CANAL DE LA MARTINIÈRE

Ideal for family outings, this 6-kilometre walk along the water's edge, between La Machinerie and the Buzay breakthrough, allows you to enjoy the magnificent setting of the canal, and discover its locks and other natural treasures.

Located on the route to Santiago de Compostela as early as the 11th century, the town owes its development to the Loire and its position as the outport of Nantes. But in the 19th century, large ships could no longer sail up this shallow part of the estuary, where there were numerous islands and sandbanks.
To remedy this situation, digging of the Canal de la Martinière began in 1882 and was completed 11 years later. Linking Le Pellerin in the east to Le Carnet in the west, it runs for 15 km along the left bank of the Loire. Until 1913, when its use was abandoned because the town preferred to dredge the river, the canal allowed 10,000 boats to pass through.
Today, the site is a veritable paradise for nature lovers. With dozens of kilometres of towpath, it's an ideal place for a walk. The 6 km route presented here is ideal for a country outing, where young and old alike can enjoy strolling along its shady banks. Picnic tables await you under the willows and poplars. Next to the lock, the huge brick chimney of the building housing the steam engines serves as a lighthouse. Today, the machinery that operates the lock - a mechanism that is unique in Europe - has been fully renovated and is open to the public, thanks to the work of ACCAM (Association Culturelle du Canal Maritime de la basse Loire). In the distance, you can see the Buzay tower, the remains of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey.