Brière
Encyclopedia
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
area to the north of the Loire estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
in France at its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The residents of Brière are called Brièrons. The Brière marsh area includes a vast area of humid zones stretching from the Gulf of Morbihan
Gulf of Morbihan
The Gulf of Morbihan is a natural harbour on the coast of the Département of Morbihan in the south of Brittany, France. This English name is taken from the French version: le golfe du Morbihan...
and the estuary of the Vilaine
Vilaine
The Vilaine is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne département , and flows out in the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan département . It is 218 km long...
to the north, to the salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es of Guérande
Guérande
The medieval town of Guérande is located in the département of Loire-Atlantique in western France.The inhabitants are so called Guérandais, for men, and Guérandaise, for women....
to the west to the estuary of the Loire River and the Lac de Grand-Lieu
Lac de Grand-Lieu
Lac de Grand-Lieu is a lake located to the south-west of Nantes, in the Loire-Atlantique, France, and almost entirely in Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu. At an elevation of 5 m, its surface area is 62.92 km²....
in the south. Peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
used to be harvested here.
The Brière territory extends over , including of humid zone, at the heart of which lies the Grande Brière Mottière which encompasses and 21 communes.
It is rich in flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, and navigation is possible with boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
s called chalands.
Cottages are a common sight in the area, with around 3000 thatched roof cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s dotted throughout the area.
Alphonse de Chateaubriant
Alphonse de Châteaubriant
Alphonse Van Bredenbeck de Châteaubriant was a French writer who won the Prix Goncourt in 1911 for his novel Monsieur de Lourdines and Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française for La Brière in 1923....
's prize winning novel La Brière
La Brière
La Brière is a 1923 novel by Alphonse de Chateaubriant that won the Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française for that year....
(translated as Passion and Peat), 1923, is set in the area and describes its traditions and culture.
Communes of Brière
- La Chapelle-des-MaraisLa Chapelle-des-MaraisLa Chapelle-des-Marais is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department* FC La Chapelle-des-Marais*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- CrossacCrossacCrossac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- Montoir-de-BretagneMontoir-de-BretagneMontoir-de-Bretagne is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:* Brière* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department...
- Saint-André-des-Eaux, Loire-AtlantiqueSaint-André-des-Eaux, Loire-AtlantiqueSaint-André-des-Eaux is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-JoachimSaint-JoachimSaint-Joachim is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is in the centre of the Brière marsh, and comprises a group of "islands" within the marsh.-References:*...
(the commune covering most of la Grande Brière) - Saint-LyphardSaint-LyphardSaint-Lyphard is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-Malo-de-GuersacSaint-Malo-de-GuersacSaint-Malo-de-Guersac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is located from Saint-Nazaire in Brière.-References:* -External links: * *...
- Saint-NazaireSaint-NazaireSaint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
- Sainte-Reine-de-BretagneSainte-Reine-de-BretagneSainte-Reine-de-Bretagne is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-References:*...
- TrignacTrignacTrignac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
Traditionally, 21 communes are considered part of Brière (source : http://www.parc-naturel-briere.fr/fileadmin/template/briere/pdf/charte_cartes_schemas.pdf, pdf file) :
- La Baule-EscoublacLa Baule-EscoublacLa Baule-Escoublac, commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.A century-old seaside resort at the gateway to Britany with beautiful villas, casino, luxury hotels and an original mix of old Breton and exclusive seaside culture boasting a 12...
- BesnéBesnéBesné is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department...
- La Chapelle-des-MaraisLa Chapelle-des-MaraisLa Chapelle-des-Marais is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department* FC La Chapelle-des-Marais*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- La Chapelle-LaunayLa Chapelle-LaunayLa Chapelle-Launay is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*...
- CrossacCrossacCrossac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- DongesDongesDonges is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- GuérandeGuérandeThe medieval town of Guérande is located in the département of Loire-Atlantique in western France.The inhabitants are so called Guérandais, for men, and Guérandaise, for women....
- HerbignacHerbignacHerbignac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Château de Ranrouët*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-External links:*...
