The Lyarne marsh

The Marais de Lyarne at Moutiers-en-Retz, located in the heart of the Marais Breton, is a mosaic of natural environments recognised as being of international importance.

This site, classified as a Sensitive Natural Area, is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Discover its many facets on pleasant walks!

A diversity of natural environments:
The Lyarne marshes offer a wide variety of natural environments: former salt pans, wet ditches, pioneer salt meadow vegetation, dunes and brackish reed beds. Its proximity to the Baie de Bourgneuf makes it an essential shelter and feeding area for birds, both during the breeding season and in winter.

What can you see in the Lyarne marsh?

 A fascinating history:
Originally, the Marais Breton was part of an ancient bay, the Baie de Bretagne, now known as the Baie de Bourgneuf. Gradually covered by the ocean, this bay was made up of several islands. Only the island of Noirmoutier is still surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, under the impetus of the Benedictine monks, the first salt works were dug. In this way, they structured and began to market salt. Useful for preserving foodstuffs, salt made the reputation and wealth of the marshes from the Middle Ages to the 18th century: at the time, this area was the largest producer of ‘white gold’ salt in France.

Today, the marsh is a tangle of canals, salt marshes and wet meadows. Oyster farming and tourism have been added to the economic activities already present.

 Did you know?
Since 2 February 2017, the Natura 2000 site ‘Marais breton, baie de Bourgneuf, île de Noirmoutier et forêt de Monts’ has been awarded the Ramsar label. This label recognises the ecological, social and cultural wealth of this exceptional wetland.