When I say France, the first thought that comes to me is exploring. What inspires me is when the country is unique and culturally rich. Wherever I am, I love to explore, see, and experience the most exciting parts of the place.
While we were in Saint- Nazaire (read my previous story here), I wanted to explore more, see the surroundings, and taste the food in this part of the country.
And one area caught my eye, called Guerande. Guerande possesses a lot of treasures such as Celtic Salt that we are using in everyday nutrition and medieval city from mainly the 15th century. How excited I was to see the old fortress, to taste the most famous Celtic salt and food of a Loire-Atlantique area.
Morning of Excitement
Every time I plan to go on my little adventure, I am excited, like it is my first time going somewhere. I must admit that situation is strange because even if I am 41, I can be excited about these little experiences.
Those kinds of mornings are something special for me. I feel open to imagining things and experiencing beautiful feelings.
Ride to the LE GUÉRANDAIS
Family breakfast is always magical. I was playing with Sophie (my 2-years old daughter) and enjoying the feeling of excitement when I am going to discover something new.
After a long family morning, it was time to go up north. It took us around 20 minutes to reach the area, which is very close. Sophie slept during the trip, which was the perfect time to nap.
Famous Celtic Salt from Guerande
We parked, and salt marshes surrounded us. It looked beautiful. For me, it was magic. So a beautiful view that reminds me of a vast Bolivian desert covered with salt. We could see the soil’s geometric shapes and imagine what harvest should look like.
How did they get the most famous salt
#1
You need to follow the water to see and understand how it works. The Atlantic Ocean enters through the system of canals a flow to the deepest part of Guerande, where the basins are. The concentration of the salt is 25g/l.
#2
The worker needs high tides to work. During high tide, he opens the hatch and fills his mudflat with seawater, and that is the place where particles will settle.
#3
Concentrated water flows a small amount all the time, and it passes to basins and makes the supply of salt, from where it is harvested carnations.
#4
In the carnations, salt concertation rise between 250g/l and 280g/l. It’s a skill to manage water in different basins to compensate for what has evaporated daily.
The Flower of Salt – The Fleur de Sel
The flower of salt is known as very showy crystals with a light taste of violet. It is used for delicate dishes, main courses, and desserts.
Usually, it’s harvested at the end of a dry afternoon with specific tools, the flower louse. It is vital to have mixed weather conditions, like the sun and the wind, to make it dry to form a crystal film.
Coarse Sea Salt from Guérande
Coarse sea salt from Guerande is renowned for being naturally grey and used extensively in kitchens worldwide. During the crystallization, salt comes into contact with clay, which is how it becomes grey. It is less salty but rich in aroma. It’s used extensively for vegetable cooking, grilling, and cooking in a salt crust.
This salt is harvested every day during the summer season. The salt worker pushes salt to the basin’s edges using the old wooden tool with a long handle called las.
A Little Bit of History of Guarande Salt
It’s been harvested from the Iron Age. And first storage of this white gold was used in the 3rd century. The most critical time for salt marshes was when the monks of the Abbey of Landevennec created maps and plans and discovered the benefits of tides, sun, and wind in this area in 945.
Harvest technique that people use dates today back to the 9th century. It was great to see such a long tradition that we sometimes forget to respect and admire.
Time to Discover Medieval City
Sophie slept most of the time in the Guarande salt museum, which was good. We had time to see more of it. She was excited to see new things when she woke up, especially a tiny shop full of different types of salt in attractive packages.
Guarande salt was maybe 5-7 minutes far from the fortress. That was good because we got starving 😊 . What I loved about this trip was the smell of the countryside and the view of old houses made in the Mediterranean style.
Medieval City Guarande
How will you meet the city and culture rather than trying traditional dishes? I love delicious and diverse food and am always ready to try new things.
We visited ‘Café du Centre’s and tried a few things from the daily menu, such as ‘Rillettes de Poisson Maison,’ Calamars Crème Chorizo, and Bulots (French snails), and we matched seafood with Chablis.
Rillettes is a type of rustic pate, less smooth. It is meat chopped or shredded, cooked in its fat. The one we tried was made from fish. It was delicious, and snails that I tried it for the first time. You see… we are never old enough to try new things.
Magical City
Guerande is a charming and magical small city settled as a part of Loire valley, very close to the ocean. Walking through this romantic medieval city, you can imagine stories with knights and Queen Anne of Brittany. I was surrounded by flowers, small handicraft shops, creperies, and tiny cute cafes.
Of course, we stopped for ice cream and bought a few family presents. The best thing to do is to walk and observe the surroundings.
What Not To Miss to See in the City Guarande
- Saint Michael’s Gate – 2 towers built in 1450. It was listed as a historic monument in 1877
- The Chapel of Notre – Dame – la Blanche – is one of the oldest buildings in this area, dating from the 13th century.
- Church Saint-Aubin – Romanesque church built in gothic style from 1342
- The Porte – Calon mansion – dating from the 15th century
- The Devil’s Mill is located on the town’s highest level. It was built in the 15th century
- Careil Castle was built in the 14th century in the renaissance style.
Extraordinary day
This day was an entire field with exciting information about things I don’t think about every day. It was great food for the brain but emotions too. A whole day spent with family, in the sun, surrounded by natural beauties and historical monument, feed our soul and gives us energy.
Please let me know if you need more details about this trip. More information about the historic part of this city you can find here.
USEFUL LINKS
- More Recipes with Guerandais salt
- Products
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