- MissillacMissillacMissillac is a commune located in the department of Loire-Atlantique in western France.- Geography :Missillac is located at the North-Western edge of Loire-Atlantique at the limit of the Morbihan. 25 km of Saint-Nazaire, 65 kmNorth-West of Nantes and 25 km south of Redon...
- Montoir-de-BretagneMontoir-de-BretagneMontoir-de-Bretagne is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:* Brière* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department...
- PrinquiauPrinquiauPrinquiau is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- PontchâteauPontchâteauPontchâteau is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department...
- PornichetPornichetPornichet is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.- Location :Pornichet is a coastal town of the Côte d'Amour, located a tens of kilometers west of Saint-Nazaire.The adjacent towns are Saint-Nazaire and La Baule-Escoublac....
- Saint-André-des-EauxSaint-André-des-Eaux, Loire-AtlantiqueSaint-André-des-Eaux is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-JoachimSaint-JoachimSaint-Joachim is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is in the centre of the Brière marsh, and comprises a group of "islands" within the marsh.-References:*...
- Saint-LyphardSaint-LyphardSaint-Lyphard is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-Malo-de-GuersacSaint-Malo-de-GuersacSaint-Malo-de-Guersac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is located from Saint-Nazaire in Brière.-References:* -External links: * *...
- Saint-NazaireSaint-NazaireSaint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
- Sainte-Reine-de-BretagneSainte-Reine-de-BretagneSainte-Reine-de-Bretagne is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-References:*...
- TrignacTrignacTrignac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- La TurballeLa TurballeLa Turballe is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France....
The Brière Regional Natural Park
Brière Regional Natural Park
Brière Regional Natural Park is a protected area in the Pays de la Loire region of France. It covers a total area of with a core of wetland, the Grande Brière, covering approximately...
encompasses 17 communes (source: http://www.parc-naturel-briere.fr/fileadmin/template/briere/pdf/charte_parc.pdf, pdf file)
- AsséracAsséracAssérac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- La Baule-EscoublacLa Baule-EscoublacLa Baule-Escoublac, commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.A century-old seaside resort at the gateway to Britany with beautiful villas, casino, luxury hotels and an original mix of old Breton and exclusive seaside culture boasting a 12...
- La Chapelle-des-MaraisLa Chapelle-des-MaraisLa Chapelle-des-Marais is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department* FC La Chapelle-des-Marais*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- CrossacCrossacCrossac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- DongesDongesDonges is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
- GuérandeGuérandeThe medieval town of Guérande is located in the département of Loire-Atlantique in western France.The inhabitants are so called Guérandais, for men, and Guérandaise, for women....
- HerbignacHerbignacHerbignac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Château de Ranrouët*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-External links:*...
- MissillacMissillacMissillac is a commune located in the department of Loire-Atlantique in western France.- Geography :Missillac is located at the North-Western edge of Loire-Atlantique at the limit of the Morbihan. 25 km of Saint-Nazaire, 65 kmNorth-West of Nantes and 25 km south of Redon...
- Montoir-de-BretagneMontoir-de-BretagneMontoir-de-Bretagne is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:* Brière* Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department...
- Saint-André-des-EauxSaint-André-des-Eaux, Loire-AtlantiqueSaint-André-des-Eaux is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-JoachimSaint-JoachimSaint-Joachim is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is in the centre of the Brière marsh, and comprises a group of "islands" within the marsh.-References:*...
- Saint-LyphardSaint-LyphardSaint-Lyphard is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-Malo-de-GuersacSaint-Malo-de-GuersacSaint-Malo-de-Guersac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is located from Saint-Nazaire in Brière.-References:* -External links: * *...
- Saint-MolfSaint-MolfSaint-Molf is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule - Guérande Peninsula*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière-References:*...
- Saint-NazaireSaint-NazaireSaint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
- Sainte-Reine-de-BretagneSainte-Reine-de-BretagneSainte-Reine-de-Bretagne is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-References:*...
- TrignacTrignacTrignac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...