In just 5 kilometers of waterway, the loop of Saint-Nicolas-des-Eaux offers multiple attractions: a village with lively quays in season, wetlands that retain a rich fauna and escarpments bathed by the most beautiful meander of the Blavet. It can be discovered from the water, but also from the towpath which offers even more extensive perspectives.
The highlight of the valley
Going downstream from Pontivy, the Blavet is nicknamed the "Valley of the chapels", which says a lot about the richness of its banks, especially if one adds the mills established on each causeway. Downstream from the "le Guern" lock, the river passes several times under the railroad line before the monumental statue of Venus standing on the lock's platform welcomes boaters.
A work of art out of the water
On this site of Castennec, a female representation called Ar Groareg Houarn in 1661, the religious authorities had her mutilated and thrown into the water. Fished out of the water, she suffered the same fate before being placed in the park of a castle in the vicinity of Baud. The present statue, a recent monumental work by Christophe Milcent, owes nothing to chance!
A natural defense
The village of Saint-Nicolas is established on the left bank, facing a rocky promontory that the river could only bypass. This perfectly defended geographical position has been occupied since time immemorial. The Celts and then the Romans established military camps there. Later on, it became a fortified castle, the remains of which can still be seen.
A simple hermitage
The most astonishing is the Saint-Gildas chapel, built on the side of the rock, at the entrance of a cave. Since the sixteenth century, it seems to support the stone. Nevertheless, its rustic simplicity makes it one of the major attractions of the valley, when it appears in its mineral setting at the bend of the meander.
There are many ways to discover the loop. You can rent a river boat on the spot. The nautical base proposes canoes, kayaks, paddles or even bikes. There is a lot to see and to taste in Saint Nicolas, in the heart of this valley of the Blavet, strong in emotions and too much ignored!
