Pink flamingos and salt while you bike

9 points of interest

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  Patrimony and history

  The Tourvieille (or the Tourvieille or the Tanpan tower)

  In the 15th century, the city was authorized by King René to build a defense tower (1614) at the main Rhone estuary at the time. Less than 50 years later, too far from river estuary, the tower became unnecessary. There are only a few remains visible in the heart of a terroir, where salty vegetation dominates as far as the eye can see. This building was listed as a historic monument in 1933 and integrated into the heritage of the littoral conservatory in 2008, which plans to preserve and enhance it.

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  Flora

  Glasswort

  Glasswort is a halophilic plant (magnet salt) that is a sansouïre feature. The leaves are replaced by small segments nested in each other Those extremities store the excess salt and the plant gets rid of it periodically. This plant also recovers rainwater that it stores in its fleshy parts to lower the salt concentration in its tissues. Annual species are edible: stems harvested in spring are crisp and salty.

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  Fauna

  Migratory Birds

  Thanks to its tranquillity and food resources, the Camargue is a travel hub for migratory birds. Two great seasons punctuate the year. September sees trans-Saharan migrants arriving from northern and eastern Europe preparing for their journey to Africa. They are joined soon after by the ducks and the thousands of sparrows who will stay in the marshes for the winter. At the same time, sedentary species, such as the flamingo, fled from Camargue to warmer regions.

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  Panorama

  Salt marshes

  Salt marshes are landscaped ponds in order to allow the concentration of water in sodium chloride. From this sodium chloride, companies manufacture the caustic soda necessary for the manufacture of Marseille soap. These marshes, because of their size and their richness in invertebrates, are areas appreciated by the birds, in particular by the pink flamingo which finds abundant food there and spends most of its time there.

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  Fauna

  The Little Egret

  The Little Egret is one of the most famous birds in the Camargue. White plumage, black legs and yellowish fingers make it easily identifiable. In nuptial plumage, the neck of adults is adorned with two hoopoes about twenty centimeters and their back long silky feathers very thin with separate beards. Today widespread in the southern half of Europe, this species was on the verge of extinction in the early twentieth century, hunted for its feathers that decorated the hats.

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  Patrimony and history

  The old hospital

  Ernest Solvay was a social precursor, he integrated a system of social security. As a result, workers at Solvay benefited from health and social protection. Ernest Solvay's hygienist project is reflected in the landscape by equipment such as the hospital and bath-showers. A doctor and a midwife were hired. In addition, a pharmacy was developed and social funds were proposed. The social adventure of the Solvay factory is associated with its industrial history.

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  Patrimony and history

  The salt history

  The salt exploitation dates back to antiquity but took an industrial turn in the 19th century. with the installation of the Péchiney factory whose first production was that of soda. A supply of sea salt being necessary, Henri Merle, began the creation of the exploitation of Salin-de-Giraud. The development of chlorine and soda requirements led to the growth of the farm. Today, the company that operates the site is the Salins du Midi.

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  Patrimony and history

  Salt

  In Camargue, the salt is very widely present in the soil. The proximity of the sea and the nature of flat and very clay soils favor the extraction of sea salt by evaporation of water. It is cultivated and harvested at the end of the summer on immense expanses, called "salins", under the combined effect of sun and wind. The white gold is then raised in long mounds of ten meters high, called camels, then washed, drained, ground, conditioned, and shipped.

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  Panorama

  Salt perspective on salt marshes

  A unique point of view on the Giraud salt which covers 6000 ha and produces about 450 000 tons of salt every year. Between June and September, large plots filled with water of a beautiful pearly pink sparkling in the sun appear. The pink colour of the salty table water comes from a microscopic seaweed living in the Mediterranean. On the left, we see the "camels", salt hills of more than 10 m high. The salt of Giraud production is intended for the salting of roads.

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