Vallon de Versannes

  • Vallon de Versannes

Presentation

The Vallon de Versannes is a 3 hectare basin partly owned by the Loire Atlantique departmental council as part of sensitive natural areas.
Perched on a seafront hillside, the Vallon de Versannes has been reclaimed by spontaneous vegetation since farming practices in the area were abandoned.

In the past, Versannes was a wine-growing hillside. Sailors used to make their wine here and take it to sea. Then this farming activity ceased.
The site remained derelict until the mid-1970s, when sheds gradually sprang up.
The Department of Loire-Atlantique first acquired the land in the 1980s.

Covering an area of around 3.5 hectares, the Versannes valley site is also known as the "hell hole" (a nickname coined because a large fault, now filled in, used to fill with water at high tide).
The landscape of the site is marked by the return of varied vegetation.

All the evolutionary phases of the coastal landscape can be found on the site:
  • from the initial grassland stage,
  • to mesophilic hay meadows,
  • via a pre-forest stage of thickets,
  • to a mixed woodland of holm oak and pedunculate oak.

The usual flora of these habitats can be found here.

It is also worth noting the presence of a number of species that are rare in the département, and very rare at national level, such as :
  • sea fennel
  • prickly couch grass
  • scorpionwort.

In the grassland areas, the puff orchid adds a pinkish hue in spring, while the autumn spiretta marks the end of summer.

At the far end of the site, from the cliff overlooking the Crève-Cœur and Boutinardière beaches, you can see the typical landscape of the Côte de Jade with its fisheries... and the large numbers of fishermen on foot during high tides.

From this vantage point, you can also spot seabirds such as :
  • herring gulls
  • the brown gull
  • black-headed gulls
  • and common terns.
Information
  • VISITS :
    • Individual admission (without guide)
    • Group admission (without guide)
  • PETS :
    • Pets allowed
    • Pets only on leash
  • Geographical zone :
    • La Bernerie-en-Retz

Map

Map

FICHE_INFO_SIMPLE_LIBELLE_DESTINATION
Vallon de Versannes
Chemin des Douets
44760
LA BERNERIE EN RETZ
GPS coordinates
Latitude : 47.09163
Longitude : -2.05132
Contact details
Vallon de Versannes
Chemin des Douets
44760
LA BERNERIE EN RETZ