Why is the seafront promenade called the Remblai?
Although the name evokes the famous Spanish promenades, the reality is a little less exotic.Originally, it was simply a protective wall erected at the foot of the dune between 1541 and 1543. Originally, it was 4 m thick and stretched for 300 m between what is now Place du Tribunal and Rue Travot. Badly damaged by the sea, it had to be rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century. It was therefore REPLASTERED with rubble stones to strengthen it. This large space facing the sea was then used by the net gutters and the rope makers to spread out their equipment. It was only with the arrival of bathers that this area took on the promenade function that it has retained ever since. In summer, it was landscaped with steps leading down to the beach and public lighting.
From the 1860s onwards, the Remblai was extended westwards as far as the Sables pier and eastwards as far as rue Guynemer, then as far as the Presidents district and Tanchet.
After undergoing total reconstruction between 1949 and 1951, it was rebuilt a second time between 2009 and 2013 to address structural problems. The work was entrusted to architects Lancereau & Meyniel, who proposed to re-establish a large promenade along the seafront, giving priority to cyclists and pedestrians.
Since September 2023, redevelopment work has resumed between rue Guynemer (on the Promenade Clemenceau) and Place de Strasbourg. Work will continue as far as Les Présidents, with completion scheduled for May 2025.
The Promenade Godet will be redesigned with a 4-metre-wide cycle path, a wide pavement (5 metres), planted areas and a planted belvedere at Les Présidents, where sports facilities and benches will be installed.
Eventually, the Remblai will be redeveloped as far as Tanchet.
Born in Les Sables-d'Olonne, she developed a passion for history and heritage at an early age.
Passionate about architecture, she has set up a number of guided tours designed to showcase the local heritage, always seeking to link the built and the human.
