Palavas-les-Flots
Encyclopedia
Palavas-les-Flots is a commune
in the Hérault
department in Languedoc-Roussillon
in southern France
.
, at the Gulf of Lion
and the Mediterranean Sea
. It lies on a strip of sand dunes that separates two lakes, the Étang de l'Arnel and the Étang du Méjean, from the sea. Its neighbouring communities are Lattes
, Pérols
, Mauguio
and Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone
.
The village center is located at the spot where the river Lez flows into the sea through a canalized section. Northwards, it stretches until Mauguio. Southwards, expansion is halted by a military area and an area used by the Ifremer
.
From the beginning of the 19th century, local tourists and seasonal activities were drawn to the village. When in 1872 a local train to and from Montpellier started service, seaside tourism really took off. This train operated until 1968 and was painted by Albert Dubout
.
's (UMP) Christian Jeanjean, in office from 2001 (until 2008).
, there is a song about the village. Apart from strolling, bathing and tanning there are also two museums: one dedicated to Albert Dubout and one dedicated to the local train to Montpellier.
The 45m high former local water tower
can be seen from afar and features a revolving restaurant
on top and a congress centre.
with: Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Quebec
, Bayside, Victoria, Australia
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Hérault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department in Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Palavas is a seaside resort, some six km south of MontpellierMontpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, at the Gulf of Lion
Gulf of Lion
The Gulf of Lion is a wide embayment of the Mediterranean coastline of Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence in France, reaching from the border with Catalonia in the west to Toulon.The chief...
and the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. It lies on a strip of sand dunes that separates two lakes, the Étang de l'Arnel and the Étang du Méjean, from the sea. Its neighbouring communities are Lattes
Lattes, Hérault
Lattes is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-References:...
, Pérols
Pérols
Pérols is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-References:*Based on the French Wikipedia....
, Mauguio
Mauguio
Mauguio is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.-Transportation:The airport of Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport is located in the area of Fréjorgues in the town of Mauguio.-Tourism:...
and Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone
Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone
Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.-History:...
.
The village center is located at the spot where the river Lez flows into the sea through a canalized section. Northwards, it stretches until Mauguio. Southwards, expansion is halted by a military area and an area used by the Ifremer
Ifremer
Ifremer, standing for French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea is an oceanographic institution in France.- Scope of works :...
.
History
The village originated as a fishermen's village who sold their catch on the markets of Montpellier. The Ancien Regime used the village as a coastal defence, building the Redoute de Ballestras.Albert Dubout
Albert Dubout was a French cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and sculptor.-Biography:Albert Dubout was born in Marseille...
.
Politics
Current mayor is the Union for a Popular MovementUnion for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
's (UMP) Christian Jeanjean, in office from 2001 (until 2008).
Economy
The mainstay of Palavas' economy is tourism. It is one of the most popular places in this part of France's coastline. In the film Les Triplettes de BellevilleLes Triplettes de Belleville
The Triplets of Belleville is a 2003 animated comedy film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. It was released as Belleville Rendez-vous in the United Kingdom...
, there is a song about the village. Apart from strolling, bathing and tanning there are also two museums: one dedicated to Albert Dubout and one dedicated to the local train to Montpellier.
The 45m high former local water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
can be seen from afar and features a revolving restaurant
Revolving restaurant
A revolving restaurant is a usually tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on the revolving floor. The revolving rate varies between one and three times...
on top and a congress centre.
Twin cities
Palavas-les-Flots is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Bayside, Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.