 | ||
| Saint-Denis | ||
| French overseas department | Reunion | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 150.535 (2018) | |
| height | 23 | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| Tourist info | 262 (0)262 56 65 72 http://www.ville-saintdenis-reunion.fr/ | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
| ||
Saint-Denis(Creole: Sin-Dni) is the capital of the island of Reunion in Indian Ocean, the city with the most inhabitants on the island, with all important offices and also a cultural center with numerous museums. In addition, Saint-Denis is also the largest city in non-European countries France.
background
Saint-Denis is the one prefecture (Administrative seat) of the French island Reunion. The island lies between Mauritius and Madagascar and has the status of a French Overseas departments and a French region. The capital is the seat of the island's administration, consisting of the General Council and Regional Council, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Crafts, the Rectorate, the University, the Employment Office and the regional customs authority.
Saint-Denis was founded in 1669 by Étienne Régnault (from August 5, 1665 to May 8, 1671 governor of Réunion), the name comes from the ship "Saint-Denis", which was built in 1665 as part of a fleet by the French "Compagnie des Indes" was sent to Réunion and India. The aforementioned governor Étienne Régnault from France was also on the way with the fleet, a stopover was planned to take up provisions on the coast of Réunion at the site of the later founded "St-Paul", the first capital of the island.
The small 60-ton ship "Saint-Denis" already lost at Tenerife (Canary Islands) connected to the rest of the fleet, but then found the way to the island alone, where it arrived in 1667. The captain of the "Saint-Denis" was called Chanlette and was good friends with Étienne Régnault, the bay of the landing stage and the river that flows into the sea there and later also the city founded there were named after the ship by the island governor. The eponymous person Saint-Denis was a bishop and missionary in Gaul in the third century, who was beheaded as a martyr with his companions Rusticus and Elentère in what is now France.
Under Mahé de Labourdonnais, then governor of the East India Company and one of the most important figures in the island's history, the small settlement of Saint-Denis with only 2166 inhabitants became the capital of the island and the seat of the colonial administration of the Mascarene from 1738. Saint-Denis replaces the previous capital Saint-Paul because of the general and especially more favorable location for the port.
In 1743 the first church and the new governor's palace (now the prefecture) are built. In 1771 the plan was drawn up for the city with a typical colonial checkerboard pattern, with 12 streets in east-west direction and 7 streets in north-south direction. The administration and warehouse of the French East India Company was built in 1773 in a representative colonial style and later became the official residence of the governors and prefects. In 1790 Saint-Denis became an independent political municipality, Jean Baptiste Delestrac was the first mayor.
However, Saint-Denis initially remains only a small town and is further behind Saint-Paul, which is larger in terms of inhabitants, and also behind the economically stronger Saint-Pierre. In the 19th century, the city was considered a boring administrative center on the island in the 19th century going for a walk is still the most interesting pastime. From the middle of the century, however, a lot of money flows into the city through the sugar barons and Saint-Denis now also becomes an important trade and cultural center. In 1852 the colonial bank of the island and the nature museum were founded in Saint-Denis.
 Monument to Roland Garros |  Monument to Mahé de Labourdonnais on Barachois |
In the 20th century, the island's political and economic events were also directly linked to the fate of the island's capital: After the two world wars and malaria plagues, and with the increasing cultivation of sugar beet in Europe, the city and island suffered an economic decline Saint-Denis only recovered in modern times, thanks in part to subsidies from Paris and the EU.
The ethnic groups of the city consist of immigrant Europeans, the Africans abducted as slaves, Chinese and Islamic Indians and their descendants, the Creoles. There are no districts with a special ethnic orientation.
