Discover Châteaubourg: Art, History and Nature

Châteaubourg combines art and architectural history with connections to nature and water. The sculpture trail, Chapelle Sainte-Anne and Forêt de la Corbière each offer a different focus. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Châteaubourg, you can consider whether art, religious history, woodland scenery or paddle sports should be at the heart of your stay.

Art and architectural history

The Parcours des Sculpteurs runs through Châteaubourg and is a permanent trail. Over almost three kilometres, 30 panels provide information about the origins of sculpture, artistic movements, forms, materials and techniques; portraits of artists complete the programme. Its subject matter therefore ranges from the history of sculpture to the ways it is created.

Each year, the Les Entrepreneurs Mécènes association organises a sculpture exhibition in Parc d’Ar Milin’. This means that a permanent trail and an annual exhibition offer two different formats. Both add a cultural dimension, but in their own way: the trail presents themes along its route, while the exhibition gives sculptures a recurring place in the park.

The church in Châteaubourg was built by Arthur Regnault in 1893 and is listed as a historic monument. Chapelle Sainte-Anne represents a different period: it was built following a vow made during the Second World War and completed in 1947. A 19th-century building and a post-war chapel therefore stand side by side as distinct historical landmarks.

Pilgrimage to Chapelle Sainte-Anne

Chapelle Sainte-Anne is also the destination of an annual pilgrimage. It takes place on the Sunday closest to 26 July. A procession is followed by an open-air Mass at the chapel. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the specific Sunday for the relevant year; the date rule will help you identify the right occasion.

Woodland, water and trails

Forêt de la Corbière is classified as a departmental natural area and covers 630 hectares. It extends across Châteaubourg, La Bouëxière, Marpiré and Saint-Jean-sur-Vilaine. The forest can be explored on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback. A 3.6-kilometre discovery loop leads directly to a pond and its dam near a former mill. The forest’s large area and the precise length of this particular loop describe the natural area at two different scales.

Parc Pasteur is in the town centre, bordered by the Vilaine. This sets a centrally located park alongside a natural area that extends across four municipalities as two distinct landscape settings. The Vélo-Promenade No. 5, “Les moulins,” also passes through landscapes featuring woodland, a pond and waterways.

Paddle sports and getting around

Chateaubourg Canoë Kayak offers recreational kayaking on rivers, calm and white water, and the sea. Activities also include canoe polo and introductions to other paddle sports. The range therefore goes beyond kayaking, encompassing different water environments as well as other forms of paddle sport.

Since January 2020, Châteaubourg has held the “Village Étape” label. Signs along the road point to local shops and services. This complements the cultural and landscape themes with practical information to help you find your way around the town.

Discover more destinations: La Chapelle-Aux-Filtzméens, Saint-Aubin-D'aubigné, Gosné, Saint-Marc-Sur-Couesnon, Chantepie, Saint-Pierre-De-Plesguen, Crevin, Servon-Sur-Vilaine

For the wider travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.