The Nantes-Brest Canal in Brittany in the west of France can be explored by small pleasure craft and kayaks, and it's possible to cycle and hike along most of the route using its old towpaths..
Understand
[edit]The Nantes-Brest Canal is a 19th-century canal between the two important coastal cities Nantes and Brest, constructed as a safe inland route eliminating the need to navigate the dangerous currents around the Brittany coast. It also connected many smaller industries in the towns along its way. Most of the canal was built by connecting and canalising numerous smaller rivers with a series of locks, like the Blavet, Aulne and Erdre.
Since the advent of the railways for transporting goods, the canal lost most of its industrial significance and a dam was constructed in 1920 near Guerlédan for electricity production. This created the beautiful namesake lake, but also cut off the possibility of navigating the entire canal as a through route.
Nowadays, parts of the canal and its associated rivers are navigable by small pleasure craft and kayaks, and it's possible to cycle and hike along most of the route using its old towpaths. A large part of this itinerary also coincides with the long-distance cycle route EV1.
Prepare
[edit]The route leads through the heart of Brittany, avoiding the larger cities along the coast. You will mostly go through villages, hitting only a few larger towns with grocery chains or classic hotel accommodation. If you're planning to walk or cycle this route, it means you should always have some supplies with you, and if you don't want to stray too far from the canal, having a tent will be your best option in the more remote sections. That said, as this route is getting more popular every year, rural accommodation is becoming more common and you may find a guesthouse in some unlikely places.
It's also possible to kayak/canoe most sections of the canal, including lake Guerlédan itself. Certain sections have many locks in a row which may not be operated just for you, so you should be proficient in getting in and out of the water easily. Most locks will have a small wall you can lean against or a shallow embankment to rock up to.
Get in
[edit]You can choose to start this adventure in either Nantes or Brest, or join in from one of the towns along the way. If you want to go by bike, you can take your bicycle on all local TÉR BreizhGo trains in Brittany to get to your starting point. Transporting your bike is free, except between June and September, when you have to reserve a spot for €1. Towns along the route with train stations are Nantes, Nort-sur-Erdre, Redon, Carhaix-Plouguer, Châteaulin and Brest.
Tickets are available on the SNCF website (in French only) or their mobile app SNCF Connect.
Note that the distance along the canal between Redon and Carhaix is about 200km without any functional rail service, though some coaches go to Ploërmel (just off the canal) and Pontivy. They may or may not take a bike depending on whether it's deconstructed, without bags or packed, and your French language skills in convincing the driver.
Contrary to the name, the canal does not actually reach all the way to Brest. Between Brest and Châteaulin, it's more of a meandering tidal river leading into the . It's perfectly navigable by boat, but there is no official route along this section, meaning pedestrians and cyclists will complete this 50-km leg via countryside roads. If you wish to skip this section, you can go by train to Châteaulin with a local TÉR service from either Brest or Quimper.
Go
[edit]
Although you can traverse the canal in either direction and start or end in the city of Brest itself, for the purposes of this itinerary we will start in Nantes, end in Châteaulin and split it up into four roughly equal sections.
Nantes to Redon
[edit]This section is about 100km. It is mostly flat and easy riding.
Redon to Pontivy
[edit]This section is about 110km.
- 4 Redon
- 1 Camping du Pont d'Oust, le Pont d'Oust, Peillac, ☏ +33 2 99 91 39 33. open from 1 april until 29 september, quiet hours after 11PM. Campsite directly on the canal, friendly to bicycle tourists and hikers. Checkin from 2PM-7PM, checkout before noon. From €8 for single tent/person, electricity on the pitch €4.
- 5 Malestroit
- 6 Josselin
- 7 Rohan Municipal campsite available
Pontivy to Carhaix
[edit]This section is about 80km. It has the biggest elevation differences along the route, with many locks on the canal. At Guerlédan just before the dam, you will leave the canal briefly and have to make a steep climb up to the town of Mûr de Bretagne (which features regularly in the Tour de France). The route takes you along an old railway alignment above the lake, eventually meeting up with the canal at Bon-Repos-sur-Blavet.
Between Gouarec and Carhaix you have an alternative route option, following the Voie Vert V6 along the old railway alignment, which will again meet up with the Canal just outside Carhaix.
- 8 Pontivy, a larger town with restaurants, hotels and shops.
- 2 Camping Le Point de Vue, Rue du Lac 104, Guerlédan - Mûr-de-Bretagne, ☏ +33 296 26 01 90. Typically open from the beginning of april until late october.. Campsite overlooking lake Guerledan, close to the town of Mûr. From €8 for single tent/person, electricity on the pitch €5.
- 1 Liscuis gallery-graves, Liscuis, Bon-Repos-sur-Blavet. 24/7. From the bike/hiking path, it's a 10-minute steep climb to this set of three Neolithic dolmens, with a fantastic viewpoint of the interior of Brittany. This historic spot is one of the highest points along the route. Free.
- 9 Gouarec
Carhaix to Châteaulin
[edit]This section is about 80km and soon after Carhaix it follows the towpath along the very meandering Aulne river which was incorporated into the canal system.
- 10 Carhaix-Plouguer
- 11 Châteauneuf-du-Faou
- 3 Canal Loisirs (camping), Pont Coblant 782, Pleyben, ☏ +33 221 620 080. Small campsite located right on the canal, frequently used by cyclists and hikers. Check-in at Bistro du Canal (300 meters downstream) between 5PM and 7PM. From €7 for single person/tent. Electricity on the pitch €3,50.
- 12 Châteaulin - end point of the official route. From here, boats can pass the lock (Ecluse de Guilly-Glas) that separates the canal from the bay, and continue to Brest by boat from 2 hours before until 2 hours after high tide. Cyclists and hikers can continue along country roads to Brest following EuroVelo route 1, or take a local train.
Stay safe
[edit]This route going through the rural countryside, none of the typical safety concerns you'll have in cities apply.
Don't fall into the canal, and bring mosquito repellant and glasses. Certain areas of the canal may have stagnant water which is the favourite place to be for many different bugs. If you like to go swimming, beware of the water quality. If it's flowing, it's usually clean enough but watch for algae bloom in the summer. Lake Guerlédan can be very deep in places, so use the designated beaches.
Go next
[edit]- Visit the city of Brest, enjoy the coastline and see some of the largest tidal differences in the world.
- You can leave the canal at several points and link up with other cycling routes. In Pontivy, you can choose to follow the Blavet all the way until the south coast of Brittany at Lorient.
- This article is an itinerary.