Guerande

Guérande takes 1 day to see: the complete medieval walls encircling the old town, among the best preserved in France, and a visit to the marais salants, the salt marshes where fleur de sel is still hand-harvested, on the same day. May-September is best, coinciding with the harvest season. It's inexpensive by French standards. Its salt marshes have produced artisanal salt since Celtic times, with a harvesting method barely changed over the centuries, and Guérande's fleur de sel is today one of France's most widely exported gourmet products.