Y. Zedda Frédéric Henry - Auteurs de Vues
Welcome to Lorient! A dynamic sailing base and the home of major international events such as the Interceltic Festival, Lorient has a lot to offer. Michel Jamoneau This Town of Art and History has a rich and fascinating cultural heritage and maritime history. Founded by the French East India Company in the 17th century, the city s name itself reminds us of epic voyages to the Indies. Playing a strategic role in the Battle of the Atlantic and heavily bombed during World War II, the city was rebuilt in the architectural style of the fifties and sixties. Today Lorient is a lively and warm city with modern facilities extending its sports, cultural and artistic reach. From square to square, you ll breathe the light sea air as you follow wide sidewalks and pedestrian pathways, the marina stretches into the heart of the city while the harbour-front opens on the bay. Michel Renac The Interceltic Festival Your shopping destination Merville regional market Lorient has all the advantages of a large city, top retailers and wellknown brands are here but you ll also find small trendy boutiques, gourmet and gift shops as well as ample restaurants and bars. Culture, gourmet food, fashion and beauty, art galleries and design - Lorient s city centre has it all! With more than 550 stores the city truly offers a unique shopping experience. Walk around the city centre and enjoy the sea breeze, this city s warm and welcoming atmosphere recalls that of a seaside resort, especially on sunny days when Lorient s busy streets and terraces are array with outdoor café and restaurant dining. Tax refund for purchases made in France : Under certain conditions, you can obtain a refund of the VAT paid on the goods purchased during your stay in France: www.douane.gouv.fr
A. Briand A. Lorraine A. Briand A. Lorraine Hôtel Gabriel Hôtel Gabriel Discovery Tower Windmills Discovery Tower Windmills Pedestrian way to City centre and naval enclosure (15 mn) Public toilets Free round-trip shuttle between the harbour, the city centre and the Submarine base Specialties and gift shops Department store, shopping mall Submarine base & K3 Cité de la voile Eric Tabarly Flore Submarine & museum Undersea museum avenue de la Perrière Drugstore Taxi stand Shuttle to the French East India Company museum Pont des Indes Enclos du port Shuttle to the French East India Company museum Pont Saint - Chris Scorff rue P. Costard City Center Enclos du port bd du Scorff bd de Normandie rue de Belgique RD 724 RD 765 bd R. Laennec rue de Verdun bd D'Oradour - Sur - Glane rue Paul Guieysse - Dumanoir bd Cosmao Demaine rue Victor Massé rue Victor Massé rue Olivier de Clisson bd E. Svob um rue Maréchal Foch bd E. Svob de l'assemblée natio n ale de l'assemblée natio n ale bd Général Leclerc rue Jules Legrand rue des Fontaines rue Olivier de Clisson rue Maréchal Foch rue de la Patrie rue de la Patrie rue de Liège ru e City Center Welcome Point Rue du Port Rue Pon bd Général Leclerc bd L. Blum rue Jules Legrand rue des Fontaines rue de Liège ru e Rue du Port Rue Pon cours de la Bôve cours de la Bôve Rue Auguste Nayel av. A. France Jardin Jules Ferry t Carré Regional market (Halles de Merville) quai des Indes. Jaurès Rue Auguste Nayel av. A. France Jardin Jules Ferry t Carré avenue J. Jaurès bd L. Blum quai des Indes rue J. de Merville Quai Jean Bart Quai Jean Bart rue de la Marine Bd Edouard Herriot rue de la Marine avenue de la Marne avenue Général de Gaulle avenue de la Marne aulle Boulevard de la rade Boulevard de la rade rue Ingénieur Robert Winter rue Ingénieur Robert Winter Desserte Portuaire Submarine Base Lorient City Center Shopping Association City Hall Tourist Office Post office avenue de la Perrière François Toullec
