Between vineyards and marshes at Le Landreau

Park in the car park at the Complexe Polyvalent des Nouëlles de Landreau.

(S/E) From the car park, head due south-west, skirting the Étang de Nouëlles on the right until you reach its far end. Then head uphill, turning right then left, along the vineyards. Follow this path to the edge of the Racapé housing estate.

(1) Continue to the left, then turn right between the vineyards towards La Charpenterie. At the road in the hamlet, turn left, cross the D307 and follow it to the left for a few metres, before turning right.

(2) Head down towards the village of Douivet. Go round it on the right to reach the road to Briacé.
Follow it to the left, towards Briacé High School.

(3) Before the school, turn right towards La Chardonnière.

(4) When you reach the road, first turn right then left. Then, a little further on, turn left between the vineyards towards Bas Plantis. Walk through the wine-growing village and turn right for a few metres at the fork in the road.

(5) Turn left, between the house and the vineyards, towards the market gardens, until you reach the canal. Follow this large stream, cross the little Route des Ouches, and continue to the D7. Cross over towards Les Noues.

(6) Leave the business on your right and continue straight ahead along the shaded path. Cross to the other side via a rustic footbridge, then turn right towards the Port du Millau.

(7) Depending on the season, the route is as follows:
- in summer, go through the marsh to the right of the canal, continue to the far end, then turn left onto the shaded path towards La Hardière,
- in winter, head for La Houssaie via the road, then turn right towards La Hardière.
(¹) See further information

(8) Turn left between the vineyards. Near the D7, follow it on the right along a parallel path until you reach the road crossing and the entrance to the market garden greenhouses.

(9) Walk past the greenhouses, first turn left then right, then left again between the greenhouses and vineyards, following the yellow signposts for the local circular route. Head towards the anti-frost wind turbine on the right, leaving L’Errière on your left. Cross the road and continue straight on until you reach Route de la Bossardière.

(10) Head up to the left until you reach the junction where the road bends to the left.

(11) Head up opposite, between the vineyards, towards the four posts at the crossroads.

(12) Carry on straight ahead to La Brilletière and then turn left towards the Stop sign at Le Gotay.

(13) Carry on straight ahead, turning off the road onto the track. Further on, turn right behind the Clos des Barres to head back towards the lake and the car park (A/D).

You can top up your water supply at the start, at the foot of the hall. Toilets are nearby.

In good weather, the paths are in good condition.

( ¹ )From July onwards, take the alternative route at (7). Cross the marsh, which is ‘mown’ to the left of the canal; at the far end, rejoin the path leading to ‘la Hardière’ at (8).

In the market garden, follow the Visorando route carefully, as there were vineyards in the area around 2015 and the markers have often disappeared.

As you proceed, and particularly from (3) and (4) then (9), the vineyards give way to the multi-shed market gardens.

At (7), one can appreciate this almost untamed natural landscape, where only the annual reed harvest (known locally as ‘rouche’) has maintained the ecosystem for at least a century. This prudent management is recorded in the rural leases of that period. It is also a picnic spot which once served as an important local port for transporting Muscadet and other goods by boat to Nantes via the Goulaine and the Loire.

Numerous stone pillars marked the boundaries of the Briacé estate before it was broken up through successive sales of plots in^{the 19th} and^20th centuries. Today, and since 1957, the Château de Briacé estate has become an agricultural college offering various courses ranging from horticulture to viticulture.

Hiker’s Charter published by the village of Le Landreau
The vineyard is a shared space used for various purposes (viticulture, market gardening, livestock farming, hunting, walking). Cultivated plots may be subject to treatment. Everyone is asked to respect others’ practices to ensure harmonious coexistence.

Some paths are private; their owners have granted permission for public access.
Only by respecting the area can we ensure its long-term preservation. Please take your rubbish away with you and do not light fires.
Stay on the marked path and do not enter the plots to gather produce.

During the hunting season (Thursdays and Sundays from mid-September to February), wear high-visibility clothing.