Saint-Nazaire: Ocean Liners, a Submarine and the Serpent of the Loire
Pays de la Loire, France
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250
XP
+100 France
= 350 total
2 days
Saint-Nazaire: Ocean Liners, a Submarine and the Serpent of the Loire
250 + 100 XP
Saint-Nazaire built the great French liners, from the Normandie to the France, and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique — over 150 hectares, one of the largest shipbuilding sites in the world and the last big yard left in France since La Ciotat closed in 1989 — still turn out cruise ships here. The German submarine base on the harbour holds Escal'Atlantic, a walk through a recreated liner, and across the estuary Huang Yong Ping's 130 m aluminium sea serpent lies on the foreshore at Saint-Brevin, drowned and uncovered by every tide.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Walk through Escal'Atlantic in the submarine base, about 1.5 hours through recreated liner interiors with pieces from the Normandie and the France
2
of 5
Go aboard the Espadon in the fortified lock of the submarine base, the first French submarine to dive under the ice pack — twenty-one days beneath the Norwegian Sea pack at 70 degrees north in the spring of 1964 — and the first in France opened to visitors
3
of 5
Take the guided tour into the Chantiers de l'Atlantique and stand under whatever hull is on the slipway, on the ground that turned out the Normandie, the France, the Queen Mary 2 and the Wonder of the Seas
4
of 5
Cross the Saint-Nazaire bridge to the pointe du Nez-de-Chien at Mindin and walk the length of Huang Yong Ping's Serpent d'Océan at low water, from the tail at the low-tide mark to the head at the high-tide mark, and see how its curve answers the bridge behind you and its vertebrae the square lift-nets on the shore
5
of 5
Walk out along the roof of the German submarine base to the viewing deck above the harbour, and pick out the fortified lock below where the Espadon has lain since its last dive in September 1985, and the yard slips where ships have been built at Saint-Nazaire since 1862
Walk through Escal'Atlantic in the submarine base, about 1.5 hours through recreated liner interiors with pieces from the Normandie and the France
Go aboard the Espadon in the fortified lock of the submarine base, the first French submarine to dive under the ice pack — twenty-one days beneath the Norwegian Sea pack at 70 degrees north in the spring of 1964 — and the first in France opened to visitors
Take the guided tour into the Chantiers de l'Atlantique and stand under whatever hull is on the slipway, on the ground that turned out the Normandie, the France, the Queen Mary 2 and the Wonder of the Seas
Cross the Saint-Nazaire bridge to the pointe du Nez-de-Chien at Mindin and walk the length of Huang Yong Ping's Serpent d'Océan at low water, from the tail at the low-tide mark to the head at the high-tide mark, and see how its curve answers the bridge behind you and its vertebrae the square lift-nets on the shore
Walk out along the roof of the German submarine base to the viewing deck above the harbour, and pick out the fortified lock below where the Espadon has lain since its last dive in September 1985, and the yard slips where ships have been built at Saint-Nazaire since 1862
Before you go
The Espadon shuts for two long stretches over the winter, between the autumn half-term and Christmas and again between Christmas and the February half-term. The shipyard tour runs about two hours and must be booked ahead; bring photo ID. Allow about an hour and a half for Escal'Atlantic.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
250 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
350 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
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