La Maison du Fier d'Ars
Located at the entrance to the Lilleau des Niges National Nature Reserve, just 10 minutes from our campsite on the Ile de Ré, the Maison du Fier is a small museum dedicated to the local natural heritage. A must-see, it reminds us just how beautiful and full of life nature really is.
Ré, île nature" exhibition
Adjacent to the Lilleau des Niges Nature Reserve, at the northern tip of the Ile de Ré, the Maison du Fier d'Ars houses a museographic space dedicated to the natural heritage of the Ile de Ré.
The museum is housed in a former salt shed at the entrance to the old port of Les Portes-en-Ré, from where ships loaded with white gold set sail to supply three-quarters of the kingdom of France in the Middle Ages. Today owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, the Maison du Fier d'Ars hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions on the world of the coast and forest, the fauna, flora and landscapes of the Ile de Ré.
Visitors to the "Ré, île nature" exhibition can discover the island's biodiversity , from forest to beach. The Maison du Fier d'Ars offers games for the whole family to play, as well as an educational trail with interactive terminals on flora and fauna, birdwatching, the village, the marshes, the foreshore, the dune and the forest.
An experience to be extended in the field
After your visit to the museum, continue your experience in the field, at the heart of the Lilleau des Niges National Nature Reserve. Created in 1980 and managed by the LPO (Ligue Protectrice des Oiseaux), the reserve extends over 120 hectares of mudflats, salt meadows, former saltworks, wooded areas and dunes, ideal for nesting and wintering birds. Every year, it welcomes thousands of migratory and sedentary birds: Great Avocet, White Stilt, Redshank, Blackbird, Common Tern, not forgetting the Tadorne de Belon, the reserve's flagship bird.
The Maison du Fier d'Ars offers self-guided tours all year round. An interpretive trail dotted with observation points and information terminals offers nature lovers the chance to observe and study the animals and plants that inhabit the Fier d'Ars reserve and marshes.
The immersion is even more complete when visitors are accompanied by a passionate naturalist guide. During the season, LPO staff organize numerous nature outings and educational events on a variety of themes for all ages.
Practical info
- Address: Route du Vieux Port, 17880 Les Portes-en-Ré (8 km from our campsite Le Cormoran)
- The Maison du Fier d'Ars is served by a cycle path that runs alongside the marshes,
- Telephone: 05 46 29 50 74
- Don't miss the Fête de l'Oiseau, the summer's flagship event, which takes place in August.