Culture Loisirs Orvault

Culture Loisirs Orvault, commonly known as CLO, is a French community leisure and cultural association based in Orvault, a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department within the Nantes metropolitan area. The organisation runs a broad programme of recreational and educational activities for adults and children, including language courses (German, English, Spanish, Italian), creative arts (floral art, embroidery, sewing, upholstery and tapestry), dance (classical, modern jazz, hip hop, Zumba), wellness and body practices (gentle and toning gym, Pilates, stretching, Nia, sophrology, yoga, Mouv'en corps), music awakening, theatre for children, and local history. It publishes an annual activity guide and registration forms for adults and children, and its activities are led by volunteer or appointed activity leaders whom participants contact directly. A distinctive part of CLO is its Histoire locale (local history) section, known as CLO Histoire. Active for more than fifty years, the section works to preserve, share and transmit the memory of Orvault. Since its creation in 1972 it has published nineteen books, including the "Découvrir Orvault" topoguide series for walking discovery of the commune's small heritage, "Orvault, d'hier à aujourd'hui", "Petit dictionnaire d'Orvault" and "Châteaux et Châtelains". The section takes part in heritage days, Christmas strolls and school interventions, and maintains a particular link with Orvault's municipal library network, speaking to CM1 classes each year about schooling in Orvault in the last century. CLO Histoire books are sold at the CLO office on Thursdays and through various press and retail points in and around Orvault, including Leclerc Orvault Grand Val, Auchan Saint-Herblain, SPAR Orvault bourg and several local tabac-presse outlets. Out-of-print titles are available in digital form on a USB key. The section meets monthly at the Maison de la Carrière and can be contacted by email. The organisation is a local, non-profit-style community association rather than a commercial company, but it operates as a recognised local brand for leisure, culture and heritage in Orvault. Its website serves as the main information hub, listing activities, schedules, registration procedures and publications.

Culture Loisirs Orvault (CLO) is a community leisure and cultural association based in Orvault, a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department of western France, within the Nantes metropolitan area. Its local history section, CLO Histoire, was created in 1972, and the association has since grown into a broad provider of recreational and educational activities for residents of Orvault and surrounding areas. For more than fifty years, the Histoire locale section has worked to preserve, make available and transmit the memory of Orvault. Since its creation in 1972, the section has published nineteen books. Its publications include the "Découvrir Orvault" series of topoguides for walking discovery of the commune's small heritage; the second volume, "De la Cholière au Bois Saint Louis en passant par le Petit Chantilly", is the second of a planned series of four. Other titles include "Orvault, d'hier à aujourd'hui", "Communauté rurale aux portes de la ville", "Petit dictionnaire d'Orvault", "Petites histoires d'un gamin d'Orvault", "Orvault 1980 : année du patrimoine", "Chronique orvaltaise", "Nouveaux documents pour une histoire d'Orvault", "Le Bois Raguenet", "Orvault dans l'agglomération nantaise", "Carnet balade des Anges", "Une église centenaire" and "Châteaux et Châtelains". Out-of-print titles are available in digital form on a USB key. The history section is active in the community: it participates in heritage days (journées du patrimoine) and Christmas strolls (flâneries de Noël), projects slideshows at the Ormedo media library, and has a particular link with the municipal library network, intervening each year in several CM1 classes to talk about schooling in Orvault in the last century. It meets monthly at the Maison de la Carrière and can be contacted by email. Books are sold at the CLO office on Thursdays from 10:30 to 12:00 and through various points of sale, including Leclerc Orvault Grand Val, Auchan Saint-Herblain, SPAR Orvault bourg, and several local tabac-presse outlets. Beyond history, CLO offers a wide range of activities. Its website lists creative leisure activities (floral art, embroidery, sewing, upholstery and tapestry), fitness and wellness (gentle gym, toning gym, Pilates, stretching, Nia, sophrology, yoga, Mouv'en corps, Zumba), arts (theatre, music awakening), dance (classical for children, modern jazz for children and adults, hip hop, Zumba), languages (German, English, Spanish, Italian), and discovery activities (wine discovery, local history). The association publishes an annual activity guide and registration forms for adults and children, and participants contact activity leaders directly to register. As of the 2026/2027 season, new activities include Mouv'en corps, gentle gym, gentle Zumba and monthly embroidery workshops. CLO operates as a local non-profit association rather than a commercial company, but it functions as a recognised local brand for leisure, culture and heritage in Orvault. Its website, clorvault.org, is the main hub for information, schedules and publications.

• 2026

  Publication of the 19th book by CLO Histoire, "Découvrir Orvault N°2".

• 2026

  CLO Histoire participates in the 2026 journées du matrimoine et du patrimoine at the Château de la Tour.

• 2026

  New activities introduced for the 2026/2027 season: Mouv'en corps, gentle gym, gentle Zumba, monthly embroidery workshops.

• 1972

  Creation of the CLO Histoire section.

Local community leisure and cultural association offering affordable, volunteer-led activities and heritage publishing for residents of Orvault and the Nantes area.

• Découvrir Orvault N°2

  Second of a series of four topoguides for walking discovery of Orvault's small heritage, covering the Cholière to Bois Saint-Louis area via Petit Chantilly.

• Découvrir Orvault N°1

  First topoguide in the series, covering La Bugallière and surrounding neighbourhoods.

• Orvault, d'hier à aujourd'hui

  Book on the history of Orvault from past to present.

• Petit dictionnaire d'Orvault

  A small dictionary of Orvault.

• Châteaux et Châtelains

  Book on castles and castle owners.

1. 1clorvault – Culture | Loisirs | Orvaultclorvault.org
2. 2CLO Histoire – clorvaultclorvault.org
3. 3Histoire locale – clorvaultclorvault.org
4. 4Wikidata Q107353299wikidata.org