Salt farming ensured the prosperity of the region until the 19th Century, concentrated in the salt marshes of the Ile de Ré and the Marennes-Oléron basin. The draining of the marshes and industrialisation marked the decline of this activity that still exists today through artisan salt farmers.
The salt marshes
The salt marshes have an educational dimension, providing a window onto this ancestral traditional activity. The salt farmers offer visitors the opportunity to discover their savoir-faire and the tools they use, that equally bear witness to the wealth of this heritage. There remain around forty producers on the Ile de Ré and a farm in Saint-Just-Luzac, on the banks of the Seudre, while a salt marsh is coming back to life on the Ile d’Oléron.
The fleur de sel
It is undoubtedly the incontestable quality of its fleur de sel that has made the renown of salt from the Ile de Ré. Fleur de sel is small white crystals, formed at the surface of the water at the mercy of the wind and the sun, that melt deliciously on the tongue. Fleur de sel complements the most delicate dishes highlighting the freshness and natural taste, and also brings out the flavour in many dishes.
The salt marshes
