Brière (; ) is the

marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...

area north of the

Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

in France, near its mouth on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. 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 departments of France, department of Morbihan in southern Brittany, France. Its English name is taken from the French language, French version, ''le golfe du Morbihan'', t ...

and the estuary of the

Vilaine The Vilaine (; ) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''Département in France, département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is ...

to the north, to the

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, 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. I ...

es of

Guérande Guérande (; , ; ) is a medieval town located in the departments of France, department of Loire-Atlantique, and the administrative regions of France, region of Pays de la Loire, Western France. The inhabitants are referred to as ''Guérandais'' ...

to the west, to the estuary of the Loire and the Lac de Grand-Lieu in the south.

Peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

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 (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

, 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 or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

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

thatched Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge ('' Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...

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 ''La Brière'' (translated as ''Passion and Peat'') is a 1923 novel by Alphonse de Chateaubriant that won the Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française for that year. The novel is set in the rustic fenland landscape west of Nantes, known as ...

'' (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 (, meaning "tin place", from κασσίτερος, ''kassíteros'' " tin") are an ancient geographical name used to refer to a group of islands whose precise location is unknown or may be fictitious, but which was believed to b ...

- 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 * Montoir-de-Bretagne * Saint-André-des-Eaux, Loire-Atlantique *

Saint-Joachim Saint-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. Population See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique depar ...

(the commune covering most of la Grande Brière) *

Saint-Lyphard Saint-Lyphard (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is named after Saint Liphardus, a 6th-century AD abbot of the monastery established at Meung-sur-Loire. Population See also * La Baule - Guérande Pen ...

* Saint-Malo-de-Guersac *

Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Oc ...

* Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne * Trignac Traditionally, 21 communes are considered part of Brière (source

pdf file) : *

La Baule-Escoublac La Baule-Escoublac (; Gallo: ''Écoubiâ'', , ), commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in Loire-Atlantique, a department in Pays de la Loire, western France. History Seaside resort In 1879, when the Saint-Nazaire- Croisic railroa ...

Besné Besné (; Gallo: ''Bèsnét'', ) 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 d ...

* La Chapelle-des-Marais * La Chapelle-Launay * Crossac * Donges *

Herbignac Herbignac (; Gallo: ''Èrbinyac'', ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population See also * Château de Ranrouët *La Baule - Guérande Peninsula *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department The followin ...

* Missillac * Montoir-de-Bretagne * Prinquiau *

Pontchâteau Pontchâteau (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department in western France. Population Communications Pontchâteau is located at a major crossroads, at the junction of the RN 165, the Nante ...

Pornichet Pornichet (; ) 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 adjacent communes are ...

* Saint-André-des-Eaux *

* Saint-Malo-de-Guersac *

* Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne * Trignac *

La Turballe La Turballe (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. This commune is known for its harbor, which is the first fishing harbor in the region. Every summer, there is a sardine party (fête de la sardine in French). L ...

The Brière Regional Natural Park encompasses 17 communes (source

pdf file) *

Assérac Assérac (; Gallo: ''Aserac'', ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population See also *La Baule - Guérande Peninsula *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department The following is a list of the 207 comm ...

* La Chapelle-des-Marais * Crossac * Donges *

* Missillac * Montoir-de-Bretagne * Saint-André-des-Eaux *

* Saint-Malo-de-Guersac *

Saint-Molf Saint-Molf (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population See also *La Baule - Guérande Peninsula *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department The following is a list of the 207 communes of the Loire ...

* Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne * Trignac

References

External links

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