Famous personalities of the island's capital are the French aviation pioneer Roland Garros (1886 - 1918, wikipedia), the writer Marius Leblond (1877-1953) the French politician Raymond Barre (1924-2007, wikipedia) and handball player Daniel Narcisse (born 1979, THW Kiel).
getting there
| Distances (road km) | |
| Le Port | 22 km |
|---|---|
| Saint-Paul | 29 km |
| Saint-Gilles-les-Bains | 37 km |
| Saint-Leu | 54 km |
| Saint-Pierre | 85 km |
| Saint-Joseph | 102 km |
By plane
The International Airport for Reunion is Roland Garros, it is located about eight kilometers east of the center of Saint-Denis. The airport has daily connections to Paris and other places in France via Air France and Air Austral (the airline Réunions).
There are no direct flights from Germany, Austria or Switzerland to Saint-Denis. The approach is possible with a change in the region, e.g. B. on Mauritius.
The airport is directly connected to the center of Saint-Denis (central bus station, L'Ocean Terminal) via a shuttle bus (travel time approx. 20 minutes).
From the airport you can also take a taxi (expensive) or Rental car (several providers directly at the airport).
A another airport the island is Pierrefonds airport at Saint-Pierre in the south of the island, from here there are regional connections to Mauritius and Madagascar.
In the street
- The one opened on March 5, 1976, runs from Saint-Denis RN1 (Route du Littoral) along the steep bank of the north coast in the south-west of the island. Despite the massive protective sheeting with safety nets, the route is at great risk of falling rocks.
- The RN 2 runs east along the coast from Saint-Denis.
By bus
The capital Saint-Denis is the end of the line for several Bus routes:
- line A. & A1 (Express line on the RN1 along the west coast) and B.: Saint-Denis - Saint-Paul - Saint-Gilles-les-Bains - Saint-Leu - Saint-Louis - Saint-Pierre, Total travel time approx. One and a half hours at € 4.20.
- Lines B1, C1 and E. run like line A along the west coast, but only as far as Saint-Leu.
- line F. (Express line) and G on the RN2 along the northeast coast): Saint-Denis- Sainte-Marie - Saint-Benoit.
The buses run in the morning on weekdays from around 4.30 a.m. (on Sundays and public holidays much later) until around 6 p.m. in the evening, roughly every hour.
The bus routes operates CAR JAUNE, Identification color yellow. The central bus station of Saint-Denis (L'Océan Terminal) is located directly on the seashore a few hundred meters east of the center or from the Barachois promenade.
By boat
 The rue Marechal Leclerc, which is empty every Sunday |  Road traffic |
The small port of Saint-Denis is of no particular touristic importance, the international port of the island is located in Le Port.
mobility
Dynamic cardsThe center of the city is quite compact and can easily be visited on foot. It is essentially the area of the Barachois on the seafront along the avenue de La Victoire and its extension, rue de Paris, to the Jardin de L´Etat city park. The pedestrian zone (Carré Piéton) is the area around rue Maréchal Leclerc.
The car traffic on the streets of Saint-Denis seems busy to southern chaotic on weekdays, parking spaces are scarce. On Sunday the city is almost deserted with closed shops.
Tourist Attractions
Most of the major sights are located on the main street avenue de La Victoire - rue de Paris and are quite compact, so the walk is recommended.
The high gloss and decay of the buildings in the center of the city are often close together. In addition to the various very neat to well-spruced up and then mostly representative buildings in the colonial architectural style, there is often little more than patina to assess directly on the neighboring building.
Churches, mosques, temples
 Saint Sauveur Cathedral |  Noor al Islam mosque |
- 1 Saint-Sauveur (cathédrale Saint-Denis de Saint-Denis de La Réunion), on the main street of Rue de la Victoire at the corner of Rue Alexis.
Catholic Cathedral of Saint-Denis, built from 1829 to 1832 according to plans by Jean-Baptiste Dumas, cathedral since 1850, extension from 1856 to 1860.
- 2 Chapelle de l'Immaculée Conception (chapelle de l'Immaculée-Conception), 10 Rue Sainte-Anne.Catholic Church (Chapel of the Immaculate Conception), consecrated February 6, 1869.
- 3 Église Notre Dame de La Délivrance (église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Saint-Denis), Place de La Délivrance La Redoute a little west of the center and west of the Saint-Denis river.Catholic church, built from 1893 to 1896 in neo-Gothic style.
- 4 Église Notre Dame de l'Assomption (église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Saint-Denis), Corner of Rue du Général de Gaulle / Rue Jean Chatel.Catholic Church (Assumption of Mary).
- 5 Noor al Islam (mosquée Noor-e-Islam), Rue du Marechal Leclerc.Large mosque, built in 1990. Entrance for men and women allowed: 9:00 am - 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm (outside of prayer times), but only without shoes.
- 6 Lisi Tong, Rue Sainte-Anne. Chin. Pagoda built in 1896.
- 7 Guan Di, Rue du Marechal Leclerc / corner of Rue Sainte-Anne, a little east of the center. Chin. Pagoda.
 Villa du General |  Villa Mas |
Buildings
- 8 Old Town Hall (hôtel de ville de Saint-Denis).Official seat of the mayor, built between 1846 and 1860 with interruption due to lack of money.
- 9 Hotel de la Prefecture (hôtel de prefecture de La Réunion), behind the avenue de la Victoire and at the western end of the Barachois waterfront.The listed governor's palace. It was built at the beginning of the 18th century from the former warehouses of the French East India Company, at the time the first large public building on the island, it is therefore the oldest building on the island.
- Second prefecture, on avenue de la Victoire. Built in 1829, a former hospital.
- Old University, on avenue de la Victoire.
- Banque de La Réunion, Rue Jean Chatel. The oldest company on the island is based in a representative villa in colonial style, completed in 1858.
- Palais Rontaunay, 5, rue Saint-Denis Rontaunay. Prestigious villa built in the early 19th century and in the Creole architectural style as a residence for the merchant Julien Rontaunay Gaultier, then seat of the administration and the consul general of the island.
- Villa you general, 49, rue de Paris. Representative villa in Creole style.
- Villa Mas, 18, rue de Paris. Built in colonial style with a representative portal from 1793 to 1804 for Baptist Lestrac, the first mayor of Saint-Denis at the time, today the seat of the island's cultural department.
- 10 Villa Déramond-Barre, 15, rue de Paris.Representative villa in colonial style, residence of many well-known personalities on the island, e.g. Antoine Desforges Parny, half-brother of the poet Evariste de Forges de Parny and birthplace of the local painter and poet Leon Dierx.
Monuments
- The victory Column. In memory of the fallen soldiers of World War I, in front of the town hall on avenue de la Victoire.
Museums
- 11 Léon Dierx Museum (Léon-Dierx museum, Modern Art Museum), 28 rue de Paris /, 97400 Saint-Denis (on the main road axis). Tel.: 262 (0)262 20 24 82.
Open: Tue - Sun 9 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.Price: Admission € 2, free on the first Sunday of each month.
- The museum was founded in 1911 and is located in the Villa Manès, a former bishopric in colonial style. In addition to the works of local artists, there are also exhibits by Picasso, Renoir, Gauguin, Vlaminck, Bourdelle and Jean Le Gac. Major parts of the collection come from a gift from the art dealer Ambroise Vollard in 1947. Léon Dierx was named after a local painter and poet. He died in 1912.
- 12 Artothèque (Museum of contemporary art, changing exhibitions every two months), 26, Rue de Paris, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 75 00, Fax: 262 (0)262 21 05 03.
- 13 Muséum Histoire Naturelle (Muséum d'histoire naturelle de La Réunion, Garden State Museum, naturehistorical Museum), 1 rue Poivre (in the Jardin de L'Etat park at the top of the Rue de Paris).
- 14 La Maison de la Bière Dodo (The brewery museum of the ubiquitous Inselbrauerei, opened in 2005, belongs to Heineken), 60 Quai Ouest, 97400 Saint-Denis (on the Rivière de Saint-Denis). Open: only guided tours (approx. 1 hour) by appointment, Tue, Wed Thu (except on public holidays) at 9.30 am, 11.00 am, 2.00 pm and 3.30 pm.Price: Adults € 6.
