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INDUSTRIAL SITES : SAINT NAZAIRE

In Saint-Nazaire tourists have the unique opportunity of being admitted inside prestigious companies where industry is very spectacular : you can book guided tours of the shipyard Aker Yards, of France's second biggest Airbus factory, and also discover the impressive harbour terminals.

Shipyard Aker Yards : Hundreds of ships have been built in Saint-Nazaire since the 1860's, among them legendary ocean liners like Normandie (1935) and France (1962), with the famous Queen Mary 2 (2004) continuing the tradition. Today the shipyard Aker Yards is specialized in the building of cruise ships, which regularly bring the world's attention to this huge shipyard. Visitors get close looks of the " giants of the oceans " under construction, from a gallery that dominates the dry dock where the ships are assembled... like three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles !

Airbus Saint-Nazaire Gron : Aeronautical industry has been present in Saint-Nazaire since 1922, Airbus planes being built since 1970. The Saint-Nazaire Gron plant takes part in the building of the A380, the largest civil aircraft ever built. Two thirds of the main fuselage are assembled and equipped here before being taken to Toulouse for the final assembly. The tours give visitors the privilege to discover the huge workshops where the fuselage sections of the A380 are being assembled and equipped.

The harbour terminals : The Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port is France's 4th most important port, and number one on the Atlantic coast. Visitors discover a series of impressive terminals (containers, LNG, agri-bulk, coal...) along the Loire river, several kilometres upstream until the oil refinery of Donges. Linked to 400 ports all over the world, these terminals are important platforms for the regional economy, and for everyday life : the thousands of containers, for example, transport just about everything from household appliances to all kinds of groceries.

Guided tours of 2 hours : departure by bus at the submarine base. Please enquire about booking conditions. Tours in English may be proposed during the summer season.

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Zip code : 44600
City : Saint Nazaire
Website : www.saint-nazaire-tourisme.com
Phone : +33 228 540 640