Marseillan

Marseillan is really two communes - the old village which dates back 2500 years and, 3km away, Marseillan Plage which was developed in the 1960s. It is a popular destination. Although hardly any new building has taken place in the centre of the village since the 17th century, the population of the village as a whole has exploded in the last 20 years wresting Marseillan from a slow but terminal decline to the thriving place we see today.

 

Marseillan’s economy is built on fishing, winegrowing and winemaking and, nowadays, tourism.  Its position on the Etang de Thau means that fishermen can harvest both shellfish and seafish. The Etang offers excellent water quality and the oysters and mussels produced in these waters are shipped across France. Eat oysters in Paris and the chances are, those oysters came from the Etang de Thau and possibly even Marseillan itself.

Wine-growing is the mainstay of nearly every village in the area and Marseillan is no exception. The white Picpoul de Pinet grape is prevalent along the coast and about a million bottles are produced every year; it makes an excellent accompaniment to fish. Marseillan has an advantage over the other villages, however, because it has the famous Noilly Prat factory right in the centre of town. This is well worth a visit.

There are excellent beaches all along the coast and the length of the ‘corniche’ that separates the Etang de Thau from the sea makes for a pleasant drive or bike ride.