Brittany is located in the northwestern part of France, a land rich in traditions inhabited by a proud and persistent people.
Two of the major Breton cities, Nantes and Brest, are linked by a simple cycling tour that mostly runs flat using some of the local “greenways”. The route coincides largely with the French section of Eurovelo 1.
When Brittany was still an autonomous ducat, Nantes was its capital. You can get there by plane from Italy or by train from the main French cities.
The Cycleways Nantes-Brest is almost always close to an artificial waterway and is very enjoyable from the landscape point of view. You pedal in the shade of the trees through peaceful rural areas where the historical records of the ancient Duchy of Brittany are still very present.
After about 55 km from Nantes, you can see the 13th century Blain Castle on the shore of the canal. This is not the only fortress you will encounter along the route, about 60km afterwards you arrive at Josselin which is one of the best preserved medieval villages in France.
This village belonged to the Rohan family and you can still admire their beautiful castle. Do not miss the oldest neighborhood like Sainte-Croix.
Continuing for another 70 km you will also find a Cistercian abbey of 1184, recently restored and open to the public. The trail continues along the canal, but you can take a short break to the village of Locarn, leave the bike and spend a day on hiking. Wonderful to visit are the Corog River Gorges.
The second part of the cycleway follows a more tortuous path with frequent change of direction and then enters the Regional Nature Park of Armor.
Shortly before arriving at the park it is worth taking a detour to Pleyben to admire a magnificent parish enclosure where are gathered the church, the ossuary and the triumphal door.
Once inside the natural park you leave the canal to fall back on a quiet country road that is approaching more and more to the Atlantic coast. Then after 414 km you arrive in Brest. The city is connected with Italy by several scheduled flights.