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The salt marshes
Experience
The Ile de Ré is covered by almost 400 hectares of salt marshes. They are an integral part of the island's history, traditions and landscape.
A heritage of flavour and biodiversity.
Although the Vendée monks on the Île de Ré began working the salt marshes in the 12th century, it was not until the 19th century that salt production reached its peak. The salt marshes are part of the heritage of the Ré region, where around a hundred salt workers still work. They are also home to an exceptional biodiversity, which you can discover on foot or by bik
In the 19th century, there were over 1,000 salt producers on the Île de Ré, but today there are just a hundred or so. Today's salt producers, known as sauniers on the Île de Ré, perpetuate age-old techniques, as the operation of a salt marsh has remained virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages.
From March until the end of November, the Ecomuseum will be showing you the history of salt production and the techniques used to produce it. The exhibition is followed by a guided tour of a working salt marsh, showing how it works, the route taken by the water from the sea to crystallisation, and the tools and methods used in the centuries-old trade of salt-making.
22min BY bike from le phare
île de ré
