Submarine Espadon

The first French submarine to dive under the ice field

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea… do you remember? Maybe the Nautilus, the submarine in French writer Jules Verne’s famous novel, was one of your childhood favourites. In Saint-Nazaire, you can visit a real submarine. During her 25-year-long military career, the Espadon (“Swordfish”) sailed under the seven seas. She was also the first French submarine to sail beyond the Arctic Circle. So, are you ready to shiver?

Imagine you dive down into the depths of the sea… Go through the passageway, examine the listening post, be amazed by the impressive torpedo tubes… The 65 crew members had to share cramped space and a single shower… A fascinating tour for young and old alike!

Listening Underwater

A submarine must be discreet and make as little noise as possible in order to avoid detection. Inside, crew members and machines share a cramped common space where the devices’ sound mingles with day-to-day conversations. The new interactive and multimedia devices perfectly complement the audio tour of the Espadon. Fifteen sound steps await you throughout your visit: hear ambient sounds (berths, kitchen…), experience sensations (noise of engines and steel sheets underwater…), examine the navigation instruments (sonar, telegraph…) and visualize the itinerary of the mission under sea ice.