Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

I first came to Montpellier 2 years ago when I was in search of sun and sea after yet another long winter. Since Montpellier is near the coast I assumed it was like Nice or Cannes where could find a beach right there but I was wrong. In fact, the beaches are located much further out (outside of Montpellier) and you need a car to get there. While I was researching what I could see and do in the region I came across a little medieval town by the name of Aigues Mortes. I googled it and saw pictures of pristine white salt mountains and pink lakes. Say whaaaaatt? Pink lakes! I’m so going there!  There are only a handful in the world. Unfortunately, that day we spent so much time wandering the beachside towns that by the time we go to Salin d’Aigues Mortes/Salins du Midi (saltworks) we’d just missed the last tour. I was sooooo disappointed. My new friend even kindly suggested we could go the following day but I just didn’t think it would be the same, and I hadn’t even seen Montpellier itself yet so I told myself I would definitely make another trip back here to check out this amazing place… and two years later, I really did come back!

I have to say that I just love love love the South of France, the entire southern region and entire southern coast, I love all of it! It’s the closest thing to experiencing home (Australia) without actually being there. The land is drier, the sun is hotter, the air is salty.. it always makes me feel so happy, alive and free to be there. The area around Montpellier and Aigues Mortes is actually called the Camargue and it’s known for its abundance of white horses and bulls. There are tons of horse and 4×4 jeep related activities you can do. Apart from horses the area is also home to thousands of beautiful pink flamingos.

So come with me as we explore another area of France. Afterall, there is more to France than just Paris!

Aigues Mortes

(pronounced something like ‘egg mort’)

The name comes from ancient Latin words meaning dead waters or stagnant waters, a reference to the stagnant saltwater marshes. The city was said to have been founded in 102BC. Salt has been mined here since the Stone Age. The Matafère Tower was erected in 791. In the 1200s the Constance Tower replaced the Matafère Tower. It is the tallest tower in the town.

Le Salin d’Aigues Mortes

I’ll talk about the saltworks first since it’s what interested me about coming to this town. Since I’ve moved to Europe I’ve become more and more interested in nature and farming and how hard people have to work to turn it all into food for us. This is an interesting place and it’s not usually mentioned on the tourist trail and I’m always keen to see uncommon things or places so away we go!

Le Salin d’Aigues Mortes is a part of a group of 6 salins belonging to Les Salins du Midi (Midi being the name of the canal). They have been harvesting salt in this region for thousands of years back to Roman times. In 1856 the Salin became a company and in 1995 it was added to a list of French sites of heritage value.

There is only one way to see the Salins. You need to take the little touristy train! Now when I travel I pretty much never take these things because I’d rather walk and go at my own pace (and because I secretly think they are just for young families and older people neither of which I am… yet so I’d rather walk while I can). However, this is a highly protected site (due to the hundreds of special species of protected flora and fauna) so taking the tourist train is the ONLY way you can visit the Salins. As I came on a public holiday it was busier than usual, however it wasn’t even peak summer period yet. Given my experience I would advise you to pre-book and print out your tickets online (which, luckily I didn’t do because we were originally going to visit on another day) to save you a lot of time. We arrived just before 3pm and the 3:30pm tickets were already sold out so we had to get the 4pm tickets. Therefore had to wait around on site for about an hour so plan with this in mind.

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

All aboard Le Petit Train

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

If you’re a photographer like me you can forget about getting picture perfect shots because the train ride is very very bumpy! And the driver almost never stops 🙁 I was so disappointed about this.  Had I planned better, I would have much preferred to do the bike tour. It costs more but it’s also 3 hours long and there are frequent stops. And you get to see many more places than on the train tour. Still, I did enjoy myself. The one hour and 15 mins tour just flew by. The driver gave a commentary about all the sites but it’s only in French. There is a paper explaining the locations in English which you can request from the ticket office.

