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TRANSATLANTIC LINERS : SAINT NAZAIRE

At the start of the XXth century, between 3,000 and 6,000 people were working in the Loire and Penhoët yards. Between the wars, shipbuilding became Saint-Nazaire's main industry. At that time, the steel plates forming the hull and decks of ships were riveted.

The plates were assembled using metal cylinders with rouded ens called rivets. It could take several million rivets to build a ship.

The most prestigious French liners of the time were built in Saint-Nazaire. These magnificent ocean liners used to compete fiercely with British-built ships on the routes from Europe to the United States. All of the great nation around the Atlantic vied to build the best ships and win the celebrated "Blue Riband" for the fastest crossing. This contest made Saint-Nazaire world famous.

The Saint-Nazaire yards built the first Le France, as well as L'Ile-de-France, Le Lafayette, Le Champlain and Le Georges Philippar which sailed the route from Marseilles to the Far East and caught fire off Aden with France's great journalist, Albert Londres, on board.

But the pride of the yards at the time was without a doubt Le Normandie. The hull was laid on January 26th, 1931 and the liner was launched on October 29th, 1932 in the presence of the French President, Albert Lebrun. The ship then sailed for Le Havre on May 5th, 1935.

Le Normandie was built in the middle of the Depression. Between 1931 and 1934, Saint-Nazaire and the surronding region were hit by an unprecedented wave of unemployment.

On March 27th and 28th, 1933, over a thousand workers were led by the trade unions in a "hunger march" from Saint-Nazaire to Nantes to demand work.

Shipbuilding has always been a cyclical industry, with periods of unemployment following periods of full activity. Therefore, the labour movement tried to organize very early on. From 1880 to 1914, the trade union in Saint-Nazaire sought its own identity.

It was buffeted by the conflicting ideologies of socialism, anarchism and anorcho-syndicalism. The new general strike theory put forward by two Saint-Nazaire natives, Aristide Briand and Fernand Pelloutier, was another influence.

In 1907, there were almost 3,000 union memebers. A labour exchange was created in 1892, the CGT trade union was founded in 1894 and a worker's co-operative, the Maison du Peuple, was started in 1901.

The year 1936 was an eventful one in Saint-Nazaire. In June, a wave of strikes swept through most of the town's firms, with workers occupying factories to demand wage rises. By July 3rd, 9,444 workers were on strike. They went back to work on August 6th, after 41 days on strike.

Daily wages were increased by between 18% and 33%. After the Second World War, one more great liner was to leave the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire, Le France. Laid down in 1958, it was the third liner to bear the name and was launched on May 11th, 1960 in the presence of General de Gaulle.

Inside two bays of the former submarine base, Escal'Atlantic turns its visitors into passengers and takes them on a voyage through the saga of the glamorous transatlantic liners. Over three levels and 3,500 square metres of exhibition space, Escal'Atlantic re-create the atmosphere and the interiors of these legendary ships, from the cabins to the captain's bridge, the sun deck, the engine room, the emigrants quarters and of course the gracious dining room with its prestigious staircase.

The huge hull of this imaginary liner, fascinating archive films, the silhouettes of transatlantic liners built in Saint-Nazaire which sail by on a deep blue sea and under a starry sky, and even an evacuation drill await passengers in this unique place where they relive all the emotions of a transatlantic crossing without ever leaving the harbour. An unforgettable experience, and a very lively way to discover the world of ocean liners.

Tours are non guided, they last between 1 1/2 and 2 hours. No booking.

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Tickets prices and General admission

February - march - october - november - december
From Wednesday to Sunday 2pm till 4.15pm
Sunday morning open from 10.00am till 11.10am

Adults 9,90€
Childrens 6,90€

April to september
Everyday 10.00am till 11.10am and 2pm till 4.25pm (5.25pm from july 14th to august 15th)

Adults 12,50€
Childrens 8,00€

Address : boulevard de la Légion d'Honneur
Zip code : 44600
City : Saint Nazaire (12 kms from La Baule)
Website : www.saint-nazaire-tourisme.com
Phone : +33 228 540 640

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Saint Nazaire Transatlantic Liners

Saint Nazaire Transatlantic Liners

Saint Nazaire Transatlantic Liners