City of the Oyster Nature Reserves in Marennes

Opening hours

Closed

  • Monday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm
  • Tuesday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm
  • Wednesday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm
  • Thursday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm
  • Friday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm
  • Saturday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm
  • Sunday 10:30 am - 07:00 pm

Opens Friday at 10:30 am

Useful information

Location : Sea side

Province : From island to island/ Île de Ré / Île d'Oléron

Services

  • Bar
  • Bike Rental
  • Chèques Vacances (Holiday voucher)
  • Credit card accepted
  • Disable access
  • Groceries shop/ Food
  • Groups
  • Parking
  • Restaurant
  • English
    • City of the Oyster offers you, through courses, initiations, games, activities, films, to make you live the world of oysters, its men, its environment, its tasting.

      Visit of themed huts on a pontoon above the water: The oyster, its history, its environment, its people, its tasting.

      Daily entertainment:
      • Animated visit to an oyster farm with presentation of gestures and tools. In the afternoon.
      • Introduction to the opening of oysters
      • Introduction to hot oysters

      Loan of bicycles

      During the holiday period: entertainment for children
      Entertainment for children: quiz - treasure hunt, game with water cannons, feeding fish, crab fishing, making collectors, painting on oyster.
      From July 9 to August 31: animated activities for children every afternoon
      The average length of the visit is 2.5 hours. Entertainment throughout the year.

      Prices:
      • Adult : 9€
      • Child (6-16 years) : 5€
      • -6 years : free
      • Family pass (2 adults + 2 children 6 to 16 years) : 23€

      Times:
      • The City of the Oyster welcomes you from April 1 to the end of the All Saints holidays from 10:30 to 19h. Open every day during school holidays (all areas)
      • Closed Mondays and Tuesdays outside school holidays. Open on public holidays.
      • Closing of the ticket office 1h15 before the closure of the Center.

  • Français

Traveller Reviews City of the Oyster

4.3 sur 5 1921 reviews

  • M.

    5 sur 5 Reviews posted by M. on 03/08/2024

    Great place to learn the production process of the oysters and to learn about the environment. You can even open an oyster yourself and eat it. Thank you guys.

  • TheJohnChocolate

    2 sur 5 Reviews posted by TheJohnChocolate on 05/09/2018

    Fun and interactive spot! The videos playing within the cabins are very VERY informative. I think I missed something in translation as I never got to try any oysters 😩

  • Filip Van Huffel

    5 sur 5 Reviews posted by Filip Van Huffel on 12/09/2021

    Had an absolutely lovely experience here. Visited the museum, which was very interesting in and of itself. The true standout, however, were the tours of the Claires (ponds for refining the oyster taste). Our guide enthusiastically demonstrated every part of oyster farming. From the capture of larvae to the famous "affinage en Claire". To top it all off, we got a workshop in opening oysters (yes, you can eat the ones you open) where I discovered I've been doing it wrong all my life. At the end, I started dreaming about starting my own oyster farm. Finally, it has a nice little restaurant if you want to taste oysters and seafood (but also salads and other dishes).

Traveller Reviews City of the Oyster

4.5 sur 5 543 reviews

  • "Brilliant - must visit !"

    5 / 5 Reviews posted by DadaGee (Montendre, France) on 26/11/2023

    Wh would have believed that you could spend a whole day at an exhibition devoted to oysters? You certainly can do at La Cité de l'Huître. There’s large cabins with audio-visual explanations (with...

    Read the full review
  • "Oyster lovers take note!"

    5 / 5 Reviews posted by 1Palmtreelover (Niagara Falls, Canada) on 02/11/2019

    Located about 25 km south of Rochefort, is a tiny village of Marennes. If you are into oysters, this is a must see for you. Family friendly (lots of interacting for the kids) and very informative...

    Read the full review
  • "Disappointing and not worth a visit"

    1 / 5 Reviews posted by MarinaC2468 on 02/06/2019

    I was not quite sure what to expect from this place, but it went way below any possible expectations. The only option they offer in English is a booklet. There will be no good demonstration and you...

    Read the full review

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City of the Oyster

Address

Chenal de la Cayenne
17320 Marennes

GPS coordinates

45° 47'38.05"N, 1° 7'19.38"W

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