Saint-Louis, orNdaras it is called inWolof, is the capital ofSenegal'sSaint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of theSenegal River, and 320km north of Senegal's capital cityDakar, Saint-Louis was the capital of the French colony of Senegal from 1673 until 1902 andFrench West Africafrom 1895 until 1902, when the capital was moved to Dakar. From 1920 to 1957 it also served as the capital of the neighboring colony ofMauritania.
Whether coming fromDakaror elsewhere in the country, the sole point of access to central Saint-Louis is the Gustave Eiffel-designed Pont Faidherbe, the impressive metallic structure which has linked N’Dar to the eastern mainland since 1899.