The most beautiful natural sites to discover Pays De La Loire

Thirteen kilometers of fine sandy beach await you at 10 beaches! Among our favorites, the Central beach. It is the beach of the city center of the resort. This large sandy beach located between the Maupas pond and the Aunis pavilion is supervised. It is very busy, because of its proximity to the center. The beach Sainte-Anne, located in the district of La Grière, is a supervised beach in July and August, offering a beautiful view on La Faute-sur-Mer.

Vertou can be the starting point for a bucolic walk. The path towards Nantes is becoming increasingly urbanized as walking, so perhaps you prefer to leave in the direction of Monnières. Along the Sèvre, you will fall on a few hamlets and navigation docks that recall the commercial past of the stream. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in particular, the Sèvre was widely used to transport the wines and spirits of Loire to Nantes. From there, drums were exported to Orléans, Holland and Northern Europe. In the opposite direction, wood, cereals or lime went up to the nantes vineyard. The arrival of the railway in the middle of the nineteenth century gradually signaled the end of the commercial vocation of the Sèvre.

La Brière or Grande Brière is a marsh located geographically north of the Loire estuary leading to the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Department of Loire-Atlantique. This is the second wetland in France right behind the Camargue. Since 1970, Grande Brière has been classified as a natural park. In Brière, more than elsewhere, man has shaped his environment, maintaining with him links of very specific appropriation and uses. There is little equivalent to the undivided property of the Grande Brière Mottière Marsh (6,850 hectares) by the inhabitants of 21 municipalities. This is nothing new since it was in 1461 that, for the first time, the official recognition of this property was proclaimed by letter patent of François II, Duke of Brittany. Even today, the Brierons continue to enjoy this property and manage their marsh themselves, which is, in certain respects, a true state in the state. You'll enjoy discovering this marsh,

including barges, traditional boats. The calm of this mode of transport makes it possible to discover a specific fauna and flora, such as: amphibious voles, mustache mesange, starry bucket and other bushards of rodents, plant side: great helophytes, chaising and other massettes…

Beach tolerated 3 km north of Brétignolles-sur-Mer, known as Petit-Pont beach.

This beach with a high dune where naturism is tolerated is located 3 km north of Brétignolles-sur-Mer is accessible to the Cypress Campground - take the route to the Petit Pont restaurant. It is very busy on summer weekends. Mixed attendance, but appreciated by users of Cap Purely Centre who prefer it at St Hilaire Beach of Laugh where many voyeurs are walking, and with very dubious attendance in the dunes.

With regard to the disabled, Pen-Bron is a specialised hospital. The "Disabled" or allows to approach, even in summer, and, on the hospital side, there is a ramp to access the beach in the chair. Of course, in order to practise naturism, we need to move away from the centre, but it is a solution for those who live or go on holiday in Loire Atlantic.

This site is very popular with tourists, fishermen, hikers and other nature lovers. A 10 km circuit offers a nice walk through vineyards and villages. Lovers of old stones will still discover old houses at the staircases characteristic of our villages on the edge of the Sèvre. The place is pleasant and offers a point of view on the castle of Frémoire, whose silhouette is detached on the meadow overlooking the Sèvre. Do not forget his race track where every year, the last weekend of August, take the horse races of Vertou.

A swamp zone in the heart of Nantes! A former Loire flood meadow, the Malakoff marshes cover an area of 16 hectares classified Natura 2000, implying that the riches of its flora and fauna are protected. We cannot enter freely. In agreement with the City of Nantes, the Bird Protection League (LPO), however, allows you to visit this marsh, which was nicknamed Little Amazonia because of its luxuriance. The diversity of landscapes to see can only fascinate those who love wild nature: roseless, water bodies, alluvial forest, meadow, mares… Also presence of Highland cows (rustic Scottish race) which naturally maintain the grassland and pasture 10 months of the year. Since 2012, the Plague Sauvage, carried out as part of the centenary of the LPO and the Estuaire 2012 Contemporary Art Biennial, offers a privileged view of the site and its birds.

This 8 km course along the Lecourbe is accessible to hikers, cyclists and people with reduced mobility. Located in natural surroundings, the trail takes a practicable route with strollers and can be carried out in any sense. The Lecourbe Park and the Beautour Dock can, for example, be a starting point. A great opportunity to discover the "Folies", dating from the th century and th century, as well as the many boats now restored and converted into workshops and exhibition spaces. This circuit will lead you to discover the past activities of the men and the ecological, historical and heritage of the sites crossed. It is punctuated by 17 educational panels that will allow you to learn more about the "secrets" of the Nantes Nantes.

On sunny days, the boats of Nantes offer a mini-cruise along the Erdre, "the most beautiful river in France" according to the famous formula of King François I.

Many hiking connections with neighboring municipalities invite the discovery of the country of Herbauges: vineyards, lanterns, ponds and lake Grand Place. Five walking circuits are possible from the commune: The Landes (7 km), Mévellière/Bocage (7 km, the name of a castle of the eighteenth century located on a 55 ha estate), Les Moulins (12 km), Les Vignes (12 km) and the Tour du lac (74 km). Trails are included in the departmental plan for walking and hiking routes (PDIPR) and are registered in GR. Information from the City Hall at 02 51 70 55 55.

10,6 km (8,9 km with shortcut). This circuit offers its way to the Convent, its Clos de la Fontaine rose, the former mill of La and the Château-Chabot Castle, built in the th century. It was on the Marsoire Hill that the Germans established a battery of DCA to protect the airfield and Usine plant that repairs the Luftwaffe aircraft.

Approximately 5.6 km (1:30). The rostrums on the Loire edges can be seen in turn, many of which are subject to recovery work - the Forks Island which houses the ripple shrike and the shoreline swallow, two protected species. Finally the site of the Sangle where the rich archeological remains have been discovered attesting to a very ancient occupation of the site.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

This club chaired by Bernard Renoux and his charming team is opened with all in love ones with nature and the sport (as of five years)! It accommodates all the year most sporting within the club located at the nautical base of Papinière. Independently, one can rent kayaks for one strolls as regards water which constitutes Erdre worthy of Sucked. One will be able also to go up the river or to go down again it by the strength of paddles. And it is an absolutely exceptional environment which is revealed with us... It is possible to come to Sucé-sur-Erdre by the train in twenty minutes from Nantes. Attention, the rental of the kayaks is carried out on reservation by phone or by e-mail; and it is well at the port of Sucé-sur-Erdre that we are invited to recover equipment (not with the club). Various fixed rate formulas are proposed, into individual or group. In addition, within the water sports club, one can practise the following activities: schools of paddle for young people and adults, kayak-sports shirt, left in water-sharp and discovered. Here with Sucked, a shuttle can take us along upstream from Nort-sur-Erdre to Moulin des Vaux, in order to go down again the river. To make in family or between friends, guaranteed pleasure! It any more but does not remain to take along the sunscreen, a quantity of water sufficient and to envisage one hour, one half-day or the day for the excursions!