| Guerande | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  France |
|---|---|
| Area | 81,44 km² |
| Population | 16 107 hab. () |
| Density | 197,78 inhab./km² |
| Postal code | 44350 |
| Tourist information office | |
| Location | |
 47 ° 19 ′ 41 ″ N 2 ° 25 ′ 45 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
Guerande is a French commune, capital of canton, located in the Loire-Atlantique department in the Pays de la Loire region (but attached to historic Brittany).
City and Country of Art and History since 2004, Guérande is renowned for its medieval city. It is one of the rare cities to have preserved its fortified ramparts in their entirety. Guérande is also the Salt Marshes and its famous salt, fleur de sel.
Understand
In the Middle Ages, Guérande was the main town of one of the domains of the Dukes of Brittany which extended over the entire Guérande peninsula. Its strategic position, at the top of a hill, allows it to ensure the surveillance of the Atlantic Ocean and the protection of the salt marshes. The city is experiencing a golden age with the last Dukes of Brittany who endowed it with its powerful ramparts. It preserves the charm, the picturesque and an exceptional heritage which made the illustrious Balzac write that "one of the towns where the physiognomy of feudal centuries is most correctly found is Guérande".
Guérande is attached to historic Brittany. Its name comes from Breton "Gwenrann"which can mean"white country" in the sense of "sacred"and not in connection with the salt of the salt marshes of Guérande. But one often opposes the White Country, that of Guérande and its salt, with the Black Country, that of the Brière marshes and its peat.
To go
By plane
The airport Nantes-Atlantique is connected to the main cities of France and the world. To reach Guérande then, take either the car (Nantes-Guérande: 1 h distance) or the train.
On a boat
Guérande cannot be connected by sea. However, shuttles exist between La Turballe and several Breton islands.
By train
- The Guérandaise Peninsula is served by a line TGV coming from Paris and passing through Saint-Nazaire, Pornichet, La Baule-Escoublac, Le Pouliguen and Le Croisic. It is necessary to count 3 h journey time from Gare Montparnasse. The closest stop to Guérande is either La Baule-Escoublac or Pouliguen. 3 TGV direct per day in winter and 5 in summer.
Reservations: 33 8 36 35 35 35Reception / luggage (La Baule station): 33 2 51 76 34 36
- Another solution: Métrocéane is a transport ticket that gives access to trains (Nantes and Le Croisic, Nantes-Pornic, and Nantes-Machecoul), to the TAN and STRAN urban networks in Nantes and Saint Nazaire, to regional coaches and to the entire LILA departmental network. [1]
By bus
The Loire Atlantique General Council and the Lila bus network offer 45 regular bus lines that serve the entire Guérande peninsula. The single price is 2 € and you can thus travel throughout the Loire Atlantique department. This network is also linked to the Nantes and Saint-Nazaire networks.
To consult the schedules of the Lila network [2]
By car
Highway:
Expressway:
- N171 - Nantes, Saint Nazaire
Circulate
By car
By public transport
The Loire Atlantique General Council and the Lila bus network offer 45 regular bus lines that serve the entire Guérande peninsula. The single price is 2 € and you can thus travel throughout the Loire Atlantique department. This network is also linked to the Nantes and Saint-Nazaire networks.
To consult the schedules of the Lila network [3]
By taxi
- Allo Taxi Colombel Christian P1 Place du Marhallé,
33 2 51 10 22 46, 33 6 07 28 51 91 - Avocet Taxi P2 Place du Marhallé, 33 6 09 70 04 73, fax : 33 2 40 45 67 86
- Océane Taxi Rue des Guérèts - Villejames business park, 33 2 40 23 88 74, 33 6 98 06 58 98
See
- The medieval city of Guérande
The walls (XVe ‑ XVIe century)
Guérande is one of the rare medieval Breton towns to have preserved its ramparts in their entirety. With a length of 1 434 m, they completely surround the Old Town. These ramparts are pierced with 4 doors, the main one being the Porte Saint-Michel (XVe ‑ XVIe century) which is the main gateway to the city. Built under the initiative of Jean de Montfort during the war of succession in Brittany, the ramparts have survived the vicissitudes of the centuries which followed its construction.
