La Havane District

The La Havane district

The Saint-Nazaire audio-guided tour has you discover the charming La Havane district, a small survivor of the bombings with an eclectic nineteenth-century décor.

A scent of elsewhere in the heart of the city

In a city largely destroyed and rebuilt, this small surviving area provides a change of scene in no time. In the nineteenth century, Saint-Nazaire experienced an industrial and port boom and began to dream of travels, to the rhythm of the transatlantic liners leaving for Central America. This is why the streets of the district bear names that transport one towards distant lands like Santander, Veracruz or La Havane. This timeless gem lines up beautiful bourgeois houses of varied styles, sometimes of Basque or Norman inspiration, sometimes Art Nouveau or Neoclassical. Its villas and its quiet streets tell of the city of the 1900s, that of the shipowners and the well-off families, in a colourful touch full of originality that contrasts with the rest of the rebuilt city.

What there is to see

The La Havane district charms with its bourgeois villas of eclectic styles, its quiet streets and its names with distant accents. A survivor of the destruction, it offers a journey into the city of the 1900s, between refined architecture and peaceful atmosphere. It is a charming interlude to discover while strolling, a stone's throw from the Botanical Garden.

Practical information

The La Havane district is near the Botanical Garden, in Saint-Nazaire. Its streets can be walked freely on foot at all hours, along a stroll in the city centre.

Why is the district called La Havane?

Its streets bear names of transatlantic destinations like Santander, Veracruz and La Havane, echoing the liners of the nineteenth century.

What is special about it?

A survivor of the bombings, it preserves beautiful bourgeois houses of the nineteenth century, of varied styles and preserved charm.