Between Saint-Fiacre and Château-Thébaud

This loop mainly takes place in the vineyards between Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine and Château-Thébaud, south of Nantes. It offers some lovely views, particularly at the Belvédère de Château-Thébaud, which overlooks the Maine. The circuit follows farm tracks through the vineyards (some of which may be private). The landscape changes with the seasons and the different colours of the vineyards.

Details

222684
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.66 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 131 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 139 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 59 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 8 m

Photos

Description of the walk

To start the walk, go to the square in front of the church in Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine.

(S/E) Turn right onto Rue d'Echichens, then after the bend, turn right onto Rue du Coteau. Go downhill and follow the stadium on your right, cross the Maine river and turn right onto the D76 for 50 metres.

(1) Take the wooden footbridge on the left to cross the ditch. Follow the path until you reach the vineyards, then turn right and continue through the vineyards until you reach the road.

(2) Take this road on the left, cross the hamlet of L'Enclose and continue for about 300 m to rejoin the path on the right that climbs up through the vineyards to the D58.

(3) Continue straight ahead on the path, cross another road and continue straight ahead again. After about 400m, turn left onto the path which becomes a road and leads to the D62 at Moulin Neuf.

(4) Cross this road, continue straight ahead for about 500m and cross the D58 to reach Le Prineau. After passing the buildings on your right, take the path on the left and continue straight ahead until you reach the village of Château-Thébaud. Follow the Grande Rue on the right and make a detour to the Belvédère, which is signposted.

(5) Continue past the church, then turn right onto Rue Coteau Monnier. Continue along the road that follows and turn right to cross the Maine at Pont Caffineau.

(6) Continue for 100 metres on the road to the left, then take the path that climbs to the right. At the crossroads, turn right and, at the top, take the first path on the left that runs between the vineyards. Turn left to cross the buildings in the hamlet of L'Ebeaupin, then take the road on the right until you reach the village of La Bretonnière. Start crossing the village (commune of Maisdon-sur-Sèvres) and pass the small pond.

(7) Turn left into the street, then at the end, turn right and left and continue to the crossroads at La Haie-Trois-Sous. Then follow the road that leaves the village on the left for 50 metres and take the first path on the left between the houses. Continue straight ahead on this path until you reach the hamlet of Saint-Georges, then take the road on the right for 100 metres.

(8) Turn right onto the path that runs alongside the last house and go down to the stream. Cross the small bridge and turn right for about 100 metres, then go up towards the vineyards on the path that branches off to the left. At the top, take the path on the right and head towards the hamlet of Le Douet.

(9) Follow the road, turn right until you reach the vineyard hut and after 100 metres turn left between the vineyards. Turn right after 150 metres, then take the path on the left when you reach the D59.

(10) Continue straight ahead until you return to the village of Saint-Fiacre. At the crossroads almost opposite the town hall, turn right towards the church and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 47 m - Church square
  2. 1 : km 0.85 - alt. 9 m - Bel Abord, fork, take the path on the left
  3. 2 : km 1.71 - alt. 45 m - At the crossroads, take the road on the left
  4. 3 : km 2.6 - alt. 56 m - D58, cross and continue straight ahead
  5. 4 : km 3.78 - alt. 52 m - Le Moulin Neuf, D62, turn opposite
  6. 5 : km 5.63 - alt. 50 m - Chateau-Thébaud, viewpoint
  7. 6 : km 6.1 - alt. 10 m - Pont Caffineau, follow the road to the left - Maine (rivière)
  8. 7 : km 7.46 - alt. 57 m - La Bretonnière, take the street on the left
  9. 8 : km 8.7 - alt. 44 m - Saint-Georges, take the path on the right
  10. 9 : km 9.19 - alt. 37 m - Le Douet
  11. 10 : km 10.03 - alt. 45 m - D59, on the left a few metres before the road
  12. S/E : km 11.66 - alt. 47 m - Church square

Notes

Accessible all year round, some muddy sections.

Several paths cross vineyards, please respect them.

Worth a visit

Château-Thébaud viewpoint overlooking the Maine.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 47 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Nath@
Nath@

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Apart from a slightly chaotic start, the hike is very pleasant and the map is very useful for navigation.