Parks
- 15 Jardin de L'Etat (jardin de l'État).Approx. 5 hectare city park at the upper end of the street axis Rue de Paris.
- 16 Barachois: the promenade with the distinctive cannons at the beginning of the street axis Rue de Paris.
- The name means something like small port. The cannons date back to the early nineteenth century when the English had their eyes on the island.
- On the Barachois are also the monuments to the French aerial pioneer who was born on the island Roland GarrosThe capital's airport is named after him, for Mahe 'de la Bourdonnais, Eminent Governor of the East India Company and important to the Island history, and for General Charles de Gaulle.
- Le parc de la Providence. Small park in the Cedex district.
activities
- Golf course, in Le Colorado. 9-hole course.
Regular events
- Guan Di festival. Colorful celebration in August in honor of the birthday of the Chinese god of war.
shop
The main shopping street is the pedestrian zone / Rue Marechal Leclerc and its surroundings with numerous shops and the large market. The range on offer in the shops reflects the mix and coexistence of the different cultures in the city.
- PMU barachois (Magazines, sometimes also in German), 3, avenue de la Victoire, (at the barachois). Tel.: 262 (0)262 20 34 66.
- Entrepot (largest bookstore in town), 82-88, rue Juliette Dodu. Tel.: 262 (0)262 20 94 94.
- Le Mahal (Handicrafts, souvenirs), 50, rue Maréchal Leclerc (on the first floor). Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 63 98.
- Arts et Lumière (gallery), 11 rue de Paris, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 53 46 22.
Markets
- 1 Grand Marché, 3 Rue Marechal Leclerc, a few meters west of the Rue de Paris road axis. Covered market hall. Among other things, fruit, vegetables, spices, textiles and wood carvings (from Madagascar) and other souvenir items from the greater Indian Ocean area are on offer.Open: Open May - Oct daily except Mon: 6 a.m. - 7 p.m., Nov - Apr 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- 2 Petit Marche, in rue Maréchal Leclerc. The small market, mostly food and flowers.Open: Every morning on weekdays.
- 3 Marché des Camélias, on the road to Saint-François in the mountains south of the capital. Crafts, vegetables, fish and meat.Open: Fri 6 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- 4 Marché du Chaudron, in the Chaudron district. Fair with around 400 stalls, food such as fish and crustaceans, vegetables, meat.
kitchen
Cheap
For a quick snack in between, there is am Barachois a number of takeaways with the typical sandwich in all kinds of variations, and the meatball fryer McDonalds is also represented.
- Cafe de Paris (creole cuisine), Avenue de la Victoire. Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 45 44.
medium
- Le Recre (Creole cuisine, salads, grilled meat and fish), Avenue de la Victoire. Tel.: 262 (0)262 23 83 41.
- facebook url used
Upscale
The upscale gastronomy is led by the hotels:
- Le Renaissance in the Hotel Le Saint-Denis;
nightlife
Saint Denis has a diverse nightlife to offer, the selection ranges from casinos to cinemas, theaters, bars and nightclubs to cabarets, distributed in the areas around the city center / Barachois.
- Cinema Plaza (movie theater), 79, rue Pasteur, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 04 36.
- Cinéma Ritz (movie theater), 53 to rue Juliette Dodu, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 20 09 52.
- Théâtre Le Grand Marché, 2, rue du Maréchal Leclerc, 97400 Saint-Denis (at the big market). Tel.: 262 (0)262 20 33 99, (0)262 20 96 36 (Ticket reservation), Fax: 262 (0)262 20 01 66.
- TCF, Theater de Champ Fleuri, 2 rue du Théâtre, 97495 Sainte-Clotilde. Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 93 25, Fax: 262 (0)262 41 55 71.
- Théâtre Vollard (Theater group with performances on the island and internationally), 2 Avenue Andre Malraux, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 93 00, Fax: 262 (0)262 41 55 71. Named after Ambrosius Vollard, publisher and art dealer on Réunion.
