The Tide Centre

An essential part of Sablais maritime life, the Centre de Marée is a dynamic player in the Sablais economy.

Ranked 4th in France in terms of value, the people of Sablais still call this place "La Criée" (the fish auction) because fish used to be sold only by voice.

A look back at its history...

The very 1st fish market in Les Sables d'Olonne opened on 1 May 1833. Located on the quay opposite the port, on the site of the current Franqueville building, it was the first building devoted entirely to the sale of fish.
At the end of the 19th century, the town decided to build a brand new, larger building on the same site, in keeping with the taste of the time. For Les Sables d'Olonne, this was a pivotal period: the growth of the port thanks to sardine and tuna fishing went hand in hand with that of the seaside resort. This led to far-reaching changes in the area around the fishmonger's: the construction of rue Bisson to link the port and the beach, the building of the central market hall, the setting up of fish canning factories, etc.
Émile Bellanger, the town's architect, was in charge of building a large hall with over 2,200m² of open space, featuring a steel framework and glass roofs.
This second fish market was inaugurated on 1 June 1885 and included 34 tidal huts, offices and a 30m² seawater tank. Later, in 1920, it was modernised and, above all, electrified by the architect Charles Smolski. The landed fish were then spread out on tables and sold by shouting the prices "à l'encan", i.e. by auction, to the highest bidder.
From 1888 onwards, a ferry terminal was set up opposite, on the "Quai de la Poissonnerie", and a tidal train ensured deliveries to Paris until the end of the 1950s.
More anecdotally, in the 1950s, wrestling matches were held in the fish market! They were organised by the famous "Tigres Vendéens" club (now TVEC 85 in Les Sables d'Olonne).
The 1960s sounded the death knell for the old fishmonger's.
In 1956, Charles Rousseau's council decided to build a new, larger "tidal centre", with a 150 m quay and 8 cranes for unloading fish. The site chosen was the old hunting bridge linking the commercial port and Les Sables d'Olonne at the end of the harbour, and part of the marshes were filled in to make way for the Auction car park.
The new tidal centre was inaugurated by the Minister of Public Works, Mr Robert Biron, on 10 September 1961, and the municipality entrusted its management to the Vendée Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
It was on this date that the former fishmonger's ceased trading. The building was demolished in 1967 to make way for the construction of the Franqueville and Corolle apartment blocks.
The same year saw the opening of the "Pilote" fishmonger's at the entrance to Quai Franqueville. This opened up the retail sale of fish to the general public. It underwent a complete overhaul in 2007, in a style inspired by the metal halls of the late 19th century, as an admiring echo of the old fish market.
In 2022, the Sablais fish market ranked first in the Vendée and 4th in France in terms of value. Since September 2021, the tidal centre has benefited from a complete overhaul and a 7,500 m² extension as part of the "Vendée Pêche" project. It has 21 approved tidal huts (from 105 to 340 m²), a large cold room open 24 hours a day and 7 shellfish tanks. Every morning from 4.15am, 92 approved buyers take part in the two computerised sales.
If you'd like to attend the auction and find out everything there is to know about life at the tidal centre, take one of the guided tours of the auction organised by the Meravenir association.