Lorient: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 79 - 100 Inter-Hotel Cleria
 Set between Carnac and Pont-Aven in Southern Brittany, the Inter-Hotel Cleria welcomes you in the centre of Lorient.
Rooms at the Inter-Hotel Cleria … MoreEUR 59 - 81 Ibis Lorient Centre Gare
 Located near the railway station, the Ibis Lorient Centre Gare hotel is ideal for a comfortable stay in the heart of the Lorient.
The hotel has 51 mo… MoreEUR 42 - 76 Les Gens De Mer - Lorient
 Located opposite the new fishing harbour, 5 minutes from the centre, this Breton-style house features a peaceful garden terrace, free Wi-Fi access and… MoreEUR 75 - 500 Mercure Lorient Centre
 This Hotel Mercure is located in the city centre of Lorient just opposite the Palais des Congres (convention centre) and near the marina. It offers en… MoreEUR 55 - 82 Rex Hotel
 The hotel is situated in the city centre, 300 metres from the train station and 5 km from the beaches. It boasts a privileged location next to some of… MoreEUR 50 - 88 Hotel Leopol
 The Leopol is located in central Lorient, close to the harbor. It offers en suite guest rooms with satellite TV, Canal + and free Wi-Fi internet acces… MoreEUR 50 - 130 Hotel La Perriere
 Located 500 metres from the pier, close to the city centre, Hotel la Perriere welcomes you throughout the year, whether on a holiday or a business tri… MoreEUR 57 - 140 Comfort Hôtel Astoria
 This Comfort hotel is in Lorient, 500 metres from the SNCF train station and a 10-minute walk from the sea. Rooms have flat-screen TVs with satellite … MoreEUR 59 - 110 Hôtel Escale Oceania Lorient
 Hotel Escale Oceania Lorient is located in the city centre of Lorient, a short walk to the Palais des Congrés and the train station. Its en suite roo… MoreEUR 59 - 77 Hôtel Les Océanes
 Hotel Les Oceanes is ideally situated near the fishing port and the Keroman Nautical Village. It offers comfortable accommodation and a warm welcome.
… MoreEUR 53 - 150 Hôtel Victor Hugo Lorient
 Le Victor Hugo is located in Lorient town centre, on the south coast of Brittany. It offers en-suite rooms with flat-screen satellite TV and free Wi-F… MoreEUR 60 - 86 Brit Hotel, Le Kerotel
 The modern comfort of a recent 2 star hotel.
The charm and the tradition of Kerotel. Black lacquer, pink camaieu, wood and the carpets contribute to … More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lorient: Guide
Lorient, or L'Orient, (commune and a seaport in the Morbihan Département in France|département, of Brittany. Population: city: 61,844; urban area: 186,144.
History
At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with French).
Later, the French East India Company, founded in 1664 and chartered by King Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV, established shipyards there, thus giving an impetus to the development of the city.
Most of the city was destroyed during World War II and today's Lorient reflects an architectural style of the 1950s.
Geography
Lorient is located on the south coast of Brittany on the Atlantic Ocean. The rivers Blavet and Scorff enter the Atlantic Ocean at Lorient.
Industry
Lorient has a major fishing port, Port de Pêche (Breton_language|Breton: Porzh Pesketa), at Keroman and the docks area at Kergroise handle large cargo and passenger ships.
Tourism plays an important part in the cities' economy and there are several large yachting marinas around the bay. The annual Festival Interceltique de Lorient was founded in Lorient in 1971 and attracts large numbers of tourists to the area every summer.
Lorient was a former base of the French Navy but these links have now disappeared. However, many important former naval buildings remain around the quayside.
Lorient South Brittany Airport is situated 10 minutes drive to the west of the city, and has direct flights to several destinations.
Keroman Submarine Base
Lorient housed a Germany|German submarine base during World War II; although the city was heavily damaged by Allied bombing raids, the base survived through to the end of the war. As they could not destroy the base itself, the Allies decided to bomb the city, in order to cut supply lines to the U-boats. Without fuel, provisions or water, it became impossible for these submarines to return to the Atlantic. Between the 14 of January 1943 and the 17 of February 1943, as many as 500 explosive bombs and more than 60,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the city. Lorient was almost completely destroyed, with nearly 90% of the city flattened.
Today the former submarine base of Keroman is open to the public and can be visited year-round. During the tour the submarine pens of block K3 can be seen. The roof area (3.40m to 7m thick) can be accessed, as well as a former anti aircraft defence tower high on top of the base. The tower affords an excellent view of the harbour and of the former headquarters of the German Commander Karl Dönitz across the bay at Larmor-Plage.
Miscellaneous
Lorient was the birthplace of Jules Simon (1814-1896), statesman and philosopher.
Lorient is the home of a major Celtic music festival, the Festival Interceltique de Lorient.
Lorient is the home of FC Lorient Bretagne Sud whose stadium, Stade de Moustoir, is in the city centre.
In the 2006 Tour de France, Lorient will host the end of Stage 8.
(in French)
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Lorient". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.Town twinning|Twin towns
Galway, Ireland
Vigo, Galicia, Spain
Wirral (borough)|Wirral, England
Ventspils, Latvia
Ludwigshafen am Rhein|Ludwigshafen, Germany
České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Denizli, TurkeySee also
Mississippi Company
Unterseeboot 74
FC Lorient
Festival Interceltique de Lorient
Arrondissement of LorientExternal links