- Casino Saint-Denis (Casino, hotel, bar, restaurant), Barachois Place Sarda Garriga, 97400 Saint-Denis (on the beach promenade). Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 33 33, Fax: 262 (0)262 41 11 94.
Bars and clubs
- Club 138, 7, rue Amiral Lacaze, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 07 45.
- Jazzy bar, 20, rue Labourdonnais, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 85 01.
- Le First, 8, avenue de la Victoire, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 68 25.
accommodation
The hotel prices are at the French level and are therefore, especially measured by the mostly quite simple sanitary standard, in some cases significantly higher than the usual prices in German-speaking countries.
Cheap
- 1 Hotel Le Mascareignes, 3, rue Laferierre, 97000 St-Denis (Close to the central bus station L 'Ocean). Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 15 28, Fax: 262 (0)262 21 24 19.
medium
Upscale
- 2 Hotel Mercure Creolia, 14, rue du Stade Montgaillard, 97000 St-Denis (southeast above the city). Tel.: 262 (0)262 94 26 26, Fax: 262 (0)262 94 27 27. Price: rooms from 110.-.
- 3 Hotel Le Saint-Denis, 2 rue Doret / BP43, 97461 St-Denis Cedex (centrally on the Barachois). Tel.: 262 (0)262 218 020, Fax: 262 (0)262 219 741. Price: rooms from 110.-.
Learn
Saint-Denis is the main location of the Université de La Réunion (law, economics and political science), the other two locations are Saint-Pierre and Le tampon.
Work
security
health
- CHR Center Hosptialier Reunion (CHD Bellepierre, Felix Guyon Hospital, State hospital on the island, largest clinic), Saint-Denis Cedex (in the Bellepierre district south of the center, access via the). Tel.: 262 (0)262 90 50 50, Fax: 262 (0)262 90 50 51.
- There are around 15 in Saint-Denis Pharmacies, reachable in the center:
- Pharmacy Moderne, 53, rue du Marechal Leclerc. Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 09 22.
- Pharamcie Ah-Sing, 120, rue Jean Chatel. Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 18 57.
| Brief information | |
| Phone code | 262 and the last 9 place digits |
|---|---|
| Post Code | 97400 |
| Time zone | UTC 4 |
| Emergency police | 17 |
| Emergency cell phone | 112 |
| Ambulance | (0)262 20 20 33 |
| Cyclone warning | (0) 897 65 01 01 |
| Emergency fire service | 18 |
Practical advice
- Office de Tourisme Intercommunal du Nord (Tourist info of the north: Saint-Denis, Sainte-Marie, Sainte-Suzanne)), Maison Carrère, 14 rue de Paris, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 56 65 72.
- Ile de La Réunion Tourisme IRT (Tourist info of the island), Place du 20 Décembre 1848, 97400 Saint-Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 21 00 41, Fax: 262 (0)262 21 00 21. Open: Mon. to Thurs. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- In the Mountain huts Réunions, prior reservation is mandatory.
- Maison de la Montagne (Reservation office for the mountain huts), 5 rue Rontaunay, 97400 St Denis. Tel.: 262 (0)262 90 78 78, Fax: 262 (0)262 41 84 29.
- During the main travel season, reservations are required several weeks in advance, another office of the Maison de la Montagne is located in Cilaos.
- PTT (Main post office), 60, rue du Maréchal Leclerc. Open: Mon. - Dr. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sat.
trips
- Jardin de Cendrillon (Creole gardens: flowers, fruit trees and spices), 48 rue des Palmiers, 97417 La Montagne / Saint Denis (a little southwest of the city on the RD41). Tel.: 262 (0)262 41 83 00. Open: Guided tours Mon. Thurs. and Sat. at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., reservations required. 6.-.
- Le Colorado , High plateau, leisure area with sports facilities (jogging, golf, hiking, mountain biking, picnic areas), approx. Half an hour's drive southwest of the center.
literature
Web links
- Official tourism site for all of Réunion: www.reunion.fr
- Official tourism site for the north of the island: nord.reunion.fr (currently only in French)
