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Mers-les-Bains (French pronunciation: [mɛʁs le bɛ̃]) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

Mers-les-Bains
Commune
A view of the town from Treport
Location of Mers-les-Bains
Mers-les-Bains
Mers-les-Bains
Coordinates: 50°04′05″N 1°23′19″E
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentSomme
ArrondissementAbbeville
CantonFriville-Escarbotin
IntercommunalityCC Villes Sœurs
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Michel Delepine[1]
Area
1
5.39 km2 (2.08 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2019)[2]
2,655
  Density490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
80533 /80350
Elevation0–99 m (0–325 ft)
(avg. 10 m or 33 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography


The chalk cliffs
The chalk cliffs

The commune is situated on the D1015 road, some 25 miles (40 km) west of Abbeville, Mers-les-Bains faces the English Channel near the mouth of the river Bresle, on the border between Picardy and Normandy. This ‘bathing station’ (seaside resort) has both pebbles and sand (at low tide) on the 1 kilometre (1 mi) beach and high chalk cliffs. With its neighbouring towns Eu and Le Tréport so close by, it appears as one large conglomeration. They are collectively known as the 'three sister-towns' (les trois villes soeurs)."

Much of the older part of town developed in the heyday of seaside bathing, during the latter part of the 19th century. As a consequence, the fine villas that were developed in those times are now subject to preservation orders. Any refurbishment must be in the same materials and colours as the original work. No plastic doors or roller shutters are allowed.


History


Mers-les-Bains’ does not have much history. There are one or two noble families known to have been seigneurs of places within the commune; The coat-of-arms, carved in stone, of the Mython family of Froideville adorns one of the Mayor's offices today. The Lucas family of Rompval, the Lattaignant seigneurs of Blengues, and the Torcy family, seigneurs of Mers-les-Bains are all mentioned in archives. Some parts of their coat-of-arms can still be seen today, as part of the official badge of the town, adopted in December 1962.
Once just a small fishing port, the seaside ‘bathing station’ grew partly because of the railway line that ran from Paris to Tréport. Entire families could make the 3 hour journey from Paris to discover the benefits of bathing and breathe the fresh, iodized air. Many would eventually buy land and build sumptuous second homes in the town.

The beach huts and the villas
The beach huts and the villas

Population


Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
19684,107    
19754,628+1.72%
19823,945−2.26%
19903,540−1.34%
19993,394−0.47%
20073,454+0.22%
20122,880−3.57%
20172,825−0.38%
Source: INSEE[3]

Places of interest


The characteristic vertical design of the buildings
The characteristic vertical design of the buildings

Personalities


The esplanade
The esplanade

Economy and tourism


The Saint-Gobain glass works, considered a world leader in perfume bottle production, is the town's biggest employer.
The town depends more and more on its reputation as a seaside resort.[4] A prestigious award ‘The pavillon bleu d'Europe’ was awarded in 2006. Holiday residences are newly built or restored each and every year and the town flourishes.


Sea defences


Mers-les-Bains has suffered from flooding on a regular basis. The army has been often been deployed with sandbags to stem the flow. A more permanent barrier is now being created for the three towns, at a projected cost of 13 million euros. This involves large rocks, transported on barges from Boulogne, being placed at the feet of the cliffs, to create a buffer and so preserve them and prevent further floods.


Fauna


Both herring gulls and black-headed gulls are found in abundance, along with kestrels, in the air on the lookout for prey. This will include mussels, various crabs, shrimps and prawns.


See also



References


  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. "Populations légales 2019". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2021.
  3. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  4. A tourist office is open every day throughout the year.



На других языках


[de] Mers-les-Bains

Vorlage:Infobox Gemeinde in Frankreich/Wartung/abweichendes Wappen in Wikidata
- [en] Mers-les-Bains

[ru] Мер-ле-Бен

Мер-ле-Бен (фр. Mers-les-Bains) — коммуна на севере Франции, регион О-де-Франс, департамент Сомма, округ Абвиль, кантон Фривиль-Эскарботен.



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