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Walking and hiking trails winding along the hillside above the Loire floodplain between Lestiou and Avaray. An excuse to discover two pretty little villages on the Loire, it also offers the surprise of six wash houses in just five kilometres. Very discreetly located, you have to take the time to look for them: the walk then becomes a treasure hunt with well-hidden treasures. The commune of Lestiou has two, while Avaray has four, including one oval wash house.

A small stream originates in a place called Bausdisson. It flows through the town from north to south and joins the Loire after a journey of around twelve kilometres. This small river, called the Tronne, gives the town of Mer a certain charm. In fact, Mera means "marsh" or "place covered with water" in Latin, which is the origin of the name Mer.

Mer lies on, or almost on, the banks of the Loire. In the past, the bridge over the Loire linking Mer to Muides was called the Pont de Mer. Mer was once a fortified town, a large, enclosed market town smaller in size than it is today; the suburbs were not part of it. Inside the town walls, the layout was the same as it is today. Most of the narrow streets have been preserved, and the former Hôtel-Dieu has taken the place of the Marché au Beurre.