851 |5983 |1856 |6464 |1861 |6996 |1866 |7352 |1872 |8292 |1876 |9347 |1881 |10420 |1886 |11070 |1891 |11557 |1896 |11826 |1901 |12244 |1906 |12673 |1911 |14005 |1921 |13387 |1926 |13627 |1931 |13660 |1936 |14536 |1946 |17650 |1954 |17761 |1962 |18401 |1968 |18093 |1975 |17463 |1982 |16100 |1990 |15830 |1999 |15532 |2007 |15433 |2012 |14271 |2017 |14545

Interests and events

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

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.

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. It includes works of Gaston Chaissac (1910–1964) and Victor Brauner (1903–1966).

Zoo des Sables is a zoo in the town, that is home to about 500 animals, and features around 50 species.

Les Sables-d'Olonne is the setting for 1948 novel **, by Georges Simenon.

The town is the birthplace of pirate François l'Olonnais.

Transport

The nearest airports are La Rochelle–Île de Ré Airport, located 58 km south east and Nantes Airport, located 119 km north east of Les Sables-d'Olonne.

Twin towns – sister cities

Les Sables-d'Olonne is twinned with:

• USA Niceville, Florida, United States
• BFA Gourcy, Burkina Faso
• ESP A Laracha, Spain
• FRA Murat, France
• GER Schwabach, Germany
• ENG Worthing, England, United Kingdom

Gallery

Sables-Olonne-entree-port1.jpg|The channel, view from the tower St-Clair Sables-Olonne-entree-port2.jpg |The channel, from the west dock Sables-Olonne-plage1.jpg|Promenade de l'Amiral Lafargue Sables-Olonne-prieure1.jpg|The priory St-Nicolas Sables-Olonne-chateau1.jpg|The tower St-Clair

Notable people

• Marie-Rose Tessier (born 1910), supercentenarian and currently the 2nd oldest person alive

References

References

1. (13 September 2022). "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises.
2. [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2018/8/17/INTB1823831A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral] {{in lang. fr. 17 August 2018.
3. "Distances, directions, consommation et prix de carburant, les péages, limites de vitesse, France et l'Europe".
4. (29 April 2021). "La sous-préfecture des Sables d'Olonne".
5. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/85194-les-sables-d-olonne Commune des Sables-d'Olonne (85194)], INSEE.
6. [https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/metadonnees_publiques/fiches/fiche_85060002.pdf Meteo-France Weather Station]
7. {{EB1911
8. "Mairie". Town of Les Sables-d'Olonne.
9. (1937). "Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War, American Expeditionary Forces: General Headquarters Armies, Army Corps Services of Supply Separate Forces, Volume I". Center of Military History, United States Army.
10. {{Cassini-Ehess. 30118. Les Sables-d'Olonne
11. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2123878?geo=COM-85194 Populations légales 2012], INSEE
12. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/4265429/ensemble.pdf Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017], [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. INSEE]]
13. "Vendée Air Show - Meeting aérien - Les Sables d'Olonne-".
14. (July 18, 2024). "Sortie animalière de l'été : Le Zoo des Sables".
15. "Jumelages". Les Sables-d'Olonne.
16. "World Supercentenarian Rankings List {{!}} Gerontology Research Group".
17. "Marie-Rose Tessier {{!}} Gerontology Research Group".