Lorient - Languidic

Departure from Lorient station. Cycle route marked by green signs and pictograms on the road.

(S) From the station, walk along the bus station platform and continue straight ahead, following the railway line to Rue Étienne Guillamet.

(1) Continue straight ahead and turn left onto the cycle path along the Scorff river. Pass under the railway bridge and take the Pont des Indes bridge on the right.

(2) Turn right to follow the river, then take the second street on the left (Rue Raymont Guillemot) and follow it.

(3) At the roundabout, go straight ahead onto the avenue and at the next roundabout, turn right onto the cycle path under the bridge.

(4) Turn left onto Rue de Lann Gazec and stay on the main road. Go straight ahead at the roundabout.

(5) At the double roundabout on Avenue Pablo Neruda, take the second exit, then the first right, cross the railway line and turn left onto Rue André Malraux, then take the second street on the right (Rue Jules Romain).

(6) At the crossroads at the end, turn right onto Rue Jean Rostand and leave the centre of Lanester. Continue along this road with a chaussidou until you reach the four-way crossroads.

(7) Continue straight ahead, ignoring the turnings, until you pass under the four-lane road at Ty Neüé.

(8) Pass under the bridge, then over the railway line, and you will arrive at a roundabout.

(9) Go straight ahead (second exit) and drive past the emergency services centre. Follow Rue Damien Hochet to the end.

(10) Turn right onto Rue François Le Vouedec and stay on the main road. At the car park, take the path on the right and follow the cycle path that crosses Rue René Cassin.

(11) Continue straight ahead and stay on the right, then continue along Rue Alexandre Le Chenadec and Rue Voltaire.

(12) At the end, cross Avenue de la République and go straight ahead into the alleyway that runs down alongside the stone wall.

(13) At the bottom, turn left onto Rue de la Gare, then take the path immediately on the right at the corner of house no. 17. Follow it, cross the street and continue along the railway tracks until you reach the banks of the Blavet.

(14) Follow Rue du Viaduc on the left and take the first right to reach the banks of the Blavet.

(15) Turn left onto the street, then opposite at the roundabout to continue along the quays.

(16) Turn right and cross the footbridge, then turn left at the end and follow the towpath until you reach a fork.

(17) Continue straight ahead on the towpath until you reach La Bergerie.

(18) Stay on the towpath until you reach the Polvern lock.

(19) Continue along the towpath until you reach the Grand Barrage.

(20) Stay on the towpath until you reach Langroix.

(21) Continue along the Blavet, ignoring the streets on the right and left, to reach the Quelennec lock.

(22) Continue straight ahead along the street, following the Blavet.

(23) Stay on the towpath at the Mané er Vern lock and continue to Pont Augan (E).

Route marked by cycle route signs with the inscription V8. For more information on the V8 (from Lorient to Saint-Brieuc), visit the France Vélo Tourisme website.

Railway bridge: with the arrival of the railway in Lorient in 1862, crossing the Scorff required the construction of a major engineering structure, which was a real technical challenge. Ten granite masonry arches and three metal spans connect the two banks. The project manager for the company Nepveu, which built the bridge, was none other than Gustave Eiffel. In 1910, a footbridge attached to the metal structure allowed pedestrians to cross the Scorff for a toll of one sou.

Pont des Indes: the Pont des Indes bridge was opened in 2007. The pavements and sheltered viewing platforms offer views of the Scorff.

Scorff Estuary: originating in the Côtes d'Armor, the Scorff flows for nearly 75 km before emptying into the sea. Its estuary stretches for 12 km, from Bas Pont-Scorff to Lorient. Its landscape reveals the meeting point between the river and the sea, fresh water and salt water.

The Kerhono battery: these ramparts, pierced with firing slits, are the remains of the Kerhono coastguard battery, known as the "Green Battery" in^{the 18th} century. It was built in 1746 to help defend the town of Lorient from attack by the English.

Marais de la Goden: located in a peri-urban area, the Marais de la Goden is a 22-hectare site comprising saltwater and brackish wetlands on the edge of the Blavet estuary. Initially intended for industrialisation, it has become a sensitive natural area, developed and protected to maintain and enhance its biological richness. The level and composition of the water change with the tides, as fresh water and sea water mix. The Marais de la Goden is also a paradise for birds.

Hennebont: welcome to Hennebont, a historic town with a sheltered harbour in the Blavet estuary. On your left, you can see the remains of the Old Town on the promontory, where the first castle mound was built in^{the 11th} century. A walled town with ramparts and towers, belonging to the Duke of Brittany, then developed on the other bank from the^13th century onwards.