Access to the ramparts is either from the Guérande tourist office via a guided tour, or from the Porte Saint-Michel museum. The 1 434 m ramparts also offer a good idea for a walk.
The Saint-Aubin collegiate church (XVIe ‑ XVIIe century)
Right in the center of the medieval city stands the Saint-Aubin collegiate church (16th-17th century). A reminder of the past, this building reminds visitors that the city was an important religious center in the Middle Ages. Indeed, the seniority of the college of canons in charge of the collegiate church has given it such prestige in the past that it was considered the second seat of episcopal power in the diocese of Nantes.
Access to the interior of the collegiate church is free. The Guérande tourist office offers guided tours to get to the top of the spire on the west facade.
- The villages of Guérande
Guérande is also 23 villages with their own identity and heritage. Whether it is Clis, dating from Roman times, or even Saillé, a salt-working village located in the heart of the Salt Marshes, to visit each of them is to immerse yourself in a unique atmosphere each time.
The Guérande tourist office offers several themed guided tours for certain villages such as Clis.
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Between land and sea, the salt marshes of the country of Guérande cover almost 2,000 hectares. They constitute an unusual landscape where the alchemy of the elements combines each season with the work of salt workers to produce the summer miracle: the crystallization of salt. A veritable labyrinth of earth and water, the saltworks have been entirely shaped by the hand of man for more than 1,500 years. Each year, we harvest on average 10,000 tons coarse salt for 200 to 300 tons of this delicate white salt: fleur de sel. Several structures and guides-salt workers offer tours of the saltworks. More details in the "Do" section.
The Guérande peninsula contains a second marsh, freshwater this time: it is the Marais de Brière. It is a landscape colonized by reeds where countless islets emerge. The men of this country, the "Brierons", have developed a culture and a way of life closely linked to their environment. It is in the Marais de Brière that one admires the magnificent thatched-roof houses. Various tours and excursions through the Marais de Brière are offered to visitors. See in the "Do" section. |
Make
The list of things to do in Guérande and the Presqu'île can be consulted on the digital brochures of the Guérande tourist office [4]
- Museums and guided tours
Visit the medieval city: The Guérande tourist office and the town's heritage service offer guided tours of the medieval town. Several themes are offered in order to discover all the riches of the city in a different way. The timetables, themes and prices are available on the website of the Guérande tourist office [5]
- Guérande Tourist Office 1, Place du Marché au Bois, 33 820 150 044, email: [email protected]
Visit the Salt Marshes: Several structures offer to visit working saltworks. The guides, often themselves salt workers, make visitors discover how the salt works as well as the different techniques that allow the salt to be harvested.
Please note: The salt marshes of the Salt Marshes are private property (just like a wheat field, for example). It is forbidden to enter the saltworks unless you have the permission of the salt worker or if you are on a guided tour.
- The House of Salt workers 18, rue des Prés Garnier, 33 2 40 23 82 79, email: [email protected] – associative ecomuseum
- Land of Salt (Salt Marshes Route) Pradel street, 33 2 40 62 08 80, email: [email protected]
- The Pen Bron mulon Pen Bron Road, 33 2 40 15 64 28, email: [email protected]
Visit the Brière marsh: The Brière marshes are not the same as the salt marshes. Several ways of discovering them are available to visitors but the visit in "barge"(boat) is the most natural way to explore these landscapes.
- The Briéronne arch Port of Bréca - 44 410 Saint-Lyphard, 33 2 40 91 33 97
- Crusson boats The new road - 44 117 Saint-André-des-Eaux, 33 2 40 01 24 64
- Mahé Anthony boats Port of the Chaussée Neuve - 44 117 Saint-André-des-Eaux
- Moyon Jean boats Fedrun Island - 44 720 Saint-Joachim
- Brière escape Port de la Pierre Fendue - 44 410 Saint-Lyphard, 33 2 40 91 41 96, email: [email protected] – visit by boat or carriage, rental of boats.
