Pontchâteau walks

On your way to and from Pontchâteau town centre, discover the Brière marshes. With a bit of luck (in season), you may spot a nest of storks.

A route through the lower part of the village, taking you past the lake, Saint-Victor Chapel, the old railway line, the streams that feed the water table, the Tour d’Enfer and the village centre. Easy, as much of the route follows small country lanes.

Discover the islands of Saint-Joachim and some of the islands of Saint-Malo-de-Guersac by bike, with some beautiful views of the Brière marshes.

Walk along the edge of the Grande Brière. As you circle the village, you will discover meadows sometimes flooded by the rising spring waters, separated by the canals you will be walking alongside. In Rozé, you can climb up to a viewpoint to enjoy a view of the entire Grande Brière.

Farming in the marshes has always relied on mowing and grazing the meadows when they were no longer covered in water. Cows prefer dry land to the aquatic environment, and providing them with winter refuge areas is key to ensuring the continuation of this farming practice. This route invites you to discover the pastures of La Chapelle des Marais.

Traced along the Sillon de Bretagne, this route offers beautiful views of the Loire Estuary. Whether along sunken paths or through the undergrowth, this walk crosses four pleasant, shaded valleys. In spring, these green corridors, rich in botanical and faunal diversity, are carpeted with daffodils and frequented by kestrels.

The village of Saint-Dolay overlooks the plateau that borders the south bank of the Vilaine. This flat landscape is cut by a valley with sometimes steep slopes, where the Moulin Neuf stream flows. While moors cover the slopes and heights of the valley, marshes and peat bogs cover the bottom. Add to this variety of vegetation a remarkable geological diversity, and you will have many reasons to explore this route.

Passing through villages, tree-lined paths and the towpath of the Nantes-Brest Canal, this walk is an opportunity to observe ducks, foxes, swans, coots and deer, if you keep a low profile.

The Isac Valley connects Guenrouët to the Vilaine. Small country roads and wide carriageways, then the towpath of the Nantes-Brest Canal, lead to the Bellion Lock, a nautical stop at the confluence of the canal and the Vilaine. The return journey is the same, via other equally pleasant routes. A bucolic atmosphere is guaranteed on this ride on the edge of the Pays de Redon.

After the lake of Vallée Mabile, the path leads the hiker below the Sillon de Bretagne to the marsh and its moat lined with trees and reeds, populated by grey herons feeding among the cows. You may also come across the corncrake, the bird with the most distinctive song.

A lovely countryside walk, with a variety of paths that are mostly shaded, beautiful scenery and, at the start and finish, the stunning view of Lac de la Vallée Mabille.

The Château de Ranrouët is a medieval gem nestled on the edge of the marshes. Here, there is no fortified rock, but a slight elevation in the greenery. The marshes that surround it provided protection, and the proposed route winds through the surrounding countryside where land and water constantly mix.

Remnants of a time when much of what enabled the people of Bréca to make a living was extracted from the marsh, thatched cottages are still very much in evidence around Saint-Lyphard. There are said to be no fewer than 500 of them. To discover this exceptional heritage, why not hop on your bike and explore the narrow roads and farm tracks that criss-cross the Saint-Lyphard area? A complete change of scenery is guaranteed!

The trail starts at the port of Lavau-sur-Loire and takes you to the Observatory with a magnificent view of the marshes and the Loire. The walk then continues to the Étangs du Trou Bleu, a former blue granite quarry. Next, enjoy a country walk to the Fresnier marsh with its canals populated by storks.

Passing through clay extraction sites and former pottery villages, this route pays tribute to one of Herbignac’s traditional trades, which continued until the mid-20th century.

A very pretty route which starts in the countryside and forest and then follows the course of the Vilaine river. The start and finish are at the very pretty port of La Roche-Bernard.

Although La Roche-Bernard is an urban centre that locals refer to as a ‘town’, its area (40 ha) and population (approx. 700 inhabitants) make it one of the smallest county towns in France. It is surrounded by the communes of Nivillac, Herbignac and Férel, across which the majority of the urban area is spread. The proposed route takes you around the area.

An hour-and-a-half circuit with a few tricky sections. This pleasant walk alternates seamlessly between passages at water's edge and ridge-climbing, and also spans two bridges some 50 m above the Vilaine. The bridge circuit allows you to discover a small section of the river as it crosses the Sillon de Bretagne. Get your calves ready!