The Blavet: 163 kilometres long, the Blavet river rises in the village of Bourbriac in the Côtes-d'Armor department and flows to Guerlédan, where a hydroelectric dam, built in the 1930s, forms a 304-hectare lake. From the^19th century onwards, the river was canalised and the section of the river up to Pontivy forms part of the Nantes-Brest Canal. Bridges, ports and locks were built up to the gates of Hennebont, as well as a towpath allowing goods to be transported on barges. This infrastructure enabled the establishment of the Hennebont Forges in Inzinzac-Lochrist.

From the abbey to the stud farms: behind these high walls lie the remains of the former Cistercian abbey of Notre-Dame-de-Joye, founded in^{the 13th} century by Blanche of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany. The Maison des Confesseurs, dating from 1669, housed the priests who served this female community. In the upper part, national stud farms were created in 1857 for the breeding of horses for the cavalry and agriculture. Today, they have been transformed into a horse discovery centre with guided tours, activities and equestrian shows.

From Hingair to Talhoët: on the other side of the Blavet, the 37-hectare Hingair departmental forest stretches out. On the riverbank, the village of Hingair still has traditional houses dating from^{the 17th to 19th} centuries, where the old mill of Notre Dame de-Joye Abbey once stood. On this side, the Talhoët woods occupy the promontory, the site of former quarries worked under the Ancien Régime, but especially in^{the 19th} and^20th centuries.

The Polvern lock: the first lock on the Nantes-Brest canal, built on a large section of the Blavet between 1806 and 1825, the Polvern lock is distinctive with its dam, canal and lock keeper's house. This system was very useful for transport, particularly for local production from the forges and quarries. It was completed in 1923 by one of the Morbihan railway lines, which runs behind the lock keeper's house. This small train transported goods to Hennebont station.

The Korriganez: this unusual boat is a Dutch barge located along the Blavet. Built in 1907 in Hoozegand in the Netherlands, it sailed until the late 1980s, transporting goods between the Netherlands and Germany. It was then sold in 1983 and converted into a home.

The Kerglaw forges: the Gorêts and Grand Barrage locks and dams were installed on the site of the former mills and fishery of the Abbaye de la Joye. On the other bank, the Kerglaw forges were established in 1864 and operated until 1966. There are still many remains of this important industrial site on both banks, including the former hydroelectric power station, warehouses, offices, and engineers' and workers' houses. On the Lochrist side, you can discover the history of the former industrial site of the Black Valley at the Ecomusée des Forges and on the heritage trail information boards.

The Île de Locastel: already serving as a ford for the Roman road from Vannes to Quimper, the Île de Locastel is a strategic point for crossing the Blavet. In the^14th century, the site was home to a priory belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Gildas de Rhuys. In^{the 19th} century, a lock and lock keeper's house known as Langroix were built there. In 1872, rolling mills and a galvanising hall for the Forges were installed there. Today, it is a popular site, particularly for its water sports activities with the Lochrist White Water Park.

Along the Blavet: as you leave the town, you can still see the properties of the "masters" of the Forges, the Bunz, on the right bank, of which the landscaped park with its remarkable trees remains, and, further on, the Château de Locqueltas. These estates contrast with the workers' housing built above the towpath. A little further on, you will pass the Coët er Ver water treatment plant, which, together with the Scorff, supplies most of the drinking water to the population of the Pays de Lorient.

The canal, a complex hydraulic machine: the canal is a complex and precise hydraulic machine, based on hydrodynamics and designed by civil engineers. Each element is essential and has a role to play: the channels supply the canal with water, the locks tame it and make navigation possible, and the bridges connect the two banks of the waterway and facilitate communication. The towpath completes this system, allowing boats to travel upstream by being pulled by horses.
Facilitating the movement of goods and raw materials, canals and rivers contributed to the economic development of Brittany until the early^20th century, particularly in agriculture and industry. In 1910, 3,220 boats travelled between Pontivy and Hennebont, transporting 176,126 tonnes of goods, including fertiliser, sand, limestone, timber for construction and heating, as well as iron ore and coke from Bilbao and coal from Wales.

Kerousse lock in Languidic: on the other side of the Blavet, you can see a hydroelectric power station, a reminder that the hydraulic power of rivers has always been used by man, first for mills and then for electricity production in^{the 20th} century. There are eight such power stations on the Blavet, the largest of which is still the one at Lac de Guerlédan.

The lock houses of the Blavet: the lock houses of the Blavet Canal are staff accommodation that was intended for lock keepers. Designed by civil engineers, these houses were built in series, hence their repetitive character, after the locks and weirs of the canal, on the towpath side. Today, 27 lock houses remain on 29 lock sites along the Blavet Canal. Over the years, the houses have been enlarged to meet the needs of the lock keepers' families. Lean-tos or extensions have been added to the gables of 21 of the 27 lock houses. Each lock house has been assigned a number.

