Salt marsh

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Presentation

Discover the colour palette of the salt marshes in the north of the Loire-Atlantique department. The Guérande salt marshes are, one might say, white gold in the heart of a mirror-like landscape.
  

The nearest salt marshes are located 15 minutes from Pornic, in the Marais Breton. However, the most famous ones are those of Guérande, less than an hour from our region.

The vast salt marshes and salt pans of the Guérande and Mès basins, set in a huge lagoon, have been used for centuries for the production of sea salt. 
They stretch from Le Pouliguen in the south to Assérac in the north, passing through Guérande.
These salt marshes cover more than 2,000 hectares and span nine municipalities (Guérande, Batz-Sur-Mer, La Turballe, Le Croisic, Le Pouliguen, La Baule, Mesquer, Saint-Molf and Assérac).
They form a unique natural site, recognised as a remarkable heritage site.

This living space was created by human activity. Salt workers harvest the natural product that comes from it: Guérande salt.
They use traditional harvesting methods adapted to this environment, using natural energy and the tides. The salt marshes are thus a veritable open-air mosaic. 
Forming a landscape shaped by man over the centuries and offering a striking geometric aesthetic, this labyrinth of earth and water, where the Atlantic Ocean deposits its salt, is a true masterpiece of natural engineering.

It is all about the balance between :

• the sun, 
• the wind 
• and the ancestral know-how of the salt workers.

The flora and fauna are also very active here. The shallow water allows light to penetrate to the bottom of the pools, warming the clay and promoting the growth of plankton, which is the essential basis of the marsh's food chain.
Among the species present, there are around 180 species of migratory birds that live there.
The marshes also have abundant vegetation. You can find statice, fennel, sea purslane and, above all, the famous glasswort.

The Guérande salt marshes have been listed in the Ramsar Convention since September 1995, together with the Mès salt marshes, on the list of wetlands of international importance, and on the Natura 2000 list of natural sites together with the Croisic traict and the Pen-Bron dunes.

 Three good reasons to explore them:

1. A unique and ever-changing visual spectacle: Depending on the time of day and the weather, the œillets (harvesting basins) are adorned with silver, purple or pink reflections. It is a paradise for photographers, especially at sunset, when the water transforms the marsh into a huge mirror of light.
2. An encounter with an ancient craft: Unlike industrial salt production, Guérande salt is harvested manually, without any chemical treatment. When you visit the salt marshes or the Terre de Sel visitor centre, you will discover the precise movements of the salt worker, using the ‘bouture’ or ‘las’ to harvest fleur de sel and coarse grey salt.
3. Exceptional biodiversity: The marshes are a vital stopover for many protected species. With your binoculars at the ready, you can observe little egrets, elegant avocets and grey herons enjoying this natural and preserved feeding ground.

 To learn more:

• If you want to learn more about the Guérande salt marshes, there's nothing better than a guided walking tour with professionals from Terre de Sel. Keen to share their expertise and help visitors discover the beauty of their workplace, they welcome visitors every day of the year. 
• If you want to learn more about the salt marshes, there are two museums where you can expand your knowledge in this area:

- the Maison des Paludiers de Guérande (salt museum) located in Saillé,
- or the Musée des Marais Salants located in Batz-sur-Mer.

Information

• SITUATION :
  • Saint Nazaire / Peninsula of Guérande

Map