The Guérande salt marshes are part of Loire Atlantique's natural heritage and is worldwide famous for its Fleur de Sel.

This protected natural site covers over 2,000 hectares and uses thousand-year-old production techniques. The salt marsh workers harvest coarse salt and fleur de sel there between June and September. They drag the salt to the edge of the pool and then cart it  away in wheelbarrows. From start to finish the entire production proceeds as in centuries before: by hand.

The colors of the salt marshes have the peculiarity of changing throughout the seasons, the day: from light grey in the morning to purple in the evening through blazing white at noon, they offer a unique spectacle. Their shapes are never the same and bring a real authenticity to this place.

Various bird species live in the marshes, as the black-winged stilts or grey herons.

Here is an overview of the salt marshes from above. Enjoy!

Photos by ©Magali CHESNEL