Rudet lock: located on the Languidic side, the Rudet lock, which has a spillway and a mechanical footbridge, provides access to the other bank at Penquesten, part of the municipality of Inzinzac-Lochrist. The hamlet of Rudet, or Roidet as it was formerly known, was an important village around 1835, comprising a dozen buildings on the hill and two mills on the stream flowing into the Blavet: the Kerlutune mills and the Roidet mill.
It was in this cove that a slipway for barges was installed in^{the 20th} century. Four double rails allowed the barges to be raised and lowered, each carrying a trolley. Between each rail, halfway up the slope and at the top of the slipway, two concrete posts were used to rest the barge on dry land for maintenance and repairs. The gear wheel and rope winches, operated by cranks, are still in place.

The Pont-Neuf: not yet listed on the Napoleonic land registry in 1835 or on staff maps prior to 1866, the Pont Neuf is one of a number of bridges built at the end of^{the 19th century} in connection with the expansion of the road network and the crossing of waterways. Here, the D102 provided a direct link between Languidic and Inzinzac-Lochrist, Lanvaudan and Bubry. It is a three-arch bridge with rounded granite piers at the upstream and downstream corners. On the right bank, a landing stage and granite mooring bollards were installed, indicating that after the road was built, this was a stopping place for boatmen. It was also quite natural that several buildings were constructed at this crossroads, first a café on your left, on the Languidic side, then, after 1950, partly due to the beauty of the site and the development of tourism, the Pont Neuf inn on your right.

The incredible life of the boatmen: on the Blavet and the towpath, the sailors and their families travelled, living on board all year round. Sailing day and night in the heyday on their non-motorised wooden barges, they drifted down with the current or were pulled upstream by horses and their sailors. The stream barge was also very common, not to mention the Breton barge. The Hennebont boat, a small estuary and river boat, could carry up to 40 tonnes of mine posts or coal.
A non-motorised barge travelled 30 km per day, passing through four to five locks, while a motorised barge could travel up to 50 km. Downstream boats had priority over upstream boats, as they were not in control of their manoeuvres and could not brake.

From Languidic to Quistinic: in this steep-sided, wooded part of the valley, the Blavet serves as a natural border between the communes of Languidic and Quistinic. Villages with typical stone houses are hidden either on the high plateaus of the valley or in the grassy plains not far from the river.
The Blavet is also appreciated for its fish. The old eel fisheries, of which only a few remains are left following the canalisation of the river, have been replaced by anglers. Here they catch iconic migratory freshwater fish such as salmon and eel, as well as pike, carp, zander and perch.

Kilometre markers: along the towpath, you may sometimes see small granite blocks. Rectangular in shape, rounded at the top and planted about 1 metre away from the towpath, these are kilometre markers, which count the distances along the canal. They allowed boatmen to calculate the distance travelled and the distance to be travelled to the next stage. The main side of the markers shows the kilometres from each end of the canal, Pontivy and Hennebont. On the other hand, the narrower side of the marker, which faced the boatmen guiding the horses or pulling the barge, showed the distances remaining to Pontivy, Hennebont or Saint-Nicolas-des-Eaux, an intermediate stop. Between Pontivy and Hennebont, 51 markers have been identified.

Lock and lock keeper's house no. 19 in Minazen: the Minazen lock is located in the commune of Languidic. Between April and early October, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., you can enjoy a guinguette, with tables and armchairs set up in the cool shade of the trees on the banks of the Blavet. Find all the practical information you need on the Facebook page of the "Bar Glacier de Minazen". Toilet facilities are available next to the open-air café.

The decline of navigation: rivalled first by the railway, then by roads, in this case the departmental road linking Baud to Guémené-sur-Scorff, which opened in 1936, navigation on the Blavet gradually declined. The Nantes-Brest canal maintained its traffic until 1914 thanks to fares that were 40% lower than those of the trains. However, technical constraints, the increase in draught from 1.10 metres to 1.65 metres in 1860, flooding, the narrowness of the canals and arches, their maintenance, and the slowness and low tonnage of the boats made this mode of transport unviable. It was commercially doomed from the beginning of^{the 20th} century. In 1920, the State granted a joint venture the section between Guerlédan and Bon Repos to build a hydroelectric power plant. The dam, built between 1924 and 1930, flooded eight locks and interrupted traffic. The Union Hydroélectrique Armoricaine, which was supposed to restore navigation with a boat lift, failed to do so. Around 1960, the advent of river tourism saved the abandoned infrastructure, giving it a new purpose.

Pont-Augan: this site developed with the canalisation of the Blavet, creating a real port here with stone-lined banks and mooring bollards on the towpath side. In 1929, the two bridges over the Blavet and the Evel, built of cut stone, had already been constructed, but there was only one house on the Baud side, set back from the water at a place called Banevel. The village of Pont Augant was located further up on the Quistinic side, on the site of the current Kermaniec. Over time, new buildings sprang up around the "Pont au Gant", such as the coaching inn that became the Rendez-vous du Pêcheur.