ROUTE DES VINS "VIGNOBLE DE GRAND-LIEU"

On the wine route, this 118km wine tour by car takes you to a mysterious lake. Just a few kilometres from Nantes lies the Lac de Grand-Lieu. This veritable ornithological reserve, where the birds are king, coexists perfectly with the vineyards.

On the Routes des Vins, this 118-kilometre wine tour by car will take you to a mysterious lake... Just a few kilometres from Nantes is the Lac de Grand-Lieu. This veritable ornithological reserve, where the birds are king, coexists perfectly with the Muscadet vineyards.

Along the way, stop off at one of the five wine estates with the "caves touristiques" label, or a restaurant, to sample the AOC Muscadet-côtes-de-Grandlieu wines, accompanied by pike-perch in beurre blanc sauce or eels from the lake.

From Nantes, take the Wine Route by car to reach Lac de Grand-Lieu at Saint-Léger-les-Vignes. Take the back roads through vineyards and hedged farmland, passing through the market town of Sainte-Pazanne and the countryside of Saint-Mars-de-Coutais.

In Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais, enjoy the highest panoramic view of Lac de Grand-Lieu from the church tower, or stop off at the Canal du Grand Port for a break with a view of the lake in winter or the marshes in summer.

You'll then follow some pretty vine-lined roads towards La Limouzinière and Saint-Colomban.

In Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, push open the doors of the Déas Abbey site for a medieval interlude to discover the miraculous history and unique architecture of this former Carolingian abbey.

You can also spend a night in a gîte, bed and breakfast or unusual accommodation along the way.

Follow the loop to La Chevrolière and Passay, the fishing village on Lac de Grand-Lieu. To complete the walk through the village's typical narrow streets and the view over the lake from the summer port or winter port, discover La Maison des Pêcheurs du Lac de Grand-Lieu and its panoramic tower with an unobstructed view over the nature reserve.

In summer, try your hand at birdwatching at the Observatoire Ornithologique du lac de Grand-Lieu in Passay, or take a canoe trip on the Ognon from the Pont-Saint-Martin nautical centre.

Continuing towards Saint-Aignan-de-Grand-Lieu, the Pierre-Aigüe site offers a new window onto the almost infinite expanse of Lac de Grand-Lieu.

Finally, there's the Maison du Lac de Grand-Lieu in Bouaye, which on balmy summer evenings offers wine tastings and amuse-bouche with winegrowers on the terrace of the Pavillon Guerlain.