The Kings of Bordelais
Fifteen kilometers northwest of Bordeaux, the Taillan-Médoc Forest is probably one of the most accessible spots for Sunday foragers. Beyond the many common edible woodland plants (mint, wild garlic, blackberries), the real stars here are the mushrooms. Shaggy inkcaps, chanterelles, summer boletes, and black trumpets follow one another from spring to autumn. And with 128 hectares of playground, even a casual passerby has a chance.
Smart
Accessibility : forty-five minutes by bus or tram from the city center.
The rare gem : the most sought-after mushroom in the area is certainly Boletus edulis, i.e., the Bordeaux bolete. You’ll have better chances of spotting it in early autumn.
The Salt and Tide’s Fruits
A grand bowl of sea air and a touch of iodine to put on your plate when you return home. That is what you harvest when venturing along the coastline of the Somme Bay. Obione faux-pourpier, sea rocket, maritime aster (in the photo)… The foreshore reveals, in step with the tides, a garden of halophytic edible plants. A good excuse to stroll the shoreline, head bowed toward the ground like a wader.
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Accessibility : Abbeville, the gateway to the bay, is about a half-hour by train from Amiens, and about an hour and a half from Paris.
The rare gem : nicknamed the “sea pickle,” samphire harvested in the Bay of Somme from late May to late August is the plant most sought after by professionals. It remains harvestable by everyone.
Among Mountain Flora
St. John’s wort, Alpine fennel, arnica or meadowsweet… At the gates of Saint-Étienne, the Pilat Massif is a wonderful place to begin foraging for mountain plants without long drives or demanding hikes at altitude. Even though the reliefs of these foothills of the Massif Central peak at 1,431 m, you’ll find here a plant diversity that can rival that of the nearby Alps.
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Accessibility : about an hour and a half drive from Lyon to reach the village of Le Bessat, one of the main entry points to Pilat Regional Natural Park. There, guides offer guided outings.
The rare gem : of all the fruits and berries that grow on Pilat’s slopes, it is the blueberry that attracts the most foragers. The best season to fill your baskets? From late July to late August.
➤ Article published in GEO HS magazine no.133, “France, our favorite walks for summer”, June-July 2026.
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