EXPOSITION PERMANENTE SUR LA BASE AÉRONAVALE AMÉRICAINE DE LA VILLE EN BOIS

Around the lake at Saint-Viaud, you’ll find a permanent exhibition recounting the history of the American naval air base built at Saint-Viaud in a place called la ville en bois during the First World War. Enjoy an open-air walk around the lake to learn more about this little-known fact of war. From 1917 to 1919, an aerostation centre built by the French navy was set up at “La Ville en Bois” in St Viaud. The aerostats were used to monitor the coastline from Oléron to Belle-Île against German submarine attacks. Nearly 500 Americans were stationed there between 1 January 1918 (when the base was handed over to the US Navy) and the end of the First World War.Pets allowed