Geographic & Historic Facts
A work crafted by human hands:
To the west of the Loire-Atlantique, over the centuries, man and the ocean have shaped the Guérande peninsula to make it the most northerly salt marshes in Europe. The salt marshes are not a natural territory; it is a territory that has been entirely built by hand and has over 1500 years of history.
They cover more than 2600 hectares and 9 different municipalities on clayey soil forming a true "marine meadow". Saved from the teeth of excavators and the hands of developers in the 1970s. Today, a large part has been restored and is operated by nearly 400 salt workers. Tradition has stood the test of time, preserving the harvesting techniques adapted to this specific environment.
Using the tide game, resorting to 3 types of basins, daily harvest in a wet environment, absence of mechanization, human scale of operations... The salt marshes of Guérande are divided into a mosaic of basins separated by clay dikes and watered by canals.
The peninsula is protected by an imposing system of dikes that requires constant maintenance by the salt workers to prevent the submersion of the land at high tide. Because yes, the marshes are below sea level! There are also dunes, freshwater or brackish marshes, and large expanses of mud called traict.
It is a very diverse aquatic environment with different levels of salinity that favor the presence of a very varied flora and fauna. Nearly 180 species of birds can be observed: elegant avocet, white stilt, anatids and waders depending on the seasons.
On the outskirts of the salt marshes, freshwater or brackish basins are paradises for toads, frogs, ducks, and newts.Salt production dates back to the Gallo-Roman period and salt workers perpetuate today this know-how identical for 1,000 years.
Their work perpetuates the natural balance and architectural quality of the site. Guérande salt is much more than just "salt", it is the promise that agriculture and biodiversity can coexist and help each other.
THE GUÉRANDE SALT:
It is in the water but it fears the water,
It is reborn in the sun and the wind.
It costs almost nothing,
But is worth more than gold.
FRUIT OF THE RICHNESS OF THE OCEAN OF THE WORK OF THE SALT WORKER AND THE SUN.
The salt marshes of Guérande have major ecological interest, they are recognized and protected by French and international laws, they have been listed as a Natural Area of Ecological, Floristic and Faunistic Interest by the French State since 1991. They are recognized as a wetland of major importance in France since 1994 and are included in wetlands of international importance under the RAMSAR Convention since 1979. And have joined the European Natura 2000 network.
Since 1996 they have been one of the 100 Remarkable Taste Sites in France!