Machine-translated

HenDou
HenDou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent Château Thebaud! A beautiful walk, sometimes on a marked trail, sometimes off the beaten track. Thank you to the author.

Machine-translated

Jérôme QUAIREAU
Jérôme QUAIREAU

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Classic route with some unknown sections.

Machine-translated

Valpoche
Valpoche

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hiking mainly through vineyards, but with some very pleasant stretches through the woods. Discover the villages of Saint-Fiacre and Château-Thébaud, where you can see Emmanuel Ritz's Porte-Vue (https://www.levoyageanantes.fr/oeuvres/p).

Machine-translated

Dents blanches
Dents blanches

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

pleasant and varied, well signposted.

Machine-translated

allmitel
allmitel

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The hike is a mix between "Le circuit du bois Joli" (Chateau-Thébaud) and some elements of "Soif de nature" (which follows the Maine a little further south). This wouldn't be a problem if it didn't take you off the yellow markings (as it stands, the route requires you to follow "yellow cross" directions and the last part is unmarked).

6-7-8 The circuit seems to be a bit aimless in places, even if the hamlet of La Bretonnière is well worth a short break under the trees.

from 8-9-10: Under the blazing sun, this passage through the vineyards is quite tough. I gave in and opted for the path (unmarked but easy to follow) along the Maine towards StFiacre, where there is more shade.

Machine-translated

orvaut
orvaut

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A suggestion: start the walk near the stadium, as parking at the church square is problematic, whereas it is easier near the stadium.
Point 1: "take the wooden footbridge": be careful, there is a path right next to it that you should not take; the footbridge is well hidden.
The main attraction is the walk near the CHATEAU THEBAUD viewpoint, which is well worth the trip.
Otherwise, it's only moderately interesting. Overall, I give it 4/5
Doing the hike in the morning avoids being in the sun when it's very hot (the vineyards are not shaded...)
I followed the route using the app on my phone, which was flawless.
Regarding how busy it is: very few hikers, but there are joggers and cyclists.

Machine-translated

MSmarcelsalmon
MSmarcelsalmon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It is possible to create a shorter route: when you are at Pont Caffino, stay on the left bank of the Maine, following the local yellow signs to Bel Abord.
However, you must not ride through the vineyards without the owner's permission.

Machine-translated

lolo4944
lolo4944

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This hike mainly takes place in the vineyards, unfortunately following many roads. Nevertheless, this route allowed us to discover a wine bar (La Huchette) and a café (Aux 4 chats à l'Ebeaupin) in the vineyards. For those who don't want to get lost, I recommend using the app on your phone. By clicking on the map, you can see your position in relation to the route. This makes it impossible to stray off course or get lost. You can even improve the route by avoiding certain roads.

Machine-translated

Luc DENIS
Luc DENIS

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good

Machine-translated

Bosseau Alain
Bosseau Alain

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through the vineyards. The only downside is that when you return to Maisdon sur Sèvre, the route crosses other trails that are also marked in yellow, which is confusing and leads to detours. After Saint Georges, head down towards the stream and go up to the right to reach Le Douet.

Machine-translated

Françoise Richard
Françoise Richard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along the banks of the Maine and through the vineyards.
Great for short getaways on the paths at the start of the circuit.

Machine-translated

marcheurs44310
marcheurs44310

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, except that at point 6 we didn't see the place called L'Ébeaupin, which meant we ended up quite far from the route and ended up walking several extra kilometres

Machine-translated

DamienB
DamienB

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Enjoy your walk.
Did it with the dogs. The route is fairly well marked except at the end, where there is one section through the vineyards.
Beautiful scenery, I recommend stopping at the viewpoint for a superb view
Damien

Machine-translated

ALTHOUARE
ALTHOUARE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike between the vineyards and the Maine River, which flows through CHATEAU THEBAUD. Starting this year, don't forget to check out the Belvédère Valley located behind the town hall, 35 metres above the spot known as PONT CAFFINO.
Don't forget to bring a map or a route on your smartphone, as there are no signposts at the end of the trail.
THOUARE hike

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.