As you approach La Roche-Bernard, the Vilaine river winds its way through the geological folds of southern Armorica. The result is a rugged, wooded landscape that is very pleasant to walk through.

Discover the many facets of the city: the port, museums, the Loire estuary, the beach, beautiful mansions, parks and shopping streets.

A pleasant walk starting from Place Bougainville in St-Brévin-les-Pins, first following the beach southwards, then turning north through the village centre to explore the countryside before returning along the Loire.

A route to walk alongside the Loire River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In Saint-Nazaire-Plage, the seaside promenade is very popular with Nazairians. It is open to the Loire estuary and its maritime traffic. Further on, on the beautiful coastal path, open to the south, and shaded by pine trees, you sometimes have the feeling of being on the edge of the Mediterranean. ⚠️ Hiking poles prohibited on the Nazairian coastal path

Located opposite La Roche-Bernard, on the other bank of the Vilaine, the commune of Marzan stretches across a plateau overlooking the river. On these heights, exposed to sea winds, the remains of several windmills can still be seen. Streams have carved out the rock and flow at the bottom of the valleys. Where it was possible to dam them, water mills were built. The proposed route takes you from one to the other through varied and pleasant countryside.

Le port de Foleux marque la limite occidentale des marais de Redon. À cet endroit, la Vilaine se resserre et se fraie un passage entre les reliefs du Sillon de Bretagne. Le circuit proposé permet de découvrir la rive Sud de ce goulet. Il parcourt le bord de l'eau et joue aux montagnes russes à travers le relief assez accidenté de Nivillac.

Saint Cornely is the patron saint of horned animals. It is therefore fitting that his chapel is located in a very agricultural part of Péaule. But during this walk, which criss-crosses the plateau above the Vilaine, you will have other things to do than count cows and other quadrupeds. Keep your eyes open, there is much to see in this meander of the Vilaine

North of La Roche-Bernard, the Vilaine has carved its bed into a rocky plateau, and the streams that join it have also settled in fairly steep valleys. The remains of windmills on the heights and watermills along the streams mark this route, which winds around the former estate of Fescal Castle. This route runs mainly through wooded areas, interspersed with wooded hedgerow landscapes.

The Péaule countryside has a rather unique network of paths. Land consolidation has not been destructive here, and large, beautiful hedges still line the roads. Elsewhere, the Vilaine and its tributary streams have carved into the rocky plateau to create a generally wooded landscape where you can take a stroll. The long route on offer allows you to enjoy these different but always interesting landscapes, which follow one another during a beautiful day's walk.

Two circular walks starting from Le Pointeau, on the beach and then along the edge of the dune cordon. Discover the Pointeau site, a key location in the Atlantic Wall.

The commune of Péaule is located on a plateau that has been carved out by rivers, creating valleys of varying depths. In the eastern part of the commune, these valleys, which lead towards the Vilaine, create a forest atmosphere that is pleasant to walk through. Deciduous trees on the slopes and at the bottom of the valley, and conifers on the moors at the top, provide the setting for this well-shaded walk, where sunken paths give way to tree-lined avenues.

On theGR®®34, along the Loire estuary, from the Ville ès Martin lighthouse to Pointe de Chémoulin. Two return trips, which can be adjusted as desired, starting from the Plage de la Courance car park.Please note! To avoid a long and unpleasant detour, it is best to start this hike at low tide.

This route allows you to explore the lesser-known areas behind Pornichet than the coastal path.

On theGR®®34, between Petite Vallée Beach and Pointe du Bé, passing by Pointe de Chémoulin, a beautiful site on the Côte Sauvage, then along the dune cordon of Old Pornichet and beautiful beaches.

The coastal path between Saint-Nazaire and Pornichet undoubtedly showcases one of the most beautiful aspects of the Guérande Peninsula. Dotted with coves with a Mediterranean feel – save for the colour of the water – the GR® 34 winds its way between cliffs and unassuming villas, far from the nearby urban hustle and bustle. And to round things off, there’s nothing quite like a circular rural route that you wouldn’t expect to find in such a heavily urbanised part of the Côte d’Amour.

A round trip hike to admire the Loire estuary. From Sainte Marguerite beach, take the coastal path linking beautiful sandy beaches to Saint-Marc beach, where Jacques Tati's film "Les vacances de monsieur Hulot" (1953) was shot. A statue of Mr Hulot watches over the beach eternally.