Saint-Jean-de-Monts
Encyclopedia
Saint-Jean-de-Monts is a commune
in the Vendée
department in the Pays de la Loire
region
in western France
.
and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez
. It is split in two by a long plantation of pine
trees, stretching from north to south along the coast. The centre-ville lies to the east of the cordon, while the seafront forms a lively center to the west.
Saint-Jean-de-Monts is renowned for its sandy beach, more than eight kilometres long. Due to its often low tides, it offers a great area for walkers, fishermen, and beach games.
The town is noteworthy for the recent restoration of its seafront, a vast town planning operation taking over five years to complete. The successful result now means a network of footpaths and cycle tracks are enhanced by an array of plants, flowers and shrubs.
The predominantly flat terrain has allowed for the development of a vast 500 km² network of cyclepaths, known as the Sentiers Cyclables de la Vendée. These paths stretch from the island of Noirmoutier
in the north, south past Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
.
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 Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
department in the Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in western 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
The town is situated in the west of the département, between Notre-Dame-de-MontsNotre-Dame-de-Monts
Notre-Dame-de-Monts is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
and Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-External links:*...
. It is split in two by a long plantation of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
trees, stretching from north to south along the coast. The centre-ville lies to the east of the cordon, while the seafront forms a lively center to the west.
Saint-Jean-de-Monts is renowned for its sandy beach, more than eight kilometres long. Due to its often low tides, it offers a great area for walkers, fishermen, and beach games.
The town is noteworthy for the recent restoration of its seafront, a vast town planning operation taking over five years to complete. The successful result now means a network of footpaths and cycle tracks are enhanced by an array of plants, flowers and shrubs.
The predominantly flat terrain has allowed for the development of a vast 500 km² network of cyclepaths, known as the Sentiers Cyclables de la Vendée. These paths stretch from the island of Noirmoutier
Île de Noirmoutier
The island of Noirmoutier is off the Atlantic coast of France in the Vendée department.Parts of the island have been reclaimed from the sea. In 2005 it served as the finish of the Tour de France prologue....
in the north, south past Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is situated on the Côte de Lumière...
.
History
Since 1867, bathers have been coming to the beach at Saint-Jean-de-Monts in large numbers, and since 1892 it has been the inspiration for many artists. The original church still lies in the center of the old village.Demographics
Places of interest
- The pier on the beach acts as a pontoon over the sea, and is a popular location for fishermen and walkers, although, unfortunately, during the storm of February 2010, the pier was significantly damaged and remains closed as of Oct 2010.
- A sculpture of two birds is in memory of Auguste Lepère and Charles Milcendeau.
- The national forest of 280 hectares, in the heart of the Breton / Vendée marshes, was planted under Napoléon III.
See also
- Communes of the Vendée department
- Notre-Dame-de-MontsNotre-Dame-de-MontsNotre-Dame-de-Monts is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-References:*...
- Saint-Hilaire-de-RiezSaint-Hilaire-de-RiezSaint-Hilaire-de-Riez is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.-External links:*...