Lorient



Lorient is a city in France, or L'Orient, (Breton: An Oriant) is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany (Bretagne) in northwestern France. Inhabitants of Lorient are called Lorientais. Population: city: 61,844; urban area: 186,144. Lorient is the most populous commune in Morbihan, although the capital is the slightly smaller commune of Vannes.

HISTORY OF THE PORT: THE "WEST INDIES COMPANY"
The City of Lorient was created in 1666 on August 30 by Colbert, Louis XIV’s chief minister. For centuries, its commercial development was linked to its international trading activity.


 * 1664 : creation of the West Indies by Colbert in order to supply the French market with Asian products.


 * 1666 : creation of the Faouëdic naval construction site. This gives birth to the City of Lorient, which becomes a hub for commercial ships coming from and going to Asia (spices, teas, porcelain, fabrics, silk...).


 * 1719 : creation of the 2nd Indies Company after the first one collapsed (1703). The trade monopoly with the Africa, Louisiana, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the China Sea colonies insures prosperity to the city for years. The company goes bankrupt in 1769


 * 1766 : construction of the first commercial wharf outside the India Company’s enclosure


 * 1785 : creation of the 3rd Indies Company. The company’s commercial monopoly is abolished by the revolution in 1790


 * 1794 : The Indies Company was terminated by decree. Lorient is proclaimed a military port in 1791

END of 19th CENTURY: MAJOR COMMERCIAL BOOST
The port’s trade was only symbolic since the end of the 18th century but it became the scene of frenzied activity at the end of the 19th century. The advent of steam made Lorient Bretagne Sud a large coal importation port between 1870 and the days before the Second World War. Welsh coasters found return freight opportunities with mine timber coming from local fir plantations. The port managed other trade limited in tonnage (cereals, fish roe, wines, salt, lime, sugar) and the commercial activity was moved to the deep water basin of “Kergroise” in order to meet new freight requirements.


 * 1880 : global trade 45,000 tonnes


 * 1889, August 27th: 1st public facilities management tender won by the Lorient and Morbihan Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the running of 2 cranes on the outer harbour.

 1920 : operational launch of the first section of Kergroise’s first deep water wharf (112.50 m)
 * 1914, July 1st: management of all port facilities by the CCI (including fishing boat wharf)


 * 1929 : 438,000 tonnes, record trade since the end of the 19th century. Coal (239,000 t) represented half of the total port activity


 * 1939 : total trade, 293,000 tonnes, in days just before the Second World War

More informations about the History of Lorient on the Lorient !

WHAT TO VISIT ?
More informations about the places to visit in Lorient on the Lorient !

How to get to Lorient
Car sharing in Morbihan: Covoiturage Morbihan - click here =>
 * By Car: Car pooling / lift sharing from France and Europe : Covoiturage Envoiture.fr - click here =>


 * By Boat: Boat to Groix : different possiblities - click here =>, ,


 * By Train: The name of the main bus station in Lorient is "Gare d'échanges". It's located close to the train sation and quite close from Lorient's real center. From there it's possible to take buses for Lorient's area and for the whole Morbihan. You can also take a train or jump in a taxi. From Lorient you also have the possibility to take a boat to cities of the other side of Lorient's roadstead as Port-Louis, Locmiquelic and Gavres with a normal bus ticket. You can also go to the island of Groix. The airport can be reached by bus or taxi. And you can use a car sharing system or hitchhike. Train : SNCF - click here =>


 *  By Plane: Airport : Aéroport Lorient Bretagne Sud - click here =>

Bus
Public transport in and near Lorient (bus and boat) : CTRL - click here => Public transport in Morbihan (bus and boat) : CTM - click here =>

Bicycles

 *  Holidays Bikes AB Location Agent - Address : 16 Cours de Chazelles 56100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 21 75 06

