Foch Square

Place Foch, a rare witness of pre-war Royan

Place Foch is one of the most moving places of Royan, as it is a rare witness of the history before the destruction of the city. In the heart of a largely rebuilt city, it preserves a part of the past. The Royan audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this preserved corner, full of memory.

A fragment of the Royan of the past

Royan having been almost entirely destroyed by the bombings of 1945, pre-war vestiges are rare there. Place Foch is one of those rare spaces that recall the city of the past, before its reconstruction. Located right in the centre, facing the Grande Conche, it offers a precious contrast with the modern architecture that dominates elsewhere in the city.

What to see

The square, near the Grande Conche, keeps an atmosphere that evokes the Royan before the destruction. It offers a striking contrast with the modernist buildings of the reconstruction. It is a moving stop to measure what the city lost and preserved, and to understand its singular history.

Practical information

Place Foch lies in the heart of Royan, facing the Grande Conche beach, reachable on foot. It is a public space open at all times, freely accessible and on the level. The shops and hotels around have their own hours; the square is discovered during a walk in the centre.

Why is Place Foch moving?

Because it is one of the rare witnesses of pre-war Royan, in a city almost entirely destroyed in 1945 then rebuilt.

Where is Place Foch?

In the heart of Royan, facing the Grande Conche beach, in the centre of the city.