The Nantes-Brest Canal

For a countryside holiday in Pays de la Loire, opt for the lush green setting along the Nantes-Brest canal. This stretch of water is a veritable veritable ridge of nature, where you can enjoy walks and study. We give you a few tips for places to visit and places to discover at the gateway to Southern Brittany!

Your green day

The canal runs from north of Nantes, from the Erdre, to cover 360 km across the Armorican massif to the far west of Brittany. The canal in Loire-Atlantique is fully maintained and showcased to offer you a unique nature tourism experience. 

Join the canal from Nantes or Rennes to immerse yourself in this authentic, verdant countryside as soon as the fine weather arrives. For a weekend or more, you can breathe in the calm that emanates from the waters of the canal. 

There are many walks in the area, along the towpath that runs alongside the canal. They will take you through woods and fields, as in the Héric or Fégréac countryside, or along the canal's feeder channels, as near the Languin mine. You can also explore the nearby Forêt du Gâvre, the largest state-owned forest in Loire-Atlantique. During these walks, you will have the opportunity to observe the rich fauna and beautiful flora that thrive here. 

The region's canal and bodies of water will also delight pêche enthusiasts.If you'd like to sail on the canal, head to Sucé-sur-Erdre, where Bretagne Fluviale offers boat hire without a licence for the day. https://www.bretagne-fluviale.com/  The canal will then offer itself to you and you will be delighted by its tranquillity 

Le canal ou le vélo au fil de l’eau

The Nantes-Brest canal is also an ideal tourist route in the Pays de la Loire region. The towpath is a section of the parcours Vélodyssée and offers a clean, secure site for cyclists. From the stations at Redon or Nort-sur-Erdre, you can reach the canal and cycle for miles in complete peace and quiet. By following the canal, you'll also benefit from a virtually flat road throughout your journey, ideal for novices. 

The clusières houses that line your route will offer you the opportunity for a lovely stopover. Each one is unique, but all have a friendly atmosphere. Delight in the garden cuisine at the Touche- Tout cluse in Guenrou, or enjoy the guinguette spirit at the Cramezeul cluse in Nort-sur-Erdre, with its cafés and live music. The clusiers will advise and guide you for your séjour. 

Then in the villages (or nearby) you're bound to find a great address for a stop-off on your journey, with gîtes and chambres d’hôtes labelled Gîtes de France®;. From simple strolls to long distances, this low-speed mode of séjour in Loire-Atlantique offers an outing in the heart of nature and the opportunity for a déconnecting break. 

All you have to do now is get in the saddle!

Villages along the Nantes-Brest Canal

The villages near the Nantes-Brest canal are places where life is simple and peaceful. You can be sure of a warm welcome and of finding all the amenities you need for your day-to-day life. Heritage and leisure activities await you for a great day out.

You will love Nort-sur-Erdre for its peace and quiet around a vibrant town. Shops and markets will delight you with their good local produce, then you can move on to nature with walks and activities on the banks of the Erdre and the Nantes à Brest canal. Nort-sur-Erdre boasts more than 100 kilometres of footpaths, which have been upgraded and signposted. With family or friends, on foot or by bike, they are accessible to everyone! You'll be delighted by the arched structures of the canal's feeder channel, the Blanche-Noë marshes, the Chapelle des Mineurs, and its three-hundred-year-old cèdre du Liban, then the Quiheix écluse, the meeting point between Erdre and canal.

À Blain, you can discover the splendid château de la Groulais. This ancient 12th-century medieval fortress, a place of defence on the border between France and Brittany, is very well preserved. You can admire the ramparts and towers, the Renaissance-style logis du Roy and the French-style gardens. The château de la Groulaie is open for free visits from 1 April to 30 September.

The town also includes a rich local heritage, such as Saint-Laurent Church, the Manoir de la cour mortier and the Chapelle Saint-Roch.

The Blain tourist office hosts exhibitions dedicated to the town's history (prehistoric and antique relics, reconstructions of old buildings). You will also find a large collection of crèches from the French provinces and around the world, as well as a collection of thousands of fèves from all over the world.

A little further west, at the gateway to Brittany, the village of Guenrouët offers the perfect tranquillity of country holiday villages. You can take advantage of the Saint-Clair water sports centre, where walkers and canal boats stop off. Here you can take part in a range of leisure activities such as swimming (outdoor pool open during the summer), paddle-boarding, canoeing, kayaking and bike hire, orienteering and mini-golf. An ideal place and activities for good times with family or friends! 

At Fégréac, you can enjoy the Bellion site, with a whole natural area around its écluse facing à the river La Vilaine. Nearby, you will discover the pretty little chapel of Saint Jacques and the quarry site. Here you will find a beautiful 12-metre-high wooden dome built by the Russian artist Polissky with the help of local residents. This unusual structure offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area. Not to be missed! The quarry is also a venue for theatrical performances in summer.

For swimming, see the tang de l’Aumée (supervised swimming in July and August). 

Life's sweetness and tranquility will be the common threads running through your nature holidays along the Nantes-Brest Canal. An unmissable tourist attraction in the Loire-Atlantique region, this natural greenway is the destination you need to get away from it all. It will help you forget your worries and immerse yourself in the heart of nature, whether you're into lounging, hiking or sightseeing!