Les Sables-d'Olonne (French pronunciation: [le sabl dɔlɔn] ; 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.[3]

Les Sables-d'Olonne
View of Les Sables-d'Olonne
View of Les Sables-d'Olonne
Coat of arms of Les Sables-d'Olonne
Motto(s): 
Advocata nostra, ora pro nobis
Location of Les Sables-d'Olonne
Map
Les Sables-d'Olonne is located in France
Les Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne is located in Pays de la Loire
Les Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne
Coordinates: 46°29′50″N 1°47′00″W / 46.4972°N 1.7833°W / 46.4972; -1.7833
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentVendée
ArrondissementLes Sables-d'Olonne
CantonLes Sables-d'Olonne
IntercommunalityLes Sables d'Olonne Agglomération
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Yannick Moreau[1]
Area
1
86.07 km2 (33.23 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
48,402
 • Density560/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
85194 /85100, 85340, 85180
Elevation0–59 m (0–194 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Location and geography

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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).[4] 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.[5][6]

Climate

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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 (55.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 746.7 mm (29.40 in) with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 19.8 °C (67.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around 7.0 °C (44.6 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Les Sables-d'Olonne was 40.5 °C (104.9 °F) on 18 July 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.3 °C (17.1 °F) on 12 February 2012.

Climate data for Les Sables-d'Olonne (Château-d'Olonne,[7] 1991−2020 normals, extremes 2004−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.8
(58.6)
19.8
(67.6)
24.0
(75.2)
26.8
(80.2)
29.7
(85.5)
39.0
(102.2)
40.5
(104.9)
36.1
(97.0)
33.6
(92.5)
27.7
(81.9)
21.1
(70.0)
16.2
(61.2)
40.5
(104.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.6
(49.3)
10.2
(50.4)
12.7
(54.9)
16.0
(60.8)
18.7
(65.7)
22.2
(72.0)
23.8
(74.8)
23.4
(74.1)
22.0
(71.6)
18.1
(64.6)
13.7
(56.7)
10.6
(51.1)
16.8
(62.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.0
(44.6)
7.1
(44.8)
9.2
(48.6)
12.0
(53.6)
14.8
(58.6)
18.2
(64.8)
19.8
(67.6)
19.3
(66.7)
17.6
(63.7)
14.6
(58.3)
10.7
(51.3)
7.8
(46.0)
13.2
(55.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 4.4
(39.9)
4.1
(39.4)
5.7
(42.3)
8.0
(46.4)
10.9
(51.6)
14.1
(57.4)
15.8
(60.4)
15.3
(59.5)
13.3
(55.9)
11.1
(52.0)
7.8
(46.0)
4.9
(40.8)
9.6
(49.3)
Record low °C (°F) −7.7
(18.1)
−8.3
(17.1)
−7.3
(18.9)
−0.6
(30.9)
2.1
(35.8)
6.0
(42.8)
9.0
(48.2)
7.6
(45.7)
5.2
(41.4)
0.5
(32.9)
−3.6
(25.5)
−5.4
(22.3)
−8.3
(17.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 86.5
(3.41)
62.1
(2.44)
62.0
(2.44)
52.0
(2.05)
48.8
(1.92)
38.4
(1.51)
33.8
(1.33)
46.4
(1.83)
50.8
(2.00)
80.7
(3.18)
100.7
(3.96)
84.5
(3.33)
746.7
(29.40)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 13.9 11.1 10.7 8.5 7.9 7.1 6.0 7.8 6.4 11.1 13.1 12.8 116.4
Source: Météo-France[8]

History

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Les Sables-d'Olonne (pronounced [le sabl dolɔn]) 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.[citation needed] Its history is tied to the ocean for which it has served as a port and point of maritime commerce.[citation needed] Louis XI separated Les Sables d'Olonne from the town of Olonne in 1472.[citation needed] It became the largest cod-fishing port in France, with 14,000 inhabitants, in the 17th century.[citation needed] During the French Revolution, unlike the surrounding Vendée, the city supported the Republic, and so was often besieged—unsuccessfully, because of its port.[citation needed] 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;[citation needed] express service to and from Paris would arrive in 1971.[citation needed] The city's port served as a base port for American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.[9] Germany occupied Les Sables d'Olonne during World War II[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.[citation needed]

Population

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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.

Interests and events

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The Vendée Globe yacht race, which takes place every four years, starts and ends at Les Sables-d'Olonne.[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.[13]

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.[citation needed] It includes works of Gaston Chaissac (1910–1964) and Victor Brauner (1903–1966).[citation needed][why?]

Les Sables-d'Olonne is the setting for 1948 novel Les Vacances de Maigret [fr], by Georges Simenon.[citation needed]

The town is the birthplace of pirate François l'Olonnais.[citation needed][why?]

Twin towns – sister cities

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Les Sables-d'Olonne is twinned with:[14]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Arrêté préfectoral 17 August 2018 (in French)
  4. ^ "Distances, directions, consommation et prix de carburant, les péages, limites de vitesse, France et l'Europe".
  5. ^ "La sous-préfecture des Sables d'Olonne". 29 April 2021.
  6. ^ Commune des Sables-d'Olonne (85194), INSEE.
  7. ^ Meteo-France Weather Station
  8. ^ "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  9. ^ 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 (PDF). Center of Military History, United States Army. 1937. p. 55. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Les Sables-d'Olonne, EHESS (in French).
  11. ^ Populations légales 2012, INSEE
  12. ^ Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017, INSEE
  13. ^ "Vendée Air Show - Meeting aérien - Les Sables d'Olonne-". VendeeAirShow (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  14. ^ "Jumelages". lessablesdolonne.fr (in French). Les Sables-d'Olonne. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
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