Brière ( br, Ar Briwer) is the marsh area to the north of the Loire estuary in France at its mouth on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

. The residents of Brière are called ''Briérons''. The Brière marsh area includes a vast area of humid zones stretching from the

Gulf of Morbihan The Gulf of Morbihan is a natural harbour on the coast of the department of Morbihan in southern Brittany, France. Its English name is taken from the French version, ''le golfe du Morbihan'', though it would be more precisely called 'the M ...

and the estuary of the Vilaine to the north, to the

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominate ...

es of

Guérande Guérande (; br, Gwenrann, ; french: label= Gallo, Geraundd) is a medieval town located in the department of Loire-Atlantique, and the region of Pays de la Loire, Western France. The inhabitants are referred to as ''Guérandais'' (masculine), a ...

to the west to the estuary of the Loire and the Lac de Grand-Lieu in the south. Peat 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 is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or ''skin flora''. ...

and fauna, and navigation is possible with

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

s called chalands. Cottages are a common sight in the area, with around 3000 thatched roof

cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager had to provide ...

s dotted throughout the area. Alphonse de Chateaubriant's prize-winning novel '' La Brière'' (translated as ''Passion and Peat''), 1923, is set in the area and describes its traditions and culture. It has been suggested that the small islands of the Brière, now joined by silt, could have been the location of the

Cassiterides The Cassiterides ( el, Κασσιτερίδες, meaning "Tin Islands", from κασσίτερος, ''kassíteros'' "tin") are an ancient geographical name used to refer to a group of islands whose precise location is unknown, but which was believ ...

- islands mentioned in antiquity as the Phoenician source of tin.Dion, "Le problème des Cassitérides," ''Latomus'' 11 (1952:306-14)

Communes of Brière

The following communes are found in Brière * La Chapelle-des-Marais *

Crossac Crossac (; br, Kroazieg) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department The following is a list of the 207 communes of the Loire-Atlantique department of ...

Montoir-de-Bretagne Montoir-de-Bretagne (, literally ''Montoir of Brittany''; br, Mouster-al-Loc'h) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population The population data given in the table below refer to the commune of Montoir-de-Bretag ...

* Saint-André-des-Eaux, Loire-Atlantique * Saint-Joachim (the commune covering most of la Grande Brière) * Saint-Lyphard * Saint-Malo-de-Guersac * Saint-Nazaire * Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne *

Trignac Trignac (; br, Trinieg) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It was created in 1913 from part of the commune of Montoir-de-Bretagne. Population See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department The following ...

Traditionally, 21 communes are considered part of Brière (source

pdf file) : * La Baule-Escoublac *

Besné Besné (; br, Gwennenid) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overse ...

* La Chapelle-des-Marais * La Chapelle-Launay *

* Donges *

* Herbignac * Missillac *

* Prinquiau *

Pontchâteau Pontchâteau (; br, Pontkastell-Keren) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population Personalities *Jacques Demy (19311990), film director. *Lydie Denier (1964), actress. See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlant ...

Pornichet Pornichet (; br, link=no, Pornizhan) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Geography Location Pornichet is a coastal town of the Côte d'Amour, located ten kilometers west of the centre of Saint-Nazaire. The ad ...

* Saint-André-des-Eaux * Saint-Joachim * Saint-Lyphard * Saint-Malo-de-Guersac * Saint-Nazaire * Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne *

* La Turballe The Brière Regional Natural Park encompasses 17 communes (source

pdf file) * Assérac * La Baule-Escoublac * La Chapelle-des-Marais *

* Donges *

* Herbignac * Missillac *

* Saint-André-des-Eaux * Saint-Joachim * Saint-Lyphard * Saint-Malo-de-Guersac * Saint-Molf * Saint-Nazaire * Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne *

References

External links

tourist information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Briere Marshes of France Ramsar sites in Metropolitan France Landforms of Brittany