Join Claudia Dowell on a short break exploring the glorious Atlantic coast of north-west France
The Atlantic coast of north-west France is a region rich in scenery and history, as Claudia Dowell discovers
ON THE SOUTH bank of the estuary of the great Loire river on France’s Atlantic coast, known as the Jade Coast on this stretch, lies the charming resort of Saint-brevin-les-pins.
In the Middle Ages the little town was a community of fishers and farmers, but in the 19th century, it became a fashionable resort for the well-to-do seeking the health-giving properties of sea air and bathing.
Its miles of dunes were stabilised by the planting of a pine forest, giving it the latter part of its name. Curiously, the saintly part of that name comes from the eighth-century Archbishop of Canterbury, St Bregwin, who helped found a new priory in the area.
A casino – they were popping up all over 19th-century Europe – was built in 1884 to entertain visitors.
At the beginning of the 20th century, this was still a playground for the rich, but when the American troops left their billets here at the end of World War I, it was decided to make the town more accessible to as many new visitors as possible.
In WWII, the coastline became a military zone under the Nazis. Saint-brevin-les-pins was a German stronghold, defending the mouth of the Loire and the submarine base being built at St Nazaire. Although the Allies continuously bombed the base, somehow St Brevin escaped destruction.
Casino by the beach
Today, it continues to be a favoured holiday resort, with a casino, several beaches and plenty going on during the summer months. It’s a wonderfully relaxed and safe place for a family campsite, which is where Sunêlia Vacances comes in.
Camping Sunêlia le Fief, lying to the south of the town, is more than just a campsite; this is a spa, a restaurant and bar, an indoor and outdoor pool with flumes and slides, and a glamping village of luxury lodges with private terraces. It also has about 90 pitches with hook-up, nestled among the trees.
We hired bikes, had massages and were pummelled with jets of water in the spa, had breakfast and dinner in the very good Punta Cana restaurant, and watched family entertainment in the bar and a lively fitness work-out in the pool.
But it’s not all about the adults – children will love it here, too. There are organised clubs, games pitches and play areas, as well as the spectacular outside pool. In short, it’s the perfect base for a week away.
There is also plenty to see beyond the site gates. St-brevin-les-pins is easily explored by bike, but you’ll need your car to head north over the two-mile bridge at St Nazaire, which rises to 61m (200ft) above the water, and reach the port, an important submarine base for Germany during WWII.
The colossal, unworldly, concrete bunkers that dominate the port were designed to
‘In the Middle Ages, this little town was a community of fishers and farmers, but in the 19th century, it became a fashionable resort’
protect Germany’s U-boats from the
Allied bombers, and these brutalist constructions, which continue to stand virtually unscathed, clearly did their job well.
Today, they have a new role as museums and you can buy a ‘passport’ that will gain you entry into all of them.
Life underwater
Inhabiting one of the docks is the
French submarine Espadon (French for ‘swordfish’ – great name for a sub!).
On board you can experience what it was like for 60 submariners to live and work on a submarine. Privacy would have been non-existent; space is tight and stairs are steep, so it’s not for the claustrophobic or those with mobility difficulties.
My great-grandfather served in HMS E-11, a submarine that scored a huge success in the 1915 Dardanelles campaign of WWI, so I found it particularly interesting trying to imagine him working in such a restricted environment, especially as the Dowells tend towards the tall side. However, I must admit that I was glad to get off the boat.
As a fan of old Hollywood films, much more up my street was the Escal’atlantic. It’s a museum depicting the world of the great ocean-going liners, with reconstructions of engine rooms, cabins and the glamorously decorative salons and bars, and exquisite items of Art Deco furnishings.
You get to experience what it would have been like on deck, and the Titanic-esque end to the tour has you climbing into a lifeboat being lowered into the water!
For those who are more concerned with the here and now, a third museum, the EOL Centre éolien, explains the principles and technology of offshore wind farms, with some interactive displays that will engage both adults and children.