Although the train does not stop at the most photogenic spots (where you can see the pink lake up close and at sites with masses of flamingos) it does stop twice. Once at the one of the giant salt “camelles” (so called because it’s shaped like a camel’s hump) and once at the museum/souvenir shop. I was particularly excited to climb this “camelle” because it’s something most people have never done and also because they only started this this year! Had I come here in 2014 I wouldn’t have been able to do this which reaffirmed my decision to come back to this place. When I say ‘climb’ it’s a really easy climb which anyone can do but just be sure you are not wearing high heels! It can be a bit slippery. You are not obligated to do it though so if you want you can just remain onboard the train.

aigues-mortes-france-travel-blog-P1980568

At the little museum they tell the story of the Baleine (whale) brand of salt and general history of the site. There were lots of people queueing up to buy souvenirs here but there really is no need! The store at the entrance (which anyone can enter) sells exactly the same things. The entrance of the museum had a video explaning the salt manufacture process. The main thing I got from that was the whole process of collecting salt is extremely time consuming and it is all still done by hand, in keeping with old traditions. I also learned that the fleur de sel (literally ‘flower of salt’) is the very fine top layer of salt, the very best stuff (which is why it costs more than regular salt). The top layer is painstakingly skimmed by hand, before it sinks to the bottom. You cannot cook with it though (as it has different chemical properties). It’s to be sprinkled over dishes for that extra flavour.

The salt harvesting is done only once a year, a process which takes several months. It is done over the summer due to the fact that the hot sun makes the water evaporate quicker. The salt is still collected by hand by men known as paludiers or sauniers, following traditional techniques.

As a graphic designer I loved seeing the evolution of the logo and packaging throughout the decades:

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

We were told the yellow stuff is pollen which is filtered out of the salt. Given my bad hayfever allergies when we visited I was sure there was a lot of pollen in the air!

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

So you’re probably wondering why the lake is pink… Remember, there are only a handful of natural pink lakes in the world. They are a rare phenomena indeed. The colour is caused by a unique combination of the salt water and a special type of algae. The flamingos eat this algae which also gives them their pink colour. The higher the concentration of algae in the water (ie the pinker the water) the pinker the flamingo! Although the lake is pink all year round the shade changes according to the time of year. Although you may think I have photoshopped my photos I can assure you that it is really that pink in real life! You can check out the other people’s photos on Flickr, Tripadvisor, Instagram and elsewhere. Pink pink pink!

I’m not sure what was more fascinating: the huge white salt mountains, the pink lakes, or the beautiful flamingos, hundreds and thousands of them! Ever since my last trip I became somewhat obsessed with flamingos (afterall, they are everywhere in the city in souvenir shops, they are the unofficial symbol of the city I think) and I tracked down this flamingo dress so I was so happy to wear it back here to meet my flamingo friends. 😉

I would recommend this place if you are interested in salt production or even if you’re just interested in seeing the site because it’s rare to see a pink lake and flamingos in the wild. Even rarer to see them with a beautiful castle in the background!

aigues-mortes-france-travel-blog-P2610872-Edit

 

Fortified city of Aigues Mortes

Aigues Mortes vue du ciel aerial view France

Image from Wikipedia commons

The town of Aigues Mortes is at least 1300 years old, having existed since Roman times. As you can see from this aerial photo, the whole city is enclosed inside the ramparts in a perfect rectangle, with a perimeter of 1650 metres (1 mile). It is very easy to navigate as the streets are more or less in a grid pattern and you don’t really need a map. If you get lost you can just keep going until you hit one of the walls and then follow the wall to where you came from! None of the four walls are exactly the same so it’s easy to recognise where you came from.

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

I’m practically camouflaged in this store haha. Seeing it made me want to buy a whole bunch of flamingo stuff!Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog
Isn’t this just the happiest house ever? Or maybe the owner just has an awesome sense of humour! 😀

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

The day we went there happened to be some medieval fair including markets selling medieval costumes and authentic medieval battles to watch.

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Salin d Aigues Mortes France Camargue Travel blog

Some photos from my first trip there. Look how charming it is…

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

 

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

So… what are you waiting for? IMHO this town is a must see. Look at how happy it made me! So much so I came back to visit a second time! 🙂

It seems like this place is not widely known outside of France… yet. So if I were you I’d get there quick smart before everyone else finds out about it. Even if you have no interest in salt making or pink lakes (and why the hell not?) the little medieval town is definitely worth a visit. It may not be as pretty as Carcassonne (which is situated at the top of a hill) but it’s also less crowded and just as charming with fantastic restaurants, shops and photogenic streets.

