Follow the Vilaine River to Redon, with its beautiful Saint-Sauveur Abbey and bustling Monday markets. The Aff River will lead you to La Gacilly – a frequent winner of French flower festivals and home to Yves Rocher's enchanting botanical gardens. Follow the Canal de Nantes à Brest through forests and reed swamps to picturesque Malestroit, where you can sample local cider and crepes before heading toto Josselin, one of Brittany's most beautiful towns, where the foundations of a massive castle with defensive towers reach down to the water.
Renowned fish restaurants
As you sail from Messac to the coast, you will pass under the iron bridge at Port de Roche, decorated with the seals of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. In the charming port of La Roche Bernard, sample Breton oysters in one of the renowned local fish restaurants. Nantes, with its stunning Gothic cathedral, was the medieval seat of the Duke of Brittany and has a rich and vibrant history. Back along the Nantes à Brest canal, don't forget to visit the chateau at Blain, stop for a picnic in the woods at Gâvre and see the cidre factory at Guenrouët. And don't forget the unusual monoliths at Langon and the windmill at Guipry.
Brittany as a region is sure to enchant you, and the landscape along more than 600 km of waterways awaits your exploration. Rest assured that you'll spend a perfect holiday here on whatever route you choose.
The Josselin Castle foothills offer plenty of other water activities
Beautiful Saint-Saveur Abbey
Glénac is located at the junction of the Vilaine River and the Nantes and Brest Canal. In the nearby town of Redon you can visit the boat museum, the Monday markets and, above all, the magnificent Abbey of Saint-Saveur. From Redon you can head in all directions: west to the land of Merlin the magician and Viviane the fairy, to La Gacilla, a town surrounded by moss paths and moors, andto the stunning castle of Josselin, whose 600-year-old towers reflect majestically on the water. The flower village of La Gacilla is interspersed with various cafés, restaurants and designer shops.
Heading south, towards the ocean, you reach the picturesque La Roche Bernard. La Roche Bernard is a charming place with beautiful views (day and night) of the Cape and an ancient centre. From here you will return towards Redon and continue northwards along the tranquil Vilaine River.
The cosmopolitan city of Rennes
In Guipra you can see the windmill and then stop in Messac. Here you can see the iron bridge of Port de Roche, which is decorated with the seal of Napoleon and was built for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900. Rennes is the capital of Brittany and acts as such. Here you will see the pride and self-confidence that befits the city. The cosmopolitan city, with its half-timbered houses and meticulously maintained gardens, boasts St Pierre's Cathedral, the Breton Museum and many other sights.
Colourful 500-year-old buildings in Rennes, the capital of Brittany.
Useful information
- The locks in Brittany are mostly automatic and are usually manned by a lock keeper.
- The locks are also open on public holidays.
- From Dinan, only one-way navigation is possible.
- Sailing on the Loire south of Nantes is not allowed.
