ROUTE DES VINS "VIGNOBLE DE GRAND-LIEU"

On the Routes des Vins, this 118 km tour by car will take you to a mysterious lake? Just a few kilometers from Nantes, lies Lac de Grand-Lieu. A veritable ornithological reserve, where birds are king, it coexists perfectly with the Muscadet vineyards. Along the way, stop off at one of the five "caves touristiques" (tourist cellars) or a restaurant, to taste AOC Muscadet-côtes-de-Grandlieu wines and accompany them with pike-perch in beurre blanc 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 bocage countryside, passing through the village of Sainte-Pazanne and the countryside of Saint-Mars-de-Coutais. In Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais, enjoy the highest panorama of Lac de Grand-Lieu from the church steeple, 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 to La Limouzinière and Saint-Colomban. In Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, push open the doors of the Abbatiale Déas site for a medieval interlude to discover the miraculous history and unique architecture of this ancient Carolingian abbey. You can also spend a night in a gîte, chambre d'hôte or unusual accommodation along the way. Follow the loop to La Chevrolière and Passay, the fishing village of Lac de Grand-Lieu. To complete the stroll through the village's typical alleyways and the view over the lake from the summer 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, enjoy a guided birdwatching tour at the Observatoire Ornithologique du lac de Grand-Lieu in Passay, or a canoe trip on the Ognon from the Halte Nautique in Pont-Saint-Martin. 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. Last but not least, the Maison du Lac de Grand-Lieu in Bouaye offers wine tastings and amuse-bouche with winemakers on the terrace of the Pavillon Guerlain on balmy summer evenings.