La Seyne-sur-Mer

La Seyne-sur-Mer, or La Seyne is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is part of the agglomeration of Toulon, and is situated adjacent to the west of this city.

Economy

It owed its importance to the shipbuilding trade, the Société des Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranée having here one of the finest shipbuilding yards in Europe (it is a branch of the larger establishment at Marseille), which gave employment to about 3,000 workers.

In recent years the town has moved from its traditional industries to tourism. The docks previously used have had extensive work and now comprise a park, marinas and a new (2010) hotel overloooking Toulon and the marinas.

The population is diverse in origins and the outer suburbs are undergoing a transformation with old multi storey apartments being replaced with modern developments. La Seyne has a railway station, Gare de La Seyne-Six-Fours, on the line from Toulon to Marseille.

Iraq's "Osiris class" nuclear reactors, later destroyed by Israel in Operation Opera, were built in La Seyne-sur-Mer.

Seyne

Seyne is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, and in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in southeastern France. It is around 30 km north of Digne.

The official name of the municipality, as listed by the INSEE official geographic code, is Seyne. However, it is known at the local level as Seyne-les-Alpes, hitherto not endorsed by a decree. It is not to be confused with the town of La Seyne-sur-Mer which is the second town in the Var department.

The name of its inhabitants is Seynois. More rarely today, it also uses Seynards and Seynardes locally.

Seyne has received the label of a village and town of character.

Geography

Geology and landforms

The village is situated at an altitude 1,260 metres (4,130 ft). The valley bottoms with deep soil and cut hedges in the Seyne Valley are nicknamed the Swiss Provençal.

Hydrography

It is crossed by the Blanche, a tributary of the Durance.

Communication and transport

Seyne is accessible by the departmental road RD 900, between Le Lauzet-Ubaye in the north, and Digne in the south. The nearest SNCF railway station is the Gare de Digne.