Itineraries
2010
Day 1 Redon
You will be met at our agreed pick up point, either at
Rennes or Redon .
Redon is the crossroads of the Brittany
waterways network and
stands
at
the
junction
of the River Vilaine (which runs from St.Malo in the North
to Arzal
on the south coast of Brittany) and the Nantes a Brest canal which
runs
East-West. Redon is an important historical town and has many riches,
particularly in
the
old
town.The Saint-Saveur Abbey founded by the monk
Conwoin in 832 brought
cultural glory and riches to the town.
It was added to and modified
up until the 17th century.
Redon also hosts the excellent Inland Water
Transport Museum
.
If you want to learn more about the waterways you are about to travel,
there is an excellent video presentation in English that details
the history of the waterways.
Settle in and then enjoy a four course welcome meal on board and we can
discuss
your
cruise in detail.
Day 2. La Gacilly
We head west up the canal de Nantes a Brest and stop near the village
of Glenac.
From here we have organised a trip for you to the town
of La Gacilly.
The old main street of this town has been converted
over the years into a haven
for artists
and craftsmen. Each shop now houses a different skill with it's
own workshop.
From glassblowing to wood carvers to artists,onyx workers,leather
workers and musicians;
La Gacilly has it all. In addition, the famous
Yves Rocher beauty products
are based here
as well as Europes first 'vegetarium'. A museum
dedicated
to the plant world.
The whole village is decorated with flowers
and definitely a trip not to missed.
.Dinner is taken ashore, and
we can
help you choose and book your meal.
Day3 Glenac towards Malestroit.
We now pass through unspoilt countryside and natural woodland. We also
pass the Isle aux Pies
(Magpie island) which is a famous beauty spot
with natural woodland and cliffs alongside the river.
We then have
a short stretch of canal through woodland and stop at one of the
many pretty villages like
Peillac
for the evening. Again, we can make a visit to one of
the many interesting attractions
listed at the end of this section. Ian or Jane will personally escort
you and point you towards the highlights.
Day 4 To Malestroit
A gentle day pottering our way through several
small villages and towns stopping wherever the fancy takes us
and we
end up at the gorgeous
medieval
town
of Malestroit. Founded in 978, Malestroit has many half
timbered
houses
with overhanging gables
and carvings in winding streets. Malestroit is also an excellent starting
point for many of the excursions that we list at the end of this page. We
can also organise a guided tour around the streets of Malestroit to
point out all the salient features.
A street
market**, regular musical events and a lively atmosphere make
Malestroit
a must-visit.
For those interested,
at nearby St Michel
is
an excellent museum
devoted to the resistance struggle in the second world war.
Dinner
can be taken in one of the varied restaurants in town.
Day 5. Towards Josselin
We continue our journey through delightful countryside
stopping as the fancy takes you at any of the several villages
with
a pause for bread and provisions
at Le Roc St Andre. This town is named for its church impressively
perched
above the
river on a rocky outcrop. We can stop at any time to take excursions
to nearby places of interest,
a selection of which are listed
at the end of this page.In particular we would recommend a visit to
Rochefort
en Terre,
where the 12c chateau was rebuilt by an American artist and
is open to visitors. The village centre is probably
the prettiest in
central Brittany and hosts many antique shops and artisans. Rochefort
won the prettiest village award
so many
times that it was banned from entering again!
Day 6 Josselin 
We arrive at one of the best and most famous canal views
in France. As we round a bend in the river
Ouest you see the magnificent
chateau of the Rohan family towering above the river.
After negotiating
the lock we moor below the chateau walls and Josselin is waiting for
you.
You will doubtless want to spend some time investigating
Josselin. It's pretty streets, the ancient church,
timbered medieval
houses,
the excellent
large street market*, the museum in the chateau itself with
France's
largest
collection
of
historic
dolls,
the street
cafes
and variety of interesting family run shops;
Josselin is, in many ways, the heart of the region. Choose from
an excellent range of restaurants
for your evening meal.From an upmarket yet reasonable
restaurant high
above the river or
a waterside 'creperie', Josselin has them all .
Day
7
After breakfast on board we say goodbye to Libje and take you on
to Rennes or Redon by car for your onward journey.
*Sat am
** Thurs am
Depending on the previous cruise, the above
itinerary might be reversed.
Dont forget though, this is your cruise and your hard earned break. We are happy to modify the above suggestion. If you want to linger or take in more of any particular stop we can do it. Likewise if you want to do less cruising and enjoy more excursions, we can do it. Alternatively, if you want to see as much of the countryside by water as you can, extending the cruise to Rohan, and miss out on some of the excursions we can do that too.
A second cruise option would be to start at the district
capital of Rennes which is a lively university town with a
medieval
heart and numerous award winning restaurants. We would then
travel down the River Vilaine
which is often described as the most
beautiful river in France.
Depending on the number of stops we would
end the cruise at Redon or take in some of the Nantes a Brest canal.
As well as the above suggested itineraries, we
can organise day trips to the medieval walled city of Vannes for
some of the smartest shops in the region and a yachting harbour that
reaches right up to the old city gates,
or to the important megalithic
sites at Carnac
that are thought to be the oldest continuously inhabited
place in the world with over 2,000 menhirs (large stones)
that stretch
over 4 Km and pre-date the Egyptian pyramids.
Just a selection of other more
local visits that
may prove of
interest
are Breton
cider producers,
an exhibition of moving mechanical sculptures, local
markets, chateaux, The megaliths of Monteneuf
where a Roman road psses within yards of a megalithic site only discovered
30 years ago. Church and museum visits,
the waterways exhibition,
formal gardens,the Spanish influenced port of St Louis,
the resistance museum at St Marcel, a working Medieval village,
a visit to the south coast for a seafood lunch overlooking the island
strewn gulf of
Morbihan,
a trip on a carriage drawn by a beautiful Fresian horse for
a picnic by
the
riverside.In Brittany, the list goes on and on. There are links
to many of these attractions on our links
page.
At the risk of repeating ourselves, we are very
flexible in our itinerary and can tailor the
experience to your particular
interests. Just email us to
discuss your barge holiday and ask for a quote.
We can also organise special charters such
as a seafood cookery cruise.
Learn how to choose, buy, prepare and cook seafood.
Cruise as you enjoy Brittany's bounty!
Fancy more than a cruise?
Why not treat yourself to a weeks stay at these gorgeous thatched cottages to unwind and then go cruising to get the full Brittany experience? Our good friends Neil and Tricia Young have renovated these cottages to a very high standard and have then added a whole new dimension to a Gite holiday by offering complimentary health and beauty treatments as well as a raft of other options. We really can recommend a stay here. You can see more at their website at www.brittanythatchedcottages.com
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