Guerlain's hunting house
A cycling trip as far as Bouaye might remind nostalgic Nantais locals of the novelty of French workers’ iconic pre-war cycling outings when they were first given paid holidays. The unmissable umbrella pine lording it over the vines marks your arrival at Bouaye. The Maison Guerlain, a unique space dedicated to the discovery of one of Europe’s most beautiful wetlands, stands peacefully beside Grand-Lieu Lake. This all makes for a lovely journey of discovery not far from Nantes.
Cycle route
Starting point: Nantes Tourisme, opposite the Château de Nantes.
An entirely signposted cycling trip lasting 21km. Riding between Nantes and Bouguenais, you share the tracks of La Vélodyssée and La Loire à Vélo cycle routes. In addition, a signposted link covers the connection Bouaye < > Maison du Lac. To make the most of the site, we suggest you take the train out to Bouaye, later returning to Nantes by bike. Or tackle the route the other way round!
From Bouaye, return link of 9km from La Pierre-Aigüe to St-Aignan de Grand-Lieu.
Places at which to take special care
- There are breaks in the cycle track along the D751 road (due to round-abouts, a petrol station, etc)
- In Bouaye, there’s a cycle lane along the D751, although it’s broken up by parking spots
- On the D264 road, just before the Maison du Lac
Gradients and elevation
Slope breakdown
Road types
- Cycle path
- Routes reserved for cyclists and pedestrians (greenways, cycle tracks, towpaths), separated from cars for maximum safety.
- Shared road
- Quiet minor roads with little traffic (unless otherwise stated in the stage details). Shared with cars (stay alert).
- Not specified
- Data unavailable or being assessed. Please refer to the detailed stage description.
- Provisional
- Section on a road or cycle path awaiting better-quality facilities (see stage details).
Surface
- Smooth
- Asphalt, tarmac or smooth concrete. Optimal comfort.
- Rough
- Fine gravel, compacted stabilised surface or worn tarmac. Less comfortable, vibrations possible.
- Natural
- Dirt, grass, roots or stones. Under 5%: short sections with little impact. Higher percentage: route suited to mountain or gravel bikes only.
- Not specified
- Data unavailable or being assessed. Please refer to the detailed stage description.
Don't miss
- Nantes: the Mémorial de l’Abolition de l’Esclavage (recalling the city’s links with slavery); Les Machines de l’île (outsized mechanical machines, some of which you can book a ride on); the Grue Titan (a massive crane recalling Nantes’s ship-building days); the Quai des Antilles (a lively renovated quay in the former shipbuilding quarter); and Les Anneaux de Buren (a row of startling waterside rings, part of Estuaire’s contemporary art installations)
- Rezé: Trentemoult, once a fishermen’s village right beside the Loire; Le Pendule de Roman Signer (an Estuaire contemporary art installation)
- Bouaye: La maison du Lac de Grand-Lieu and La Maison Guerlain (visits by reservation: 02 28 25 19 07); the village of L’Étier, by the Grand-Lieu Wetlands
- Saint-Aignan de Grand-Lieu: Lac de Grand-Lieu at La Pierre-Aigüe (offering a unique viewpoint over Grand-Lieu Lake)
