The Nantes Et Brest Canal Journey
La Velodyssee, Euro Velo Route One – Gourec to Carhaix
Gourec to Carhaix
Autumn has arrived here in Brittany and the buzz of summer seems a long time ago. The autumn colours are just wonderful, the trees are changing colour and shedding their leaves decorating the paths along the canal with a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns. I love this time of year.
The Nantes et Brest Canal is nowhere as busy with tourists now as it was but there are some hardy cyclists still taking on the challenge and an increase in people walking & long distance hiking, maybe not the long lengths as completed in spring and summer but groups taking on parts as a past time and regular keep fit activity mostly at the weekend.
Pete and I have found time to get out on our bikes again which is great, there is a real warmth in the sun still. And on the 2nd weekend in November we cycled in temperatures above 20° which was great for our lunch time Picnic.
Whilst not all the facilities of summer are open along the canal with planning there is everything one needs if you have a picnic on board or don’t mind detours into nearby towns and villages for restaurants.
Important for us ladies is that I have not yet found any of the ‘ comfort stops’ ( toilets) closed which is a real relief in every sense of the word.!!
Last edition we finished in the lovely town of Goureac, which is of course where we begin in this episode.
Something I have noted is that the further we are heading West the lusher the landscape has become, agreed Nantes end of the canal is not without its greenery but here it seems lusher, or maybe it is just that after the heat of summer and the brown grass has now returned to its preferred colour.
Heading out of Goureac it is essential to begin at Ecluse (Lock) 140 to pick up the canal path on the left hand side heading west, if you cycle past the campsite you will run out of cyclable path. At Ecluse 141 Kerlouet you will have reached 246km on the journey along the canal, it’s comforting to know that there is just 110km to go until we reach the end of the canal path at St – Sebastien at Ecluse 237 Guily Glas.
Here at Lock 141 Kerlouet you will find parking & picnic tables this is a good place to begin if you are doing the ride or walk in stages as you can leave the car here.
Heading west to Plelauff just 1km away there is also parking. Here at Ecluse 142 you will switch sides of the canal to continue cycling on the right hand side West bound following the path
This part of the route is mainly through farm land and canopied trees along the canal, great for shade on a hot day and for shelter if the weather is wet. 5 km after Pelauff the canal takes a sharp left turn at Ecluse 145 and immediately there is Ecluse 146 Coat Natous, this Ecluse is very interesting because it is the only double Ecluse on the whole canal and if you are lucky enough to be passing while it is in operation it is fascinating to watch.
A very short cycle ahead you will see the Chapelle de la Pitie come into view, it is across the canal on the left hand side but well worth taking a little detour by cycling across the next bridge and doubling back the 500m. This area is steeped in history some of which dates back to the Roman times with evidence of prehistoric camp on the hill above the Ecluse too. There is a plaque detailing the story of the chapel in multiple languages. It really is amazing how intact this small church still is.
There is also a chamber d’hotes here called the Le Etangs de Pitie offering overnight stopovers. I will highlight that this is not a comfort break stop and there are no facilities here it is really a short detour to see the charming church.
Going back across the bridge to cycle further west after a 3km you will be at Ecluse 149 where you will see an ancient bread oven just to the side of the cycle path. It was used by the locals to bake bread and sell to the passing boats. The stretch of canal here snakes its way around the countryside.
The next Lock 150 is just another 1km along and is the welcome site of the Buvette ( Snack Bar ) the ‘Crepes et Couette ‘ this is adjacent to a renovated lock keepers house which is also a chamber d’hotes and a small campsite, there are some ready prepared tents to rent as well as rooms, it makes for a great break, what is better than a gallette or crepe lunch, or both as we have been cycling J
If you prefer to skip this stop, there is a picnic and parking area another 1km along. This is where the road the D23 crosses the canal. Rostrenen can be found by following the D23 to the left for 2.5km. Rostrenen has several restaurants and a weekly market on Tuesday morning, if you have planned to stop here over night be sure you have secured accommodation as chamber d’hotes are not plentiful here. You will find more accommodation along the canal, but I can’t express enough how important it is to plan your route and stop overs in advance especially if you are cycling in the summer months due to the high demand and in the winter months due to many Chambre d’hotes being closed.
Continuing on along the canal you will begin to feel the pull of the rise up hill I think this is one of the most interesting parts of the Canal, for the next 3km there are 8 ecluse, I ponder over the sheer effort that went into building the canal in a time of minimal machinery. After lock 159 the last in this series you will be on a clear stretch for about 5km this is where you will see the La Grande Tranchée – translated as The Big Trench. And that is exactly what it is at its deepest it is over 23 metres! Can you imagine the time and manual labour that took to excavate?
It is at points like this I actually think we owe it to the men and women – the creators of the canal to keep it alive! I have felt that way about canals since my teenage years and as a young mum being an assistant Girl Guide leader we had several visits to canals, canal boat journeys and it always saddens me to see disused and abandoned canals. The race for the ‘ modern’ way of life made people flee this tranquil way, the more environmentally friendly way, but as with most things the canals are having a revival and a full circle is being navigated, bringing people back living and working along the canals and also the use for pleasure and exercise. We owe an awful lot to those who designed and created these water roads of the past.
At the end of the La Grande Tranchée there is an information point and toilets at the Centre Nautique et a’nimation de Glomel ( summer opening only ). Here is a great place for a refreshment / comfort break. The next 1.2 km has 10 ecluse a stairway and it doesn’t stop there the next 15.3km to Lock 200 there are 29 Ecluse. I guarantee this is a time to take your time and take it in. Not far after Ecluse 191 you will see the road bridge of the D83 this marks the crossing from Cotes d’Armor and Finistere. It is my recommendation that you stay on the canal path until Ecluse 200 and then at this point take the road to Carhaix here it is not such a busy road for traffic but of course do be very careful and please seek out your preferred route , there are several turns off this road to ensure you stay away from major roads. It is a 3km ride into Carhaix and a welcome stop over.
Carhaix offers lots of shops, places to eat and some places to stay, again book in advance. This may be where you wish to take a two night break and spend some time walking the old streets and if you have children with you the Karaex Adrenaline Parc is on the outskirts of the town, this is a great park in the trees for the adventurous.
The journey in this edition Gouraec to Carhaix is 40.6km plus the 3km for the ride into Carhaix from the canal and the short diversion of another 1km to the beautiful church earlier in the day.