Things to see and do Pays De La Loire

Gennes-Val-de-Loire is a town on the banks of the Loire, offering magnificent scenery and a peaceful atmosphere. To discover the beauty of the region, Bateaux Rêves de Loire et d'ailleurs offers boat excursions. Boat excursions offer a memorable experience on the Loire, with sailings ranging from 1h30 to 2 days between Angers and Saumur. What's more, the agency also offers gift vouchers to give your loved ones a unique experience. Take advantage of your visit to Gennes-Val-de-Loire to discover the Loire in a different way, thanks to Bateaux Rêves de Loire et d'ailleurs.

On the Great beacon path, a few hundred metres from the forest trail, you will discover the right-hand oak on the nails. It is a 500-year-old tree that is supposed to have curative powers against espoir of humans. This oak would be the only survivor of a group of oaks slaughtered before 1742, it is now isolated in the midst of younger subjects. With a circumference of 4,20 metres to 1 metres from the ground, it is distinguished by a niche attached to its trunk which houses a Virgin to the Child, and especially by a trunk covered with hundreds of nails. In the past, the word nail designated furuncles; and popular tradition attributes to this oak the power to heal these painful conditions. A former pagan rite was practised: it was about coming alone, at night, sheltered from eyes, rubbing coffin nails against the sick part of his body; Then take seven times the tower of the tree, send a prayer to the soul of the tree, plant the nails in the trunk on the face that never see the sun. The rite ended with hindsight and welcoming the tree.

Official authorization - from June to September - between the two monitored beaches of Sauveterre and Barns. Dangerous swimming.

Naturism is tolerated - but bathing is dangerous and forbidden - between the two monitored beaches of Sauveterre and Barns. Signs indicate the naturist zone from June to September. Little access, hence some tranquility.

Municipal authorization of July 6, 1993. Access is done by route of the colonies between Sion and Saint-Jean-de-Mont. Space is indicated.

In a wandering, curious, bucolic or epicurean mood? Whether you prefer vineyards, culture, the seaside, the Nantes-Brest canal, Nantes and its surroundings, alone or with your family, the Loire Atlantique Tourism website is a real playground. Depending on the weather, you can opt for walks, bike rides, seaside activities, cultural visits, or even the discovery of local know-how... The interactive tourist map is very easy to use and offers an overview of the Loire-Atlantique department, its wide choice of outings, points of interest such as discovering the natural area of the Grand-Lieu lake and other local experiences... You can get around in one click. Note also that there is also a "box" to offer, the "Loire-Atlantique Box", to offer all your desires!

Located just a few hundred metres from the viaduct in the direction of Change, the water plant is a building that deserves a detour. It is true that his inauguration on 29 May 1914 led to the arrival of a President of the Republic in Laval a few days before the outbreak of the first world war. That day, Lorrain Raymond Poincaré swallows a glass of ozonée water that he finds excellent. " He would have had bad luck in finding a poor water that he dégustait in the eye, writes a journalist at the time. If he became taxpayers, he would probably change his mind. " At present, this plant produces nearly 5 500 000 m ³ of water per year that it distributes to 83 000 people. Each year, the city of Laval sells about 1 200 000 m ³ of water to the 16 members of the C.R.U.E.L. (rural municipality users of water from Laval). The pumping capacity of the water plant is approximately 1 600 m ³/h with two pumps of 800 m ³/h each. The daily peak rate consumed on the city of Laval reaches 22 200 m ³/d.

In order to know the riches of the wood of Huisserie, a structure exists, the C.I.N. (centre for Initiation to nature), which depends on Laval City and employs two passionnés, Sophie Bringard and Jean-Luc Boulay, who would listen for hours to speak of foxes and passereaux, chênes and birch, weasel and mouse, and mouse and mouse. (among other occupants of "their" wood). Throughout the year, these nature lovers offer entertainment (walks, exhibitions…) to the general public and mainly children, who often arrive here via their school, their district house and, during the holidays, their leisure centre.

Baptism as a coupling, a sports walk or a walk in carriage, the exit you choose will necessarily be successful. At the rhythm of the horses you will discover, for example, salt marshes… A pleasant way of discovering the whole family from the youngest to the greatest. Lovers of horses or not, you will enjoy walking in their company, relaxing, soothing and walking filled with joy and energy. 

At night, the port of Saint-Nazaire lights up to offer a shadow, light and colour choreography, imagined by Yann Kersalé. After sunset, the port, marked with red and green, shines out of all its lights: bridges, submarine base, silos, cranes… Movement of locks, ships and bridges, ballet of cranes and trucks around boats, went and came from men on the port… The Docks Night is orchestrated by the life of the wharves and the basins. A whole range of activities recorded and analyzed by the day allows to compose different light paintings returned during the night, over the seasons. A very beautiful show.

Walking on a footbridge in the middle of the beds and climb at the top of a lookout to observe the Loire, the marshes, the chimneys of the power station of Cordemais, the bridge of Saint-Nazaire, the village of Lavau-sur-Loire, this tells you? Travel is worth a detour: The view is splendid. This observatory is the work of the world renowned Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata. It was created in 2007 as part of the Biennale of Contemporary Art (now known as the trip to Nantes). The idea is: allow an immersion in the marshes (until then inaccessible), at the closest to the Loire, and thus recreate the link between the men and the places. Specifically, access to this Observatory is made by a footbridge located 40 cm above the wetlands and 800 m long. The tides at the coefficient greater than 90 with a strong west wind can surprise the visitor by covering the footbridge of a few centimetres of water. A walk not to be missed before you go to eat a crepe at Yseult at the Maison du Port.

This former chapel is a place of exhibition all year round. Close to the municipal school of visual arts, this curved room reinforces the artistic vocation of the place. Every year, the Franciscan Gallery transforms itself into a concert hall for a week to host "Consonances", a festival dedicated to chamber music, as well as in January for the Folle Journée.

This castle dates back to the end of the fifteenth century and owes its construction to a Marshal de France, Pierre de Rohan, who was - what career! - counsel for four of our kings, from Louis XI to François I, and saved Charles VIII in Fornoue. Alternating the brick and lime and thus creating a light contrast, this artwork is, in the opinion of specialists, the northernmost of the Loire castles. This is enough to decide the most about visitors to the town of Saint-Quentin-les-Anges.

Here they are not ornithologists, but technicians from the Loire-Atlantique Hunters Federation to make one of the best observations of local wildlife. The hunters are the managers of the site and will reveal to you all the secrets of the reserve, driving you on private roads and their mobile observatory to enjoy the ornithological richness of the lake, located second position after the Camargue. The visit may be canceled according to the level of water. In case of rain, arrange boots.

There are various reasons why visitors should enter the abbey. There is the panoramic view of the bocage. There is the site, with its beautiful stained glass windows, statues and reliquaries. There is also the desire to spend some personal time in the atmosphere of the monastery. Here lives a community of about thirty Cistercian nuns whose days are punctuated by prayer and work. They welcome those who wish to join them in prayer.

Snipe of marshes are hardly visible because it melts in vegetation. This great traveller born in northern Europe in the spring, likes to come to Calvados to get there during his migration. Large gatherings are observed in October. The farouche white spatula is not easy to reach. Its white plumage, its large white paws and its long bec shaped bec give its originality. Marshes are a quality pantry for this protected species travelling from the Netherlands to Senegal. It nests every spring in willow groves in the middle of roselière.