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Les Sables-d'Olonne
Subprefecture and commune
View of Les Sables-d'Olonne
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Advocata nostra, ora pro nobis
Location of Les Sables-d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne Show map of France Les Sables-d'Olonne Show map of Pays de la Loire
Coordinates: 46°29′50″N 1°47′00″W / 46.4972°N 1.7833°W / 46.4972; -1.7833
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Vendée
Arrondissement	Les Sables-d'Olonne
Canton	Les Sables-d'Olonne
Intercommunality	Les Sables d'Olonne Agglomération
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Yannick Moreau
Area	86.07 km (33.23 sq mi)
Population	48,402
• Density	560/km (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	85194 /85100, 85340, 85180
Elevation	0–59 m (0–194 ft)
French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Les Sables-d'Olonne (French pronunciation: [le sabl dɔlɔn] ; French meaning: "The Sands of Olonne"; Poitevin: Lés Sablles d'Oloune) is a seaside town 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.

Location and geography※

This section needs expansion with: sources of current information, and information expanding on its physical and political geography. You can help by adding to it. (November 2016)

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). 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.

Climate※

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.

History※

This section needs expansion with: sources of current information, and supplemental information from 1945 to present. You can help by adding to it. (November 2016)

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. Its history is tied to the ocean for which it has served as a port and point of maritime commerce. Louis XI separated Les Sables d'Olonne from the town of Olonne in 1472. It became the largest cod-fishing port in France, with 14,000 inhabitants, in the 17th century. During the French Revolution, unlike the surrounding Vendée, the city supported the Republic, and so was often besieged—unsuccessfully, because of its port. 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; express service to and from Paris would arrive in 1971. The city's port served as a base port for American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Germany occupied Les Sables d'Olonne during World War II and, upon evacuation of that army at war's end, the German army made an effort to destroy the port, and mined the harbor.

Population※

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.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 5,039 —     1800 5,168 +0.36% 1806 5,723 +1.71% 1821 4,698 −1.31% 1831 4,906 +0.43% 1836 4,778 −0.53% 1841 5,076 +1.22% 1846 6,280 +4.35% 1851 5,983 −0.96% 1856 6,464 +1.56% 1861 6,996 +1.59% 1866 7,352 +1.00% 1872 8,292 +2.03% 1876 9,347 +3.04% 1881 10,420 +2.20% 1886 11,070 +1.22% 1891 11,557 +0.86% 1896 11,826 +0.46%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 12,244 +0.70% 1906 12,673 +0.69% 1911 14,005 +2.02% 1921 13,387 −0.45% 1926 13,627 +0.36% 1931 13,660 +0.05% 1936 14,536 +1.25% 1946 17,650 +1.96% 1954 17,761 +0.08% 1962 18,401 +0.44% 1968 18,093 −0.28% 1975 17,463 −0.51% 1982 16,100 −1.15% 1990 15,830 −0.21% 1999 15,532 −0.21% 2007 15,433 −0.08% 2012 14,271 −1.55% 2017 14,545 +0.38%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Source: EHESS and INSEE (2007-2017)

Interests and events※

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

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.

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. It includes works of Gaston Chaissac (1910–1964) and Victor Brauner (1903–1966).

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

The town is the birthplace of pirate François l'Olonnais.

Twin towns – sister cities※

Les Sables-d'Olonne is twinned with:

Gallery※

• 
  The channel, view from the tower St-Clair
• 
  The channel, from the west dock
• 
  Promenade de l'Amiral Lafargue
• 
  The priory St-Nicolas
• 
  The tower St-Clair

See also※

• Communes of the Vendée department

References※

External links※

• Official website (in French)
• Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendee Globe Race (in English)
• Les Sables-d'Olonne Tourist Board (in French)