The City of Lorient (French) was all but destroyed during World War II, so it has few historic sites from before the war. The city reflects the style of the era in which it was rebuilt, the 1950s.

However, visitors to the Port of Lorient will find some interesting and entertaining activities. The Museum of the Company of the Indies is located near the old armory and 17th Century citadel of Louis Port. Covering the history of the French trading companies from the 17th to 18th Centuries, the museum includes historic documents, vessel models, furniture, and many exotic goods from outside Europe including Chinese porcelains. Visitors will see goods from Africa, Asia, and the Americas that were imported by the companies.

Lovers of military history will enjoy the Museum of the Marine Fusiliers in the Port of Lorient. Located in the old school of the Royal marines, the museum tells the story of France’s navy. Visitors will learn about the first royal troops that were created by Cardinal Richelieu in 1622, the Royal Marines that served on the Eastern Front in World War I, the Royal marines serving during World War II, the terrestrial and river engagements of the French Navy during its Indochinese conflict, and the history of the school of the Royal Marines.

The Underwater Museum of the Davis Tower contains a collection of underwater photographs taken of the 350 wrecks that have occurred near the Port of Lorient since the 19th Century. The wrecks lie in as much as 90 meters under the sea, and the photographic effort has been ongoing for the past ten years to inventory these historic remains.

At the Museum of the Flotilla of the Submarines of the Atlantic, visitors can take guided tours of the third and last of the German blockhouses built to protect the U-boats operating from their submarine base in the Port of Lorient.

At the site of the old German submarine base, visitors will find a site dedicated to the memory of Eric Tabarly, a French navy officer and the “father” of French yachting. Tabarly was a champion distance sailor lost at sea in 1998. The City of the Veils Eric Tabarly is a museum telling the story of his life and everything related to sailing.

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