Saint-Jean-de-Monts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Commune of Saint-Jean-de-Monts |
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| Centre-ville of Saint-Jean-de-Monts. | ||
| Location | ||
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| Time Zone | CET (GMT +1) | |
| Coordinates | ||
| Administration | ||
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Pays de la Loire | |
| Department | Vendée | |
| Subdivisions | Arrondissement of Les Sables-d'Olonne | |
| Intercommunality | Océan marais de Monts | |
| Mayor | André Ricolleau (2001–2008) |
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| Statistics | ||
| Land area¹ | 61.72 km² | |
| Population² (2005) |
7,599 | |
| - Density | 112/km² (2005) | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
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.svg/100px-Blason_ville_fr_Saint-Jean-de-Monts_(Vendée).svg.png)
Saint-Jean-de-Monts is a French commune. It is situated in the Vendée département and the Pays de la Loire région. The town is a popular summer resort, located on the Côte de Lumière.
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[edit] Geography
.jpg/145px-Église_de_Saint-Jean-Baptiste_(edit).jpg)
The town is situated in the west of the département, between Notre-Dame-de-Monts 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 kilometers 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[1], a vast town planning operation taking over five years to complete. The hugely 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 500km²[2] 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.
[edit] History
Since 1867,[3] 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.
[edit] Demographics
| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,715 | 5,146 | 5,540 | 5,435 | 5,959 | 6,886 |
| Census enumeration : Population without double-counting | |||||
[edit] Places of interest
- The pier on the beach acts as a pontoon over the sea, and is a popular location for fishermen and walkers.
- 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.
[edit] Gallery
 Seafront at Saint-Jean-de-Monts |
 Seafront |
 Pier |
 Apartments |
 Beach |
 Pre-restoration seafront |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official website (French)
- Tourisme Saint-Jean-de-Monts (French)
