Olonne-sur-Mer, Vendée, France

Olonne-sur-Mer, Vendée, France

Olonne-sur-Mer, whose inhabitants are called the Olonnais, is a commune in central-western France, located in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region. With a permanent population of 13,840 in 2011, this commune, which is part of the Sables-d'Olonne agglomeration, is located on the Côte de Lumière. Olonne-sur-Mer, the green lung of the Pays des Olonnes, is a coastal town. It is the original village of the Pays d'Olonne, which was composed of the current communes of L'Ile d'Olonne, Château-d'Olonne and Les Sables d'Olonne.

Location

Olonne-sur-Mer is located on the French Atlantic coast 104 km southwest of Nantes, 312 km northwest of Bordeaux and 459 km southwest of Paris.

Tourism

There are nine campsites in the municipality, many of which are located near the beaches of Sauveterre or Les Granges, with a total of 2445 pitches. This shows that the tourist sector is of prime importance in a seaside resort such as Olonne-sur-mer.

Health

The establishment for dependent elderly people, called Foyer logement Les Cordeliers, can accommodate over ninety residents. This non-medical establishment is located in the centre of the commune, near the town.

The Olonnes Health Centre is located on the Vannerie site, alongside the La Roche-sur-Yon / Les Sables d'Olonne dual carriageway. It brings together on a single site the Porte Océane clinic (set up in January 2010) and the Côte de Lumière hospital (set up in November 2011)

Heritage and tourist sites

Notre-Dame d'Olonne Church

Damaged during the Hundred Years' War, it was restored and named Notre-Dame. The basilica style of the oldest building in the Pays des Olonnes, used by the Carolingians, suggests that the church of Sainte-Marie d'Olonne existed before its first mention in 1042. The church has the particularity of having a Romanesque nave and a Gothic choir. Its octagonal spire reaches a height of forty-five metres. The western end of the north aisle of the nave is the oldest part of the building (typical stonework can be seen on the outer north wall). In addition to its Romanesque vaults, the church of Notre-Dame d'Olonne has worked keystones from the 15th century and, since 1937, has housed in its choir the shrine of Saint-Vivent, evangeliser of the Pays des Olonnes (the relics were transferred to Burgundy at the time of the Norman invasions). The large glass window in the chevet dates from 1884. The town of Olonne had another religious building before the revolutionary period, a convent of the Cordeliers order. This was burnt down during the Wars of Religion and its bell tower was, like that of the neighbouring church, destroyed by fire in 1797. The building was dismantled and sold as national property during the Revolution. No trace of it remains today.

Castle and manors

• The Château de Pierre-Levée (historical monument) was built on the model of the Petit Trianon in Versailles in the 18th century. Completed in 1777, the castle was the seat of a camp where some of the troops in charge of the defence of the port of Les Sables were housed during the Vendée wars. Several parts of the castle (private property) are listed. The entrance to the main courtyard is through a beautiful wrought iron gate.

• The manor house of La Jarrie (owned by the commune) is a former fortified house from the 12th century located south of the town. Its circular tower was added in the 14th century. The ditches of the manor were filled in during the Second World War by German troops who had installed artillery pieces in the park to protect the bay of Les Sables d'Olonne (the soldiers also destroyed the manor's archives on their departure). The building and its outbuildings from the 17th and 18th centuries are currently being restored.

• The manor house of La Mortière(owned by the commune) is another fortified house situated to the north of the village. A part of the vault remaining on its northern façade suggests an old entrance from the medieval period. The porch and the square tower date from the 16th century. The manor house was offered by King Louis XIII to Jacques Martin, who was ennobled for having saved his life during the siege of La Rochelle (1628) and having been mutilated (both arms were torn off by a cannonball).

On the south-western corner of the wall, a stone carved in the shape of a shell reminds us that the town was on one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela.

As far as accommodation is concerned, the town has a number of hotels, campsites, guest houses, etc. Among these accommodations, we can mention some examples such as

CAMPING CLUB LE TRIANON

An ideal setting to enjoy a family getaway at the gates of Les Sables d'Olonne. Located 3 km from a fine sandy beach, Le Trianon welcomes you from 11 April to 20 September 2015.

CAMPING DOMAINE DE L'ORÉE

Situated 1500m from a fine sandy beach, on the edge of a national forest, you will appreciate the numerous cycle paths starting from the campsite, access to our water complex with its indoor and outdoor pools, slides, paddling pool.

LA LOUBINE CAMPSITE

Close to the seaside resort of Les Sables d'Olonne, around a 16th century farmhouse, in a wooded and flowery setting, Sunêlia la Loubine welcomes you for dynamic family holidays.

HOTEL DES SPORTS

Small hotel with 5 rooms located in the city centre of Olonne sur Mer, 5 km from the beach and the city centre of Les Sables d'Olonne.

IBIS BUDGET HOTEL

The hotel is ideally located 5 minutes by car from the city centre, the train station and the beaches. Our IBIS offers 70 modern rooms

HOTEL IBIS STYLES

The Ibis Styles is located near the city centre, the train station and the beaches: 5 minutes by car.
For the services of the establishment, breakfast and WIFI access included in all prices. For your leisure or business trips, the Ibis Styles offers 50 rooms (family rooms for up to 4 people).

And of course, you will have all categories of accommodation for all tastes.