The history of Saint-Nazaire’s port began in 1856 with Nantes’ outer harbour, which has since developed into a major port covering an area of 20 000ha between the two towns. In the 1990s, a project involving the reclamation of wasteland and the submarine base resulted in the creation of a new district, Ville-Port, now home to modern buildings, exhibition venues and commercial properties. To appreciate the scale of the project, climb on to the panoramic terraces on the roof of the submarine base.