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| For many people, the Vendéen marshland is represented by sandy beaches and grass-covered dunes, it is however in the marshland itself, inland, that the heart of the area is to be found. |
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Between ocean and land, the Vendéen marshland possesses a remarkable biological diversity. With 45 000ha of water meadows and of polders that are crossed by canals and drained by channels, this former gulf is a must-see. Thanks to the unique micro-climate the fauna and the flora are very special and rare and there is a wide variety of migratory birds, such as the pied avocet or the common shelduck.
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The marshland is regulated by hydraulic systems that enable it to have fresh water, brine or seawater, depending on seasons and tides. Both environment and traditions are preserved in an area where history is still deeply rooted.
Navigating the canals and channels in a skiff (or “yole”), the marsh dwellers were used to living according to the rhythms of the water flooding their land.
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The marsh dwellers lived in thatched cottages (or “bourrines”) that were scattered throughout the marshland. Those fragile houses made from clay, sand and reeds are the last witnesses of the hard daily life of women and men of the Vendéen marshland.
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