Camargue
The Camargue [ ka.maʁg ] is a landscape in France, which is for the most part ( Grande Camargue called ) between the two arms of the estuary just north of Arles splitting Rhône. Their main branch of the Grand Rhône flows near Port-Saint -Louis -du -Rhône to the Mediterranean, the sidearm, Petit Rhône called, about 38 km west of it at Saintes -Maries- de -la -Mer. There lies in the west behind the Petit Rhône, the Petite Camargue, a flat region that extends to Aigues- Mortes.
The Camargue covers an area of about 930 km ². Most of it is agriculturally used for vegetables, fruit and rice cultivation and for animal husbandry. The mainly composed of alluvial soil provides favorable conditions for it. South of Salin- de -Giraud is almost the entire area of a solar salt (since 1856) that occupies Salins- du- Midi. To Rhône towards the Camargue is completely diked, formerly customary, contributing to the formation of floods no longer occur. This results partly problems with salinization. The flora in the southern Camargue, where no agricultural use longer takes place is determined by plants that can cope with brackish water, such as tamarisk and the Queller ( salicorne ).
The Camargue is known primarily as a nature reserve. While almost all of the Camargue ( in the German sense) nature reserve (1970: Regional Nature Park Camargue, 86,300 ha) is, there is a nature reserve (1927: réserve naturelle nationale, 13,117 ha) only from the Etang de Vaccarès and the south of strips lying to the sea. In the protected area is home to 400 species -rich water birds (eg Great Flamingo ). The Etang de Vaccarès is the largest of the numerous very shallow lakes (French Etang ) that characterize the typical of the Camargue countryside. Tourist attractions include the wild herds of white Camargue horses, occurring only here a horse race, and the sometimes very large herds of the Camargue bulls. These have for the most part bloodless bullfights (fr: Course camarguaise ) to serve in the arenas of Provence. Their meat (French taureau, also toro ) is a specialty of Provencal cuisine. Horses and bulls live outdoors, but they have owners and wear appropriate fire signs; So there are no wild animals.
An overview of the fauna of Camargue you can obtain at the Musée de la Camargue at the Mas du Pont de Rousty on the road ( D 570 ) from Arles to Les Saintes- Maries- de -la -Mer, or in the observation station La Capelière (D 36c) on the eastern shore of the Etang de Vaccarès. There you can watch birds and other wildlife in hidden shelters, as far as the season and the climate have not dried up the shallow pond.
The Camargue belongs almost entirely to the city of Arles and Arles thus makes the largest municipality of France. About the sometimes very miserable living conditions of the shepherds in ancient times, and other cultural aspects of the Camargue can be located in the Museon Arlaten ( literal translation: Arlesianer Museum ) in Arles inform. The shepherds had to live in the Cabanes, small thatched shed, one occasionally still sees.
The largest city is the place of pilgrimage in Saintes-Maries -de- la -Mer. Here is an old fortified church from the 9th century with the relics of Saint Mary and Saint Mary Salome Jakobäa (since 1448 ). Furthermore, there is a theater and three museums.
The Camargue is also known for the salt works and the recovery of the Fleur de Sel.
In addition, the Camargue is home to several musicians, families, such as those of Reyes and the Baliardo. Best known are Manitas de Plata and the Gipsy Kings.