The slogan for the town is St Nazaire Renversante (stunning St Nazaire), and it is. Having explored some of the great indoor attractions, we headed towards the beach, La Grande Plage, and stopped at Le Bar Iodé for a delicious lunch, which we enjoyed in sparkling sunshine with a fine sea view.
Salt marsh sanctuary
West of St Nazaire are the spectacular salt marshes of Guérande, which stretch some 2000 hectares between La Baule-escoublac to the east, Le Croisic to the west and La Turballe to the north-west.
This vast wetland is worth a visit for the birdlife alone – 280 species of migratory birds visit the area, and we spotted rare spoonbills and avocets during our visit.
There’s a visitor centre, Terre de Sel Guérande, on the D92, where you can learn much more about the harvesting of Atlantic salt, which has been going on in this area since the third century. A guided tour of the salt basins and channels takes 45 minutes.
The basins date back to the 10th century, when monks from the Landévennec Abbey
studied the tides and the effects of wind and sun on the low-lying land to plan channels and basins for collecting the salt.
The methods for gathering the salt have changed little, with no mechanisation – just generations of skill, using hand tools, passed down by the paludiers – the salt workers. Our visit ended in the shop, where you can buy bags of the highly prized salt.
Lying on the edge of the salt marshes is the medieval walled town of Guérande, one of France’s finest walled cities. Its narrow streets are packed with crêperies and shops – some selling salt – while at its centre lies the beautiful 14th-century Collegiate Church of Saint Aubin.
Surrounding this is a sculpture of iron figures on poles – salt marsh workers, fishers, farmers, musicians. Interestingly, some kind local person has knitted neat little hats and scarves for several of them, a homely touch to a charming installation.
We had lunch in one of the crêperies,
Roc Maria, where the accompanying cider was served in a bolée, or large cup.
Yachts in the harbour
At the very tip of the Guérande peninsula is Le Croisic, once an island and a major port from which the salt was exported, now a pretty seaside resort with yachts bobbing in the harbour, and cobbled streets.
We followed the D45, stopping off at Pointe du Croisic and the Côte Sauvage for some mind-stilling staring, out past the rocky shore and over the Atlantic.
It was idyllic, with sailing boats passing in the distance. There’s plenty of parking along here and bikes would be a bonus if you have them with you.
South of St-brevin-les-pins is Pornic, a popular seaside resort which was hosting a festival when we visited. The entrance to the attractive port is watched over by the turrets of a castle said to belong to the notorious 15th-century serial killer, Gilles de Rais, immortalised as Bluebeard in the 17th century by Charles Perrault.
The crimes of de Rais are too gruesome to relate here, but he was once considered a hero and fought alongside Joan of Arc against the English, rising to the rank of Marshal of France. How the mighty fall! The tale gives the castle a distinct air of mystery, but today it is privately owned, so not accessible to the public.
Oysters and wine
We made our way along the quayside, past sailing boats stranded in mud, waiting for the incoming tide, looking for a boat called the Fleur des Ondes, which offers oysters and local wine tasting.
I am not a great fan of raw oysters, but I was intrigued by the wine, a Grolleau Gris, apparently a mutation of Grolleau Noir.
This is used extensively in the production of Rosé d’anjou, so it was very local.
I had never heard of it, but it was deemed the ideal accompaniment to oysters and went very well with the tiny grilled shrimp offered as an appetiser. It was fascinating to watch the on-board chef shucking oysters wearing a mail glove that looked as though it might once have belonged to a suit of armour in Bluebeard’s castle!
We ended our tour in style, with lunch in the rather splendid-looking Marius restaurant, which is housed in the town’s former casino. The elegant Art Deco interior was quite a contrast to the bustling port beyond its walls.
But this wasn’t quite the final meal of the tour. We were departing with Brittany ferries via the beautiful city of St Malo and once on board, we treated ourselves to dinner in the overnight ferry’s restaurant, which really was a fitting end to a great weekend away.