- At Chantal and Jacky 3, Île de Fédrun - 44 720 Saint-Joachim
- Briéronne fauna 356 Port de bréca - 44 410 Saint-Lyphard, email: [email protected] – visit by boat or carriage, rental of boats.
- The den 80, island of Fédrun - 44 720 Saint-Joachim
Discover the history of the region: Several museums and places to visit allow visitors to understand the history of Guérande and its region through museums, exhibitions and much more.
- Porte Saint-Michel museum Saint-Michel gate, 33 2 28 55 05 05
- Doll museum 23, rue de Saillé, 33 2 40 15 69 13
- Salt Marshes Museum 29 bis, rue Pasteur - 44 740 Batz-sur-Mer, 33 2 40 23 82 79 – history of the Salt Marshes.
- Grand Blockhaus Museum Route de la côte Sauvage - 44 740 Batz-sur-Mer, 33 2 40 23 88 29 – history of the "pocket of Saint-Nazaire »
- Museum of the House of Fishing Port de la Turballe - 44 420 La Turballe
Housing
Guérande and its surroundings offer many forms of accommodation and this for the prices.
Hotel
Outdoor hotellerie
Guest rooms
Guest houses
Eat
Local specialties
The good addresses
Buy
The medieval city is full of small shops where you can buy typical products of the Guérande peninsula, including products revolving around the production of salt (coarse salt, fleur de sel, salted butter caramels, etc ... ).
Guérande organizes 2 markets per week which both take place in the medieval city at the foot of the collegiate church and in the Halles:
- The small market on Wednesday
- The big market on Saturday
The fish market takes place every day except Monday and Thursday.
The Villejames business area outside the city is the main location for supermarkets.
Have a drink / Go out
Events & festivals
- April May: Theatrical spring
- May: The night of museums, The medieval festival of Guérande [6]
- June: heritage days, the music festival
- July: The White Lands Festival [7]
- August: The Celts of Guérande [8]
- September: Art through the chapels, European Heritage Days
- October: The flavors of October [9]
- November: The book festival in Brittany [10]
- December: Christmas festivities
Complete agenda of outings and activities [11]
Bars
Many bars and cafes can be found in the medieval city. However, be careful of the opening hours.
Nightclub
There is only one nightclub in Guérande
- The Garden: Route de Congor - 44 350 Guérande [12]
Learn
- 1 Athanor Cultural Center 2, avenue Anne de Bretagne, 33 2 40 24 73 30, email: [email protected]
- Samuel Beckett Media Library 2, avenue Anne de Bretagne (in the Athanor cultural center), 33 2 40 24 75 91
- Cyber center 22, faubourg Saint-Michel, 33 2 40 15 64 16, email: [email protected]
- Municipal Music School BP 5219, 33 2 40 24 72 55
- Lobelia Workshop (art workshop - Ceramics) 2 route de la Turballe - 44 350 Saint-Molf, 33 2 40 62 59 59
security
- Firefighters 18, boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 18
- Gendarmerie 3, boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 33 2 40 24 90 42
Respect
The Salt Marshes is a fragile area that should be preserved. Certain rules must be respected to leave these landscapes and ecosystems intact:
- Do not deposit garbage or cigarette butts.
- Do not pull up plants or pick flowers.
- Do not disturb the birds.
- Keep dogs on a leash.
- Do not go down on the saline.
Likewise, the coasts have equally fragile vegetation. The humus that covers the edges of rocky coasts is very sensitive to trampling and once it has disappeared, it takes a long time to recover. To preserve these fragile landscapes, it is strongly recommended not to cross the demarcation lines along the coasts when they are present.