City center Y. Zedda Blandin Chloé City of Lorient The Discovery Tower and the windmills on the Faouëdic Hill The naval enclosure : discover the epic story of the French Easy India Company* Created by Louis XIV in 1664, the French East India Company held a monopoly on trade with the Indies. Initially based in Port-louis at the entrance of the bay, a new shipyard was created on the Faouëdic peninsula. Known as the naval enclosure ( Enclos du port ), this shipyard became the city of Lorient, named after a famous vessel: the Sun of Orient ( Soleil d Orient ). The Hôtel Gabriel Precious exotic goods from India and China were sold in this trading house. Built in 1740 by the architect Jacques V Gabriel, this majestic dressed-stone building still reflects the East India Company s wealth and power. The Discovery Tower ( Tour de la découverte ) and the windmills on the Faouëdic Hill Built by the East India Company in the 18 th century, and one of its last vestiges, this 125 feet watchtower was used as a look out for vessels returning to port. The 17 th and 18 th century windmills used to grind wheat needed for the sailors bread or sea biscuits. One of them was converted into a navy observatory in the 19 th century. Embark upon an exotic journey to the Indies: visit the French East India Company museum in Port-Louis! (see next page) Downtown Lorient: welcome to the fifties! A former royal square outlining the fortified city of the 18th century, the Alsace Lorraine is emblematic of the very beginning of the city s reconstruction. Do not miss the Notre-Dame-de-Victoire Church: the contrast with the stark exterior is striking once you ve passed its massive gate. The K3 bunker Keroman Peninsula Paul Le Bozec The Flore submarine The submarine base and its bunkers: Discover how Lorient was placed at the heart of the Battle of the Atlantic*. After France surrendered in June 1940, the German built one of the five Atlantic coast submarine bases in Lorient. Dönitz, commander in chief of the submarine fleet, fought the Battle of the Atlantic from Lorient. Between 1941 and 1943, 15,000 workers built three bunkers that could withstand the most powerful bombs of the time and house more than twenty-five U-boats, for a total reinforced concrete volume of 1 Mn cubic meters. The submarine base has been converted into an economic center devoted to sailing and offshore racing. The Flore submarine and museum*. The museum unveils the daily life of the crew and how submarines work. Then aboard the submarine through an audio tour guide, former crew members guide you through the submarine telling of their stories and the secrets of life aboard. The undersea Museum : Discover the world s oldest training simulator for submarine crews, built in 1942. Unique in Europe, this museum unveils the extraordinary techniques used in deep-sea rescue and the history of Atlantic battle wrecks near Lorient. Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly*. Live a unique experience discovering modern pleasure sailing and ocean racing in a permanent exhibition. (Opening may 2015) The French East India Company museum in Port-Louis X. Dubois At the entrance of the bay, the magnificent 16 th century fortress houses the French East India Company museum and the Maritime museum. Precious spices, coffee and tea, luxurious cotton fabric, muslins and silk, porcelain, lacquers and wallpapers: discover the epic story of the French East India Companies. The tour continues on the history of maritime rescue and long-distance trade. * English guided tours will be proposed on the day of your stopover
Useful information: Lorient Tourist Office Quai de Rohan Phone: +332 97 847 800 www.lorientbretagnesudtourisme.fr Architecture and Cultural Heritage Office Hôtel Gabriel Enclos du port Phone : +332 97 02 23 29 www.lorient.fr/eng/ Lorient Submarine Base Central Ticket Office +332 97 655 656 Taxis Lorientais +332 97 21 29 29 Halles de Merville (regional market) Opened from 7am to 12:45 am (all days) Medical emergencies: 112 Architecture and Cultural Heritage Office Lorient Tourist Office Thank you for your visit! Cité de la voile Eric Tabarly Writing and translation: Gwenaëlle Riou, Architecture and Cultural Heritage Office, City of Lorient Graphic design: City of Lorient - Printing: Adamantium - Lorient The Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly and the Submarine base Y. Zedda