Our new base at Saint-Martin-sur-Oust is ideally located to explore the many opportunities for river navigation that Brittany offers. By following the NantesBrest Canal to the east, you come to the extremely beautiful site of the Île aux Pies. From there, take a highly recommended detour on the small river of the Aff to the lovely village of La Gacilly, with its flowery alleys and its magnificent botanical garden. Continuing on the Nantes-Brest Canal, you reach Redon with its abbey of Saint Saviour, a veritable crossroads of waterways and the country of the magician Merlin! Towards Nantes, the navigation is particularly bucolic. Travelling between castles and mansions, follow the Erdre Valley passing by Blain and the Forest of Gâvre, whose ancient trees were highly coveted for shipbuilding. Don’t miss Château de la Groulais, which belonged to the Rohan family.
At Redon, you can also travel on the Vilaine, heading northwards to Rennes. Brittany’s countryside is punctuated with water mills, including those at Boël and Bouëxière. The capital of Brittany merits a stop for its Parliament, its cathedral and its timbered houses. Beyond this, towards Dinan, the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance is adorned with beautiful villages, castles and fortresses, like the one at Montmuran.
To the west of Saint-Martin-sur-Oust, the Nantes-Brest Canal becomes one of the most beautiful navigable waterways. After Malestroit and its half-timbered houses, waters teeming with fish, mossy pathways, sublime light and villages of granite and slate tiles, you are suddenly surprised by the walls and the impressive dungeons of the Château de Josselin. There is magic at work!
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