An unusual village in the Camargue: Salin-de-Giraud. Discovering the southern settlement.

The village of Salin-de-Giraud is located to the south-east of the Camargue delta, in the town of Arles but 40 km from the city center. Located on the right bank of the Grand Rhône. Phone: 04 42 86 89 77 ot-arles@arlestourisme.com www.arlestourisme.com

The church of Barcarin stands a little away from the village of Salin-de-Giraud, on the banks of the river.

Last caretaker's hut in the village. Basic constructions, but very carefully adapted to a harsh climate, the Camargue cabins punctuate the flatness of the delta with their emblematic silhouette. Heirs to the first types of habitat that appeared in the Camargue, they were once built using only locally available materials. They will have sheltered fishermen, shepherds, farmers, basket makers, salt workers or herdsmen, before currently experiencing a mainly tourist vocation.

Crossing the Rhône was possible from 1933 thanks to a first winch ferry. But the latter was destroyed during the Second World War. The new diesel ferry did not come into operation until 1955. A rail ferry for the transport of salt was created in 1957. The fourth and the fifth Barcarin ferry were installed in 1987 and 2012 allowing the current crossing of a bank. to the other of the river.

The Solvay settlement was built between 1896 and 1902 by the Belgian company which imported its architectural model of red bricks. This model reproduced the corporate hierarchy from the director's house to gangs of working-class houses. The company steeped in paternalism built for its employees a hospital, a school group, a post office, a cinema, a sports field, arenas as well as the Solvay Circle.