Saint-Nazaire grew in the nineteenth century at the mouth of the Loire, chosen as a transatlantic port under the Second Empire. The town owes its present face to two landmarks: the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, where the great ocean liners are built, and the submarine base built by the occupying forces during the Second World War, now converted into a cultural and visitor venue at the heart of the Ville-Port district.
More than 80 % destroyed by the bombing of 1943-1945, the town centre was entirely rebuilt after the war on a regular plan. That rebuilt fabric, together with the seafront and its beaches, shapes the market today. The western coast, around Saint-Marc-sur-Mer and Villès-Martin, concentrates the highest prices and the strongest reputation, while the eastern districts, close to the shipyard such as Méan-Penhoët, remain the most affordable.
Sub-prefecture of the Loire-Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire has around 73 000 inhabitants and forms, with Nantes, the Atlantic face of the estuary. The Saint-Nazaire bridge links the town to the south bank of the Loire. The geography of prices follows the coast: the closer you get to the beaches of the south-west, the higher the levels, led by Saint-Marc-sur-Mer and the beach made famous by Jacques Tati as Monsieur Hulot's.
