Gites near Redon: The Area

Guémené Penfao

The quiet country lane to Les Quatre Clès

When you stay at our gites near Redon, you’ll find the gites at Les Quatre Clès are set in a very tranquil and rural location but are only minutes by car, or a pleasant 20 minute walk along the River Don, from the town centre and all its ameneties. Guémené Penfao has 2 supermarkets, 3 bakeries, petrol station, Tourist Office, several restaurants, bars and cafes, banks, public indoor swimming pool, Post Office, English speaking doctor and dentist, English speaking vet, and 4 hairdressers as well as free parking. The river is used for canoing and fishing as well as walking and cycling along the banks.

Just 15 minutes drive takes you to:
Plessé with a lovely swimming lake and child friendly beach with a life guard during July and August. A super place to walk around off season too. Plessé also has a karting circuit and you can take to the skies in a Microlight with an instructor for a special taster flight. At Quilly you can get a taste for extreme water sports.

The Forêt du Gavre is a vast forest with walk and cycle tracks criss crossing it, there is a riding stables for all levels just on the outskirts of the forest and hacks from there involve no road work as they have immediate access to the forest bridle paths. On Sundays the forest is teeming with local French families getting together for picnics and pentanque (boules).

The Roman road running from Conquereuil

Étang de la Roche, a lovely lake with picnic areas and a circuit of keep fit stations.

Beslé on the river Vilaine for long walks or fishing at a trout lake.

In under 30 minutes you can be:
Visiting the large open market in Redon on Mondays; walking through its old cobbled streets with half timbered houses; enjoying its many Breton festivales, especially the free introduction to Breton dance every Thursday evening throughout July & August. There’s a direct train from Redon to Paris taking 3 hours, for best prices book in advance online – they post the tickets for free.

Marvelling at the huge collection of cars and motorbikes at the Lohéac Car Museum, it’s reputed to be the biggest in France. Closing for lunch is really a bonus as it gives you a chance to sample one of the great menus on offer in the village of Lohéac.

Sampling the best Galette or Crépe ever (my opinion) on a terrace overlooking the Isac river as it meanders as part of the Nantes Brest canal through Guenrouet. That’s after a brisk walk along the tow path, hiring a pedalo and having a swim in the open air pool of course and followed by a round of mini golf.

Wondering the cobbled streets of La Gacilly, home of many artisans and craftsmen who welcome you to see their art in the making.

Visiting the restored mediaeval castle turret where festivals are held in September and lovely tow path walks in Blain.

Playing the 9 hole Golf courses at Cadan and Treffiux

A bit further, but still less than an hour to:
The historic city of Rennes, capital of Brittany with half timbered mediaeval houses in its ancient heart.

Nantes, which is the birthplace of Jules Verne and now is also home to the wonderful Machines d’Ile creations. Fall in love (as I did) with the incredible elephant and his fishy friends, the free Jazz & Blues festival along the river Érdre at the end of August which has more than just music and the newly opened and restored castle. All easily accessed with the Park & Ride system which only charges for the tram and bus fares.

La baule and Pornichet which have the most wonderful sandy beaches I’ve ever seen and a paradise for children and adults alike. On Saturdays there’s a large market in Pornichet and on Sundays there’s one in La baule and a multitude of places to eat all along the promenade and on the beach.

A little further along the coast, visit the Côte Sauvage, with rocky coves and dramatic scenery and the fishing towns of Le Croisic and Piriac sur Mer, nowhere better to sample moules frites.
St Nazaire which has the submarine museum and an ocean liner experience as well as immense concrete bunkers left over from WW2, not pretty but truly awe inspiring in magnitude.

The beautiful and ancient walled city of Guerande to while away an afternoon, visit the many art and craft shops and boutiques, enjoy afternoon tea or coffee around the catherdral and be serenaded by street musicians.

The Parc Naturel Régional de Briére teeming with wildlife and birds, restored thatched villages, guided tours by pony and cart and the famous Guerande salt flats.

