A global emblem of the region, the Marais Salants de Guérande are a unique landscape shaped by man for over a thousand years. The 2,000-hectare site is classified as a «Grand Site de France».
The age-old work of the salt worker
There are no machines here. The paludier uses ancestral tools and precise gestures to harvest the salt. Playing with the tides, sun and wind, he circulates the ocean water from basin to basin until it crystallises. It's this natural alchemy that gives Guérande salt its exceptional quality.
Terre de Sel: understanding alchemy
To find out all about this fascinating profession, a visit to Terre de Sel (Pradel) is a must. Specialist guides will take you to the salt works to explain how the carnations work and let you taste the famous Fleur de Sel, the precious salt with hints of violets that crystallises on the surface of the water.
An exceptional biological heritage
Salt marshes don't just produce salt; they are also an incredible larder for migratory birds. Avocets, little egrets and shelducks find refuge here. It's a fragile and magnificent ecosystem, changing colour with the hours and the seasons, from silvery blue to powder pink.
