The Canal de Nantes à Brest originates from the Saint Félix lock in Nantes, which marks the confluence of the Erdre with the Loire. After the basin, a tunnel allows you to reach the Erdre and the old shipowners' residences which are reflected in the peaceful waters of a river with a lacustrine appearance. Upstream from Sucé-sur-Erdre, it crosses the lake of Mazerolles, then the navigator will find on his left the entrance of the first lock, that of Quiheix. There Dominique the lock keeper is not stingy with advice for the rest of the journey.
The locks by bike
The first section is very rural and you should not expect to refuel before La Chevallerais where the rest stop offers to dock to go to the village. The towpath is well surfaced and many cyclists can be seen. They also stop at the locks where technical points have been set up. The Loire-Atlantique departmental council provides tools to repair one's bike if necessary and sanitary facilities for hikers.
The canal into a river
From the lock 5 of the Haie Pacoret, the canal goes along the Vioreau channel, a long structure dug from 1812 and which feeds the canal with water from the ponds of the region. It is a nice place to go for a walk. At Glasnet, the canal joins the Isac which it follows before taking its bed at the Gué de l'Atelier. The navigation is then done between banks lined with rushes where the fauna is very present. Egrets, grey and purple herons or even the spotted sandpiper with its characteristic flight... All of them join together to make this navigation more enjoyable, as there is so much to see and taste.
Animated banks and locks
Most of the lock keepers are temporary workers, but those who live on site often take advantage of the open space to express their creativity and sensitivity. This is the case at the Prée lock where statues and mobiles made of fishing corks decorate the pretty flowerbeds. These are fleeting discoveries that last only the time of a basin, but which we remember! The Loire-Atlantique Departmental Council and the Brittany Region are betting a lot on this proximity by launching calls for projects for the animation of lock houses.
Living traditions
A flowery footbridge spans the canal, then you enter the port of Blain. On the right bank, stands the important castle of La Groulais. It was a prison where the 400 Spanish prisoners who participated in the digging of the canal were quartered. The site is superb and lively. In addition to the castle itself, which can be visited, there is an armourer who forges arrows and a printing museum, which is all the more fascinating because the volunteers of the association are happy to make the machines work whenever possible.
On the height
The river forms soft meanders with attractive and so varied banks that one goes along them in slow motion without ever getting tired. At the end of a wide curve, a wooden sign indicates the Carheil estate. A path climbs to the top of the hill where a castle was destroyed by a fire. The chapel, the outbuildings, but above all a 200-hectare park with its pond, which overlooks the Isac valley and the canal, remain. The view is well worth the effort to climb up there!
The schoolchildren's path
The port of Guenrouët is well equipped. To go up to the village, we'll leave the road to take the Chemin des Diligences. A pretty path, so hollow that one could meet elves and leprechauns there! In the village you will find the Kerisac house which has been producing the cider of the same name for 4 generations. An interesting stopover, until the mini-golf with a nautical marking of the most beautiful effect! Shortly before Pont-Miny, the banks narrow and the Isac is left behind to find the canal. Two ways are open to the navigator: either he will take the Bellions lock which leads directly to the Vilaine, or he will continue by the small channel of Redon which joins the lock of the Digue in Redon.
A level crossing
This narrow, recently rehabilitated section is pretty and attractive! You have to make your way under the canopy of trees whose branches caress the boat's deck. It is a navigation that is done at a pace, enjoying the play of light subdued by the canopy. A loop not to be missed! The Digue lock and its lift bridge allow you to go down to the Vilaine. Its twin on the opposite bank is not normally used. Instead, we go down the river for one kilometer to take the lock of the Bateliers de Redon located at the end of the harbor basin.
Poles in the heart of the city
Redon is at the crossroads of several waterways. Bridges and locks are numerous and it is not easy to find one's way around without consulting a map: the canal crosses the Vilaine, but it also receives the waters of the Oust. The port is located in a vast basin which forms a diversion. It is amazing: sailing boats go up there without dismasting, which makes it an atypical and picturesque place for fresh water sailors.
The canal leaves the city and soon joins the Oust, which it follows along the superb site of the Ile aux Pies, where climbers and kayakers have a great time. The lock of La Maclais opens on the continuation of the canal, while the confluence of the Oust and the Aff forms a very beautiful wild space: the Mortier de Glénac. This marsh area is exceptionally rich in fauna and flora. At the very end, the port of Glénac is a kind of river dream where it would be a shame not to linger.
Local tips and tricks
Even if your goal is the canal, don't miss the pleasure of sailing on the Erdre before you enter it.
It may happen that the water deficit forces the Loire-Atlantique Departmental Council to limit traffic on the Nantes-Brest Canal by grouping boats at the locks.
Like many others, the canal and in particular the Isac are subject to the problem of invasive plants that clutter the propellers.
At the Château de la Groulaie, enthusiasts bring the machines back to life in workshops on typography, bookbinding, lithography and intaglio.
The balcony of Carheil Park is accessible by a path from the canal. It offers a view on the whole valley.
In Guenrouët, the Chemin des Diligences leads directly to the ceramic workshop On the hillside.
On the quay of the port of Redon, the Musée de la batellerie de l'ouest (Museum of the Western Inland Waterways) nicely evokes the inland waterways with a smaller gauge than elsewhere.
On the site of the Ile aux Pies, you can practice multiple sports activities in a superb setting on the banks of the Oust.
The Mortier de Glénac is an enchanting place where we often meet the traditional boats built by Bretagne Bateaux Bois.
The canal in brief
- Length 92 km from Sucé-sur-Erdre to Glénac
- 17 locks
- Speed : 6 km/h
- Vignette and navigation tax: no
- Managing institutions: Loire-Atlantique Departmental Council euros Brittany Region
- Template: 26.00 x 4.60 m
- Minimum air draft : 3,00 m
- Minimum draft : 1,20 m
- Renters: Bretagne fluviale euros Nicols (Sucé-sur-Erdre), Les Canalous (Redon), Nicols (Glénac), Bretagne Bateaux Bois (Glénac)
- Navigation guide : Editions du Breil N°1- Bretagne
