Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée des Marais salants was founded in 1887 by Adèle Pichon, taking advantage of the rise of seaside tourism. It is one of the first museums of popular art and tradition in Brittany, focusing on the preservation of local know-how, especially those related to salt exploitation. Its collections, made up at the end of the 19th century, include ethnographic objects, technical models, archives and photographs, illustrating 2000 years of history of the salt marshes of Guérande.

The museum was acquired and reopened in 1984 by the Inter-Communal Union (Sivom) of the Bavarian Region and was managed by the GEVRED association. In 2006, its management was taken over directly by CAP Atlantic. The museum addresses a variety of topics: salt history, life of paluders, local handicrafts (shells, textiles), and maritime heritage, with educational tools such as tactile models and audiovisuals.

The museum also maintains specialized collections such as 10,000 photographs of salt marshes, customs uniforms linked to salt tax (1806-1945), and traditional musical instruments such as widowhood. Its permanent exhibition, with 1,500 objects, documents and films, highlights the human and technical adventure around salt, from antiquity to today. Educational games allow you to understand the work of paluders and the functioning of saline.

Labeled "Musée de France", it is located at 29bis rue Pasteur in Batz-sur-Mer, Loire-Atlantique. Its role goes beyond mere conservation: it values a living heritage, combining local history, natural sciences (ornithology, malacology) and popular traditions, while addressing a diverse public, including the visually impaired, through appropriate devices.

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