A gentle pause …. and a fresh beginning
Sometimes you need to step back for a moment, even from something you love. Over the past three months, I gave myself a little pause from Woonlookbook. No deadlines, no “shoulds,” just a bit of bretahing space. You might recognize that feeling: creating becomes so much easier when the mind has room. And now, slowly but surely, the colors and ideas are flowing again.
Not only does the site look very fresh now, I also feel completely energized.
To ease back in, I want to take you somewhere soft and inspiring, a place that reminded me of how much beauty there is in slowing down. So in this blog more about an energizing region.
The walls, salt fields and thatched houses of Guérande
If you love places where history and atmosphere can be felt in every stone, then Guérande and the Pays de la Loire might steal your heart. This small walled town, often called the “Carcassonne of the West,” sits between the salty marshes of the Atlantic and the gentle hills of inland France. Within its medieval gates you’ll find cobbled streets, timbered houses, and churches that glow in the soft Loire light. Step outside the walls, and the landscape opens into salt pans that shimmer like mirrors, villages with reed-thatched cottages, and a rhythm of life that feels slower, simpler, and deeply connected to nature.
My first vacation as a single mom with three kids was to La Turballe (just a few kilometers from Guérande) in the Pays de la Loire. The reason was simple: I had a tent and wanted to stay within 1000 kilometers of home so I could drive there in a single day. This was back in the nineties, already about 30 years ago.
This year I went back with my friend Lenie, staying in a lodge on the very same campground, ready for a trip down memory lane. I wondered: would it be a disappointment, with memories more beautiful than reality? Or would the area still shine with its charm? Luckily, it turned out to be the latter. I loved it all over again. So let me take you along on a three-day tour and show you why this is also a wonderful option for a weekend getaway as part of a longer trip in France.
What to visit, Day 1: The walls of Guérande and La Baule
Morning Day 1
Start at the walls of Guérande. Guérande is one of the few places in France where the entire medieval rampart still stands. The historic city center is protected (secteur sauvegardé) and has the “Ville d’art et d’histoire “label. When you walk through the Saint-Michel gate and step onto the stone path, you feel how solid and steady this place has always been.
There are several sights worth seeing:
- Porte Saint-Michel, a medieval city gate and museum
- Collegiate Church of Saint-Aubin (14th-16th century)
- Chapel of Notre-Dame-la-Blanche (13th century)
- Careil Castle, a castle outside the old town e outside the old town
- timbered houses
- and because it is a tourist attraction, there are many nice shops and restaurants
Afternoon Day 1
Mussels in La Baule-Escoublac, just a ten-minute drive from Guérande, you’ll arrive at a beautiful bay stretching almost six miles along the coast. With its elegant villas and modern town center, La Baule feels like a complete contrast to medieval Guérande. Yet if you love wide beaches, leafy neighborhoods, and a little shopping in between, this is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.
The leafy neighborhoods took shape in the 1920s when large numbers of pine trees were planted. Today, nestled among those pines, you’ll find beautiful villas and hotels.
We enjoyed our first “moules” of the year here and honestly, nothing says late summer in France quite like a big bowl of mussels.
Evenings
By evening, life slows down. This part of France is not the place for rushing. It’s the place for lingering. Here’s how we loved spending our nights:
- A simple local dinner with the local Muscadet
- Choose a terrace over a table inside
- Watch the sunset whenever you can
- Enjoy a cocktail, stars above, perfect!
- End the evening with a walk at the beach, in a harbor or just around your accommodation.
What to visit Day 2; Cote d’Amour and Salt Fields
Morning Day 2
If only for the name, you’ll want to visit the Côte d’Amour (the Coast of Love). Le Croisic may be known as a fishing port, but it’s also a lively, tourist-friendly town at the very tip of the peninsula. Stroll around the harbor, browse the little shops, stop for a drink or a bite to eat, and of course, in summer, head for the beach.
After our visit, we drove along the other side of the peninsula. And I hope I’m not overwhelming you with too many names, but the Côte Sauvage (the wild coast) is absolutely stunning.
Afternoon Day 2
It was time to visit the salt fields, known as Les Marais Salants. I had driven through this area in the nineties with my children on our way to the beach, but this time I finally had the chance to explore it properly; to notice the plants and simply sit and take in the beautiful colors of the landscape.
Do keep in mind that this is a fragile area. Guided tours are available through Terre de Sel and La Maison des Paludiers in Guérande, or at the Musée des Marais Salants in Batz-sur-Mer (the paludiers are the salt workers). What I loved most were the colors, the peaceful atmosphere (we visited just after the high season 😉) and the rich flora and fauna.
You can end the day at the harbor in La Turballe. I’ll tell you more about it on Day 3.
What to visit Day 3; Parc Naturel Régional de Brière and la Turballe
Morning Day 3
The Brière Regional Nature Park is another beautiful, protected landscape, with a core area of nearly 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of wetlands. Years ago, I took a silent barge tour here — magical. This time, I’ll admit, I struggled a little to find the right starting point. We headed to Saint-Lyphard, but if you want the easiest and most charming introduction, start instead in the historic village of Kerhinet.
Kerhinet feels like a small step back in time. There are 18 lovingly restored thatched cottages, and from April through September, the tourist office welcomes you in one of them. There’s plenty of parking, which makes arriving easy, and best of all: the entire area is pedestrian-only, peaceful and wonderfully slow.
A few lovely things to do around Kerhinet:
- Visit a dolmen or menhir nearby for a touch of prehistoric magic
- Take a barge or horse-drawn carriage ride through the marshlands
Afternoon Day 3
And finally, don’t miss La Turballe. The local tourist office explains its history:
“Sardine fishing played a major role in the development of the port of La Turballe. The entire fleet was once devoted to sardines. La Turballe was also home to the first cannery established in a fishing region. Sardines are caught from spring through fall and enjoyed in restaurants across the Guérande peninsula.”
We went looking for souvenirs; waffles, postcards for my toilet mood board (yes, really 😉), and of course, salt. We didn’t buy any sardines, but I adored the look of the colorful tins. Sometimes the packaging is just as tempting as what’s inside.
Bonus Tips
- Try the local Muscadet.
This is not a dessert wine, but a fresh white made from a single grape variety you may not recognize by name: Melon de Bourgogne. It’s light, crisp, and especially lovely with mussels. - City names can be confusing — and fascinating.
You’ll often see places listed under more than one name. These come from different sources: Celtic (the people who lived here before the Romans), Roman, Breton, Latin, medieval French, and Old French. A small detail, but a lovely reminder of how layered this region really is. - Getting around.
We explored Pays de la Loire by car, but you can also travel by train to Le Croisic from Paris in about 3.5 hours. The peninsula is served by around 15 local bus lines, and there’s a shuttle bus between La Baule and Le Croisic.
More information: here - Lunch has its own rhythm here 🥖
Most restaurants serve lunch between noon and 2:00 p.m. Kitchens often close around 1:30–1:45, and after that, doors sometimes literally — and definitely figuratively — close until dinner time.
I hope this little itinerary helps you create a few lovely days of your own in Pays de la Loire; slow, salty, sun-kissed, and full of small discoveries.
Ready for What’s Next
This small trip reminded me why I started Woonlookbook in the first place: to share inspiration with you, to help you create a home that feels like a warm embrace.
Thank you for still being here after my little pause. I’m happy to be back — gently, slowly — with fresh ideas and stories to share.
If you’d like the next article to be about colors, textures, small home upgrades, or another travel inspiration, just let me know.