Free Internet/Wifi Access

 * Médiathèque de Lorient - Address : 4 Place François Mitterrand - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 64 10 11
 * Point Inter Net de Kervenanec - Address : Maison de quartier - Rue Maurice Thorez - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 88 03 78
 * Point Inter Net du Bois du Chateau - Address : Centre social - Rue Jules Massenet - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 37 75 31
 * BIJ - Address : 1 Place Jules Ferry - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 84 84 57
 * Escale Brizeux - Address: Escale Brizeux - Nouvelle Ville - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 89 08 16
 * Mc Donald's - Address : 7 Avenue du Faouëdic - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 21 59 59
 * Géant Casino supermarket in Lanester or in the Quick fast food just near -  located in Lanester (Lanester is just next to Lorient in the east (NE) and can easily be reached by bus )

Nice & Cheap Places to Eat

 * New Pub Gallery - A nice pub where you can eat and drink - Address : 3 Rue Olivier de Clisson - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 21 76 69
 * Tavarn Ar Roue Morvan - A nice place where you can eat and drink too and listen to traditionnal music - Address : 1 Place Polig Montjarret - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 21 61 57
 * Crêperie Kerroc'h - Rodrigue and his team will make you the best crepes in town, traditionnal recipeas, good cider, and cheap prices - Bon appetit (To me the best creperie i ever eaten in britonny) - Address : 69, Maréchal Ferdinand Foch - 56 100 Lorient - Tél. : 02 97 64 53 15
 * La Bulle - Cross the street after dinner at the Creperie, you will find (hidden in the right corner of the parking) a sweet bar called "La bulle" hosted by a great, bearded with pipe, guy called pierre - Free Jazz Jam sessions every tuesday around 9pm (if you like rum - taste the cocktail called "la germaine" - mix of rum, amanda syrup, and pear juice yummmmy)
 * The Quay Street - Great irish pub - good beer ! Free concert every friday starting at 10pm - closing at 2am - Address : 18 rue Poissonniere 56100 Lorient - 02 97 64 38 48
 * Les Gens De Mer - Lorient -www.lesgensdemer.fr-Address: Boulevard Louis Nail-56100 Lorient-02 97 37 11 28

Nightlife
In Lorient, you will find different possibilities for your nightlife. You can find pubs, night-clubs, concerts... and also traditional evenings called fest-noz where people dances on traditionnal music.

COUCHSURFERS


Today, 03 january 2009, there are 112 CS in Lorient. But if you make a wider couchsearch, you will find much more in the area. With 40 more kilometers, you have 50 more results. Feel free to contact them on the CS Group of Lorient !

Meetings
There are some meetings organised in Lorient, you can check on the CS Group of Lorient if there is something happened or check on the Regional CS Group of Brittany (Bretagne) to see if there is an event organised in the area.

Coffee or a Drink
Here is a list of local couchsurfers who could be ready to show you the city or/and have a drink with you:

Couchrequest
If you want to stay in Lorient's center, you can ask to couchsurfers living there. But if you don't mind and agree or want to be a little bit more in the countryside or close to the coast, don't forget to make a couchsearch a little bit wider. This can be necessary during Lorient's Interceltic Festival in august for example. Lorient's inside CS are very much in demand at this period and can't satisfy all.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY


Police Secours, emergency national telephone number : 17
 * Police Station:

Proximity Police Station : boulevard Eugène Cosmao Dumanoir, 56100 Lorient. Tél: 02 97 84 92 66 Samu (medical emergency service), national telephone number : 15
 * Health Urgency:

Urgency number for the homeless: 115

Centre Hospitalier de Bretagne Sud : 7 rue des Montagnes, 56100 Lorient. Tél: 02 97 64 91 61 Emergency national telephone number : 18
 * Fireman Station:

Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours - Standard : 1 rue Henri Dunant, 56100 Lorient. Tél: 02 97 87 33 12 S.O.S medecin, national telephone number : 36 24
 * Embassy:
 * Emergency Doctor:

S.O.S medecin, 56100 Lorient. Tél: 0825 85 03 08

LOCAL MEDIA MENTIONS






INTERESTED LINKS
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
 * Regional CS Group: Bretagne (Brittany)
 * Local CS Group: Lorient


 * Lorient on Wikivoyage
 * Lorient on Hitchwiki
 * Lorient on Wikipedia



hitch:Lorient