ROYAN

Audaciously prominent, the Notre Dame church (1955) now towers over the maritime past and the paradise for bathers and sand castle builders embodied by the five beaches, sheltered as they are from the western winds. 

The most celebrated of these beaches, the « Grande Conche », outlines a curve composed of more than two kilometers of fine sand. 

Shopping, relaxation, bathing or night-time outings … This elegant seaside neighborhood can meet any and all summer holiday expectations. Drawn up by Louis Simon, its architectural composition skillfully mixes pre-war style with modern urban façades and leaves room for a large central esplanade astride the sea. 

As for the Belle Époque neighborhoods that were partially spared at the tragic conclusion in Royan of World War II, the coastal areas to the west, such as Pontaillac and to the east, such as Le Parc, have conserved some scattered traces of their colorful pasts as resorts.