Vannes and the Golfe de Morbihan is a wonderful place to spend a day, the ancient city holds a huge market every Wednesday and can be explored by the little train with commentary in English as well as French. Enjoy the gulf and its islands by taking one of the many boat trips on offer.

18 hole championship Golf courses at Nantes ( 2 courses: Nantes Érdre & Vigneux), Carquefou, Rennes, Savanay, La baule, Saint-Andre-des-eaux* and Missillac* (Bretesche) and 9 hole course at Le Croisic, * also have a 9 hole course.

Over an hour but still manageable for a day trip: Dinan with a wonderful mediaeval festival every 2 years (next one August 2010), Rochefort-en-terre , Malastroit, Josselin, Mont St Michel, Fougére , Vitré, Angers, Puy du Fou, the Muscadet vineyards and the glorious Italianate town of Clisson.

Soulvache near Chateaubriant

The cottage is on the outskirts of a tiny villlage which has a church, a school, the Mairie, and a bar/village shop. 5 km away is the town of Rougé, this has a small supermarket, chemist, 2 bakeries, lunch-time restaurant, English speaking doctor, a recreation centre (Swin Golf) which also hires bikes and a greenway along a disused railway line to Chateaubriant. There are also shopping facilities in Thourie, a 4 km drive north of Soulvache.

Under 30 mins to:
Chateaubriant, a large city with restored ramparts open to visitors, street markets on Saturdays and Wednesdays, large selection of supermarkets: Super U, Leclerc, Lidl and Inter Marché, petrol stations, restaurants and bars, olympic sized indoor pool, bowling alley, cinema, a theatre, railway station, banks, petrol stations and hairdressers. The town is also home to a huge country fare and amusement park held every year during the 2nd weekend September since 1050, all no distance at all from our gites near Chateaubriant.

Martigné Ferchaud which has a leisure lake with child safe beach and holds an annual ‘Son et Lumier’ show over 3 evenings in August. Etincelles Aquatiques is a delight for all the family, seating is on benches (take cushions) up the natural amphitheatre around the lake and never fails to thrill with spectacular fireworks, sound and dance routines in and out of the water. Based on local myths and legends, fairies and goblins with a cast of over 250 and 1000 volunteers from the locality, it excudes warmth, vibrancy and an amazing degree of professionalism for what is an amateur production.

Parc du Plessis at St-Aubin-des-chateaux is the ruin of an ancient family seat but the current owner has stabilised the buildings and developed the gardens to include an English garden, French potager, and a croquet lawn. Pony rides and guided tours also available.

Joué-sur-Érdre with its large leisure lake and beach where you can swim (lifeguard July/August), picnic, sail, windsurf and hire pedaloes in season. Similar facilities are also to be found at Nort-sur-Érdre & Abbaretz. Abbaretz also has an agricultural museum housing over 200 tractors dating from 1910, open from 15 April to 15 October, Tues to Sunday.

Moisdon-la-Riviére and La Hunaudiére are lovely areas with lakes, water mill, a restored forge and scenic walks.

Chateau de la Motte Glan was built in the 15th C and is now open to visitors with guided tours. Not far away from the chateau is the Abbaye de Melleray, home to the Cistercian monks since the 12th C, now open to the public on Saturdays and guided tours by appointment.

Sion-Les-Mines has an ancient mill constructed in the middle ages but still in working order, visits by appointment through the tourist office in Chateaubriant.

All the places listed under Guémené Penfao can be easily reached from Soulvache but add around 30 minutes to the journey time heading West and around 20 minutes heading South, and Rennes is only 30 minutes away. All our gites and the cottage have tourist information packs with too many ideas and suggestions to list here. If you have specific interests, let us know and we’ll do our best to provide more details to help you make the most of your holiday time in these lovely and diverse locations.

Visit our blog to get ideas for other places to visit as we’ll be continuing to explore the region and telling you about our travels.