Étier de la Taillée et ancien port de Bourgneuf

The "étier de la Taillée" (an arm of the sea), located near the old port, bears witness to the town's prestigious past. Built from the 12th century onwards, the village of "Bourg Neuf" quickly became larger than the first parish of the commune of Saint-Cyr-en-Retz.

The Bourgneuf salt marshes

The gradual silting up of the Gulf of Machecoul made it necessary to move closer to the sea in order to continue trading goods with northern countries such as Scotland, Holland and Belgium. At the time, the former "Baye de Bretagne" was better known for its salt trade than its rival Guérande.

In 1725, there were still 437 boats leaving the Port of Bourgneuf, each filled with between 4 and 500 barrels.
The salt harvested from the 1,300 hectares of salt marshes was brought upstream via the surrounding "étiers", using small wooden boats known as "chattes". The salt is transported by sea throughout the Pays de Retz and the rest of Europe.
At the time, the Étier de la Taillée was 60 metres wide and 4 metres deep.

Around this district, you will also find street names evocative of the past: rue des marins, rue du Bon Port, rue de la Corderie, etc.

The gradual silting-up of the Baie de Bourgneuf, the Vendée wars and the French Revolution all had an impact on this prestigious past.


The little extra :


This site can be discovered by following the town's interpretation trail. This historic urban tour of Bourgneuf-en-Retz, the booklet of which is available free of charge from the Tourist Office, can also be downloaded from the relevant page. It tells the story of the birth of the "Bourg Neuf".
Don't hesitate to visit La Savonnerie de Marcel, located nearby in an old salt works. Guided tours of this traditional soap factory are organised from time to time and can be booked online on the Destination Pornic website.