Pornic's hidden treasures!
Pornic's hidden treasures! - Atlantic Coast - Atlantic Loire Valley, France
Beyond its beaches, port and château, Pornic unveils some amazing new facets to the truly curious. Visit a little cheese shop with worldwide fame, explore a megalithic monument or explore a fisherman's hut!
Visit a fishery
You might have already seen them along the Côte de Jade, standing on their long legs. These are traditional fisheries, little huts on stilts flanked by a square dipping net that is lowered into the water and lifted by a crank handle. The Tourist Office will give you the directions for exploring one of these little landmarks, which open on Heritage Days or can be discovered from outside from the coast path!
Devour a Curé Nantais!
Can you believe that the recipe for this very soft cheese with a slightly smoky flavour has remained unchanged since 1880? This is when a farmer and priest first developed this marvel, which is now exported as far as Japan and Denmark. Discover the secrets to making it at the Pornic factory. You will also learn that, during the four-week maturing process, each piece is rubbed several times with salt water or even white wine for the astonishing Muscadet version...
Unearth the secrets of the pottery workshops
Ah, the famous Breton cider bowl decorated with someone's name... It's worth knowing that this icon comes from the Faïencerie de Pornic, which since the fifties has sent them to all four corners of the world. Each one is hand-painted in the workshops that can be visited all year round. You can even make your own personalised model on-site!
Discover the rebel chapel
If you get to the magnificent Gourmalon neighbourhood, located opposite the château and full of opulent-looking villas, spend a few moments in the eponymous little chapel. It has an incredibly story. In the early 19th century, the area's inhabitants, frustrated by the problems in accessing the town church, decided that, in the absence of a footbridge, they would build this place of worship instead. But as the parish refused to send a priest there, they had to ask Rome for permission! The little rebel was finally vindicated.
Explore a megalithic monument
Located on a hill 600 metres to the north of the beach at Noëveillard, the Tumulus des Mousseaux is an impressive structure built in around 3,500 years BC. At the time, this funerary construction was part of a large necropolis and now represents a remarkable remnant of life in the Neolithic period.