Fun-to-Do, Educational Pathways to (Re)Discover the Port of Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire

Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port is launching "Portside": an invitation to find out about the port environment that takes the form of a treasure hunt accessible via your smartphone, where you go on a tour of the infrastructures or lesser-known viewpoints in the Port Authority area. After the "Safe in Port" app proposed in June 2020, this new digital solution developed by the Nantes-based start-up Baludik builds on the ideas arising from the Smart Port Hackathon.

Going on an excursion and finding out in a fun way about the leading port on France’s Atlantic Seaboard, that is the concept behind Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port’s new digital offer for the general public, as developed by Nantes-based start-up Baludik. "Portside" will propose three novel pathways for visitors to the Port Authority area: the first pathway, which is already available on the app, is located in Saint Nazaire, the second, Nantes-based pathway will come on line during the summer, and the third pathway offering a journey along the Loire Estuary will appear in the autumn.

The user is guided by different characters: Agathe, who is a dredge master, Emile, a character who appears to have stepped right out of a novel by Jules Verne, and Plum', an aquatic warbler, the migratory bird that is emblematic of the Estuary… Thanks to the GPS function, the smartphone acts as compass and guide, while telling stories and offering rich content about port-related activities (360° photos, video or audio content…).

Rediscovering Spaces Close to Where We Live

The digital treasure hunt offers some nice surprises, but also the chance to see some key parts and locations of port-related activities. In Saint Nazaire, the user will discover the Harbour Master’s Office, will go past (and to the bottom of) the Joubert sluice dock, and will be invited to look over the facility for the pre-assembly of the wind turbines that will equip the future Banc de Guérande offshore wind farm… At each stage, having solved a riddle, the user will access the different items of content to find out about and understand the location in question.

This new digital solution is the product of the work carried out with the project group formed following the 2019 Smart Port Hackathon. "This app offers the chance to rediscover spaces close to where we live, which are not always very clearly identified by the Estuary’s inhabitants," sums up Karine Lerendu, Head of Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port’s Communication Department. "But above all, it’s a very accessible tool that can be used freely, while taking your time to enjoy an outing with your family, with friends or even just on your own, while also learning lots of new things about the Port, its activities, its history, and so on."

For several years now, Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port has opened its doors to the general public in different initiatives designed to help people to learn more about its infrastructures, but also about the diversity of its missions, from port-based logistics to the management of natural spaces. "Portside" is a valuable addition to the arrangements in place, which notably include the industrial tourism offer comprising coach and boat tours with Stunning Saint Nazaire or A Journey to Nantes, visits by high school students as part of the Regional Pact for Education, in collaboration with the Visit Our Businesses in Pays de la Loire Association, or by groups of schoolchildren with the Estuarium Association.

How Can the "Portside" Pathways Be Accessed?

First of all, it is necessary beforehand to download free of charge the Baludik app via App Store or Google Play.

You can then write the word "Portside" in the search bar and find on the map the "Surprising Encounter in Saint Nazaire" pathway that is available as of now.