 

Voilà, The Top 10 reasons to go to Aigues Mortes, France

  1. You can see a huge natural pink lake!
  2. You can see and learn how salt is harvested and manufactured using centuries’ old techniques!
  3. You can climb a 20 metre high salt mountain (‘camelle‘)!
  4. You can taste test the salt (including fleur de sel) in the Salins‘ salt shops!
  5. You can see thousands of pink flamingos and other rare exotic species of birds and plants (many of which are protected)!
  6. You can sample the yummy cuisine from this region!
  7. You can sample and buy the yummiest handmade biscuits, chocolate, nougat and patisseries!
  8. You can buy Medieval costumes and dress up and walk around pretending you are back in the Middle Ages! (or you might just happen to bump into a man from the Middle Ages like I did)! 😀
  9. You can walk along the fortified wall (ramparts) pretending you are a knight!
  10. You can see rows and rows of the prettiest pastel houses (and you can get photos of them without other tourists in the way)!

GO

Aigues Mortes is located in the Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées region (what a mouthful) in the south of France (west of Marseille, Cannes and Nice). The area in the vicinity is known as the Camargue. It can be reached by car or taxi in about 30 minutes from Montpellier. There are buses and trains too but I wouldn’t recommend it as the schedule is not very frequent and it would take 1-2 hours to get there. It can be reached more easily by rail from Nîmes. If driving keep in mind though that a lot of the roads around there are small, narrow, one-laned roads and on weekends and public holidays it can get jammed in certain places. There are paid parking lots. I think there is also free street parking but it would be very difficult to get one of those spots if you go on a weekend or a public holiday. It’s better to park outside the castle walls. I don’t even know if you can drive inside if you are not a resident or shopkeeper.

Official site – Salin d’Aigues Mortes

STAY

As I have not stayed in Aigues Mortes I cannot really recommend any hotels. Also, there are not a great deal of hotels to choose from as this seems to be more of a day trip type of place. You would have more luck finding something in nearby beachside towns of Le Grau du Roi and La Grande Motte, or a bit further afield in Montpellier or Nîmes.

DO

There isn’t a great amount to do since it’s such a small city. However, you can easily spend an entire day here. The best thing is to simply walk around and admire the castle fortifications and churches. The area around the canal is really pretty too. If you want to visit the Salins allow yourself at least a good 2-3 hours for that if you do not prebook your tickets. The Camargue area has a lot of nature and horse related activities to do though so you could easily spend a few days in this beautiful region.

SHOP

There are a lot of artisan (hand made craft) shops, chic boutiques and souvenir shops selling unique and beautiful things. There are also lots of sweets shops selling delicious handmade biscuits, chocolate, nougat and macarons. They make great gifts! If you’re a fan of medieval attire, costumes and jewellery there are plenty of those stores too.

EAT

There are great restaurants and cafes in and around the main square. There are takeaway places too. I also had some great churros in one of them.

PHOTO TIPS

For the Salins you cannot really control where you take the photos as you’ll have to take them from a bumpy train ride. However you can get some great views and great shots if you climb the top of the camelle. You will only have a few minutes though so you have to be quick! For the Aigues Mortes town there are scenic streets everywhere. The castle walls and the place (town square) are very pretty and busy but if you go into one of the quieter streets you’ll have it and all its pastel hues all to yourself. You can also walk along the top of the castle walls (which I didn’t have time to do unfortunately). You’ll have to find the entrance as there is only one specific staircase open (I think) to get up there.  If you arrive in the afternoon (as I did both times) and stay until sunset it’s really worth it. Drive along the coastline for the most amazing sunset. It was probably the most spectacular sunset I ever saw in France.

 

Does this post make you want to go there? Let me know in the comments below. If you have any questions please leave them below too and I will do my best to answer them.

 

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog

Aigues Mortes Montpellier Camargue travel blog