The Acheneau Marshes and Buzay Meadow by bike

Start from the church in Vue.

(S/E) From the church, follow the D723 westwards until you reach the Les Noës roundabout.

(1) Turn left towards Chéméré, pass a disused chapel, and let the road to Chauvé branch off to the right. Carry on straight on towards Chéméré, then, after passing a small copse, take the first left towards La Morlière.

(2) Carry on straight towards Rouans, passing through several hamlets, including the imposing site of Port Sinan (a former care home converted into a technology park). Approach the village of Rouans from the west, which is overlooked by its imposing church without a bell tower.

(3) Pass the church and take the first road on the right as it descends, to join the Route de Sainte-Pazanne, which you should follow due south. After crossing a small valley, the road curves to the left and begins to climb the opposite slope, until you pass the last residential estates that extend from the village.

(4) At the top of the slope, turn left towards La Castière. Pass through another residential estate before turning right to go through the old part of the village and reach the first marsh.
After passing the Gravelle farm, the road descends towards the banks of the Acheneau, which can be seen here winding through the marsh.

(5) From Port de la Gravelle, the road veers away from the marshes once more and climbs towards La Douceterie. Turn left at the first road and pass through La Maison Neuve after leaving the road to Le Bec on your left.

(6) At La Robinière, weave your way to the right between two buildings, heading due south until you come to a crossroad. At the junction, turn left and head down to the bridge crossing the Blanche.

(7) Turn left immediately after the bridge and follow the river downstream to Buzon. You’ll come across a beautiful marshland landscape, a haven for all manner of waders and other, less visible birds.

(8) When you reach the road that skirts the hamlet, turn right and then left a few dozen metres further on, to cross it via its main street. As you pass through, take note of some fine examples of restored old houses.
On leaving the village, head straight on along the road that crosses the marsh to reach the Cheix-en-Retz bridge.

(9) Situated at the confluence of the Blanche and the Acheneau/Tenu, the Cheix-en-Retz bridge takes you to the northern bank of the marsh. Walk up a street lined with detached houses, then, when you reach the cemetery, turn left to reach the heart of the village. Turn right at the town hall, then walk round the church on the right to reach the street that winds down towards the river in a wide left-hand bend. When you reach the water’s edge, continue to the right to reach the Pierre Tremblante. This is a large rock slab which, if its name is to be believed, moves. There is a sweeping view of the marsh from this bend in the river.

(10) Retrace your steps, leaving the road you came down on your left, and continue for about 150 metres until you find another lane leading back up towards the church. Once you reach the church, walk past it on the left (or cycle round it on the right), and leave the village via Rue des Hauts-Bois, which leads back up towards the D723.

(11) As you reach the departmental road, take the cycle path which branches off to the left before the junction. After 200 m, you’ll come out onto an old disused road; follow this until you reach the hamlet of La Porcherie. Turn left and cycle through the village, then follow the road down towards the marsh, passing through the hamlets of La Petite Angle and La Grande Angle. There’s a lovely view of the marsh between the two hamlets.

(12) Once past La Grande Angle, head back up the road which joins the D723. Just before reaching it, turn left towards Le Moulin de Bec, then turn left again at the next junction, about 500 metres further on.
The road leading towards the marsh turns into a lovely sandy track, which follows the high-water mark of the Marais de la Raffinière.
Take a left-hand bend to go round a pond carved out of the marsh, then the track curves widely to the right before heading back towards the houses next to the Messan Bridge, where the Canal de Buzay begins.

(13) When you come out onto the D66, turn right and follow this road until you reach the junction with the D723. Cross this road carefully and continue straight ahead. The road runs alongside the Canal de Buzay at some distance, though the canal itself is not visible. It is only after passing Les Grandes Rivières that it draws closer to the canal again, just before reaching the Pont Rouge.

(14) The only part of this bridge that is red is the parapets, but this gives it an elegance that its counterparts lack.
Leave the bridge on your left and continue along the right bank of the canal. Two hundred metres further on, the route veers away from the canal once more to pass through a stretch of wooded countryside. At the first crossroads, turn left towards Buzay.

(15) Whilst the tall tower of the former abbey will dominate the entire landscape right up until you return to Vue, you almost have to reach its very foot to spot it.
It is the only remaining part of the monastery that housed the monks who were responsible for draining the surrounding marshes, reclaimed from the banks of the royal river, which now flows more than a kilometre to the north.
Go round the houses on the left to reach the bridge crossing the canal. Note the row of colourful houses lining the left bank of the waterway.

(16) Cross the bridge and turn right, then follow the left bank past the Buzay lock until you reach the dam of the same name, on the other side of the Canal de la Martinière.

(17) Return to the Buzay bridge via the same route until you reach the colourful houses

(16) Turn right to follow the road that runs alongside the drainage channel to the south of the Canal de la Martinière, passing through La Chenorde, Le Pavillon and Redfou. Each of these hamlets comprises just a single dwelling, completely isolated between the canal and the marshes.

(18) After the Château, the road bends to the left and follows an embankment that runs some distance alongside the former course of the Tenu.

(19) At Les Gannes, leave the embankment and head back towards the Prairie de Buzay. At the far end of this vast, completely open space, dotted with a few herds, stands the tower of the former abbey, a reminder of the monks’ former hold over the entire region.
Pass two more farms on either side of the road before reaching the first slopes, which signal the end of the marsh.

(20) The road climbs gently until it reaches the first houses of the hamlet of Vue, eventually joining the D723. Turn right and follow this busy road with care until you return to the church, 500 metres further on (S/E).

The villages of Vue, Rouans and Cheix-en-Retz have a few shops. But if you’re planning to eat along the way, opt for a picnic. It’s more reliable than trying to find a welcoming restaurant, and there’s no shortage of pleasant spots along the route.

When we first explored this route, the Cheix bridge and the road leading to it were under construction. For a few more weeks, avoid this area on weekdays, as passage may be difficult or even prohibited.

The D723 (Nantes/St Brévin), which you’ll cross or follow several times, is a very busy road. So please take care when using it.

The Acheneau is the name of the outlet watercourse from Lac de Grand-Lieu, but what exactly does this name refer to?
Whilst the map shows this name between Port-St-Père and Rouans, it becomes the Canal de Buzay downstream of Messan (cut through the Prairie de Buzay), or reverts to the Tenu from Rouans onwards (where it has retained its original course). And apparently the locals only refer to it as the Tenu in this section of the watercourse. According to some, the Acheneau is merely the outlet channel for the lake, between the lake and the Tenu, south of Bouaye.

On the structure overlooking the Buzay dam, take the time to study the mural explaining the very distinctive workings of the marshes and watercourses between the Loire and Bourgneuf Bay. In this very flat countryside, water doesn’t always flow in the direction you’d expect!

Another option for a lovely cycle ride is to go from Paimboeuf to La Martinière, following the canal of the same name, which forms part of the “Loire à Vélo” cycle route. Allow a good forty kilometres there and back.