18 Jul 2024
Eco river tourism continues to grow fast in France – and a new four-river network brand in the Atlantic Loire Valley, Les Rivières de l'Ouest ('The Rivers of Western France') is launching to the UK market this year. Located in France's largest basin of navigable rivers, Les Rivières de l'Ouest unites three departments – Mayenne, Sarthe and Anjou – and four rivers – la Mayenne, la Sarthe, L'Oudon and La Maine. Why visit? To experience France's slow and green 'tourisme fluvestre' – a mix of 'fluviale' (river-based) and 'terrestre' (land-based) activities…
1/ Take the 'Dandy' miniboat out for a spin
This one's as original as they come: only a handful of these prototypes exist in France, four of them here at Chateau-Gontier on the River Mayenne. A great compromise between a canoe/kayak and larger electric boat, this stripy single-seater is just 85cm wide and endowed with a fully electric engine to whisk you silently up and down the river at a top speed of 12 km/h, with an average range of four hours on a single charge. Dead easy to manoeuvre with a steering wheel and sidestick throttle, you can't capsize in one of these – even if the bow lifts pleasingly out of the water with acceleration. No licence required.
€14 (one boat) or €25 (two boats) for 30 minutes' hire | canotika-tourisme.fr
2/ Have a go at e-foiling
The world's smallest personal motorised watercraft, an electric hydrofoil (e-foil) requires considerably more mastery than the Dandy. Accompanied and guided by a boat, you may take some time to find your balance – but once you do, you'll be flying over the River Sarthe at speeds of up to 25 km/h. The foil is powered by a silent electric motor controlled by a handheld wireless remote, and has a rechargeable battery. This burgeoning sport is a unique experience and can be enjoyed in virtually any weather conditions.
Lessons €85 for 75 minutes | aventurenautique.fr
3/ Have lunch at a lockkeeper's house
Meeting locals around a riverside table: this is Mayenne. The Atlantic Loire Valley's northernmost department is dotted with lockkeepers' houses that come to life during the summer, their owners often doubling as restaurateurs, grocers and gardeners. L'Écluserie is a little bistro at Benatre Lock, where hungry outdoorsy types arrive by boat, bike or canoe to enjoy a simple daily changing menu of main course and dessert for €14. There are outdoor games arranged, a water refill point, a bike rental and equipment shop, essential grocery supplies and a little fireplace for cooler days.
4/ Learn to make an artisan knife
Craft workshops are part and parcel of 'tourisme fluvestre' and a crucial part of keeping these traditions alive, with a focus on local resources. Visit Antoine Faucheux at La Coutellerie du Maine-Anjou – inside another former lockkeeper's house dating from 1874 – for a masterclass on knife-making, for which all the wood you'll peruse to select your handle comes from within a 50km radius. You'll learn how to use the belt sander and can also have your knife laser-engraved on the handle and blade, creating a beautiful souvenir to take home.
€120 for 1-hour workshop, longer periods available | coutellerie-du-maine-anjou.com
5/ Hire an electric day boat
With their sun visors and Mediterranean look, you'd almost think you were on board a mini yacht... without the CO2 emissions or nasty odours given off by petrol-engine boats. Easier to pilot than a cabin cruiser, a licence-free electric boat is a great alternative for up to eight people to enjoy the Rivières de l'Ouest, setting off from the Roëzé-sur-Sarthe watersports centre. Pack a cool box for a picnic by the water and discover the banks of the Sarthe in a whole new way. Safety and driving briefing included.
Boat for 5 adults + 2 children €190/day (10am-6pm) | aventurenautique.fr
6/ Tour the river by bike, kayak and scooter
A river trip on the Mayenne works your calves as well as your arms, thanks to this bike-kayak combination that lets you switch from handlebars to paddle in the blink of an eye. There are plenty of opportunities to take a sunny break or enjoy a picnic – and if you get tired, you can swap for an all-terrain electric scooter.
'Fluvestre' river tour between Daon and La Jaille-Yvon from €22 | anjousportnature.com
7/ Make bread, make electricity
The Moulin Cyprien is one of the last mills still operating in the region and its interactive tour is designed to reveal the secrets of milling expertise, all the way from the grain to the bag of flour. Since the 15th century, the River Sarthe has relentlessly turned the mill's waterwheel and the wood-fired oven takes the experience further, baking loaves and bread rolls for you to try throughout the season. Join a workshop to concoct your own crispy delight, knowing that the mill also plays its part in sustainable development by producing hydroelectricity.
Workshops from €5 for 2 ½ hours | ile-moulinsart.fr
8/ Hear Gregorian chants at the water's edge
The Benedictine monks of Solesmes Abbey, overlooking the River Sarthe, deliver a daily service in Gregorian chant, perpetuating a tradition that goes back several centuries. Heirs to the research carried out by Dom Prosper Guéranger, they have raised the abbey's reputation to an international level for this liturgy, which is mysterious and bewitching in the special acoustics of the building. The daily 10am service is free to attend.
9/ Drink hyper-local craft beer
Being a region of world-class wines, you may not equally associate the Atlantic Loire Valley with beer – but the owner of a little bar-boutique in Laval is brewing many of his creations just a few kilometres away, within the department of Mayenne. The bar's name, 'Le Temple Mousse' – literally 'Temple of Foam', rhyming perfectly with 'pamplemousse', meaning grapefruit – is an Aladdin's Cave of cans and bottles with art-inspired labels and a friendly face waiting to pour you a pint. Beers are often fruity, but not sickly – try the 'sureau' (elderflower) and pull up a high chair outside to admire this half-timbered street in the heart of town.
10/ Stay in France's only converted water tower
Fancy staying in a tubular building 10 metres wide and 40 metres high? This slender silhouette is the only water tower in France to have been converted into a gîte: two contemporary bedrooms and a lounge atop the tower await guests, plus an incredible glass rotunda that can also be used as a conference room, offering a 360° panoramic view of the Mayenne countryside. You have to walk the nine flights of stairs to the top – but fortunately, a small luggage lift will carry your cases for you.
Overnight stay from €375 | chateaudeaulesable.fr
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Further information
Visit the Rivières de l'Ouest site
Browse the Atlantic Loire Valley 2024 press kit
Visit the department tourist board sites: Mayenne | Sarthe | Anjou
