Chavagne – Nature Trails and Architectural History

Chavagne offers several different ways to plan your trip: routes on foot or by bike, wildlife watching in Bois de la Sillandais, buildings with dated histories, and food from local businesses. Depending on whether you want to focus on time outdoors or historic architecture, you can shape your stay around different interests.

Routes and planning your time

The “Circuit Entre Sillandais et Fontenelles” loop is 11.4 kilometres long; its shorter variant measures 7.8 kilometres. The main route takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to walk, while the shorter variant takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. These two figures give you a specific guide when comparing the walking time available. The loop starts at the St-Éxupéry car park and is accessible to all visitor groups. Check the route details before setting off; parking conditions may also change.

Another way to get active outdoors is the CRAPA at Étang de la Sillandais. It is accessible from the car park by the Étang, measures 1,800 metres and includes twelve activity stations. The route is suitable for running or a leisurely walk, and the stations are designed for physical exercises. Check the local condition of the facilities on site.

The “Balade à Roulettes® – Le Bois de la Sillandais” follows a firm, wide, well-marked and equipped path with only a gentle slope. The route includes a playground for younger children; this facility may change locally. If you are choosing routes based on their specific features, the surface, width and gradient provide useful guidance, while the playground is an additional feature of the route.

The Vallée de la Vilaine cycling network is also relevant for route planning: marked routes pass through Chavagne, and the network includes more than 125 kilometres of paths and trails in total. As routes may change, check the current route before setting off.

Bois de la Sillandais and nature watching

Bois de la Sillandais is an ecologically important natural area of around 20 hectares. Visitors can observe animals and plants there. Numerous water features lie in the forest and along its edges, including ponds, pools and flooded ditches. An ecological field survey in 2010 classified these water features as highly favourable for amphibian reproduction.

The “Sentier pédagogique” leads into Bois de la Sillandais and focuses on the living things found there, their different forms and their ways of life. This offers a different emphasis from a route planned mainly around distance and walking time: here, the focus is on discovering the diversity of life in the forest. Nature watching and an informative trail can therefore be considered distinct highlights of a stay.

Architectural history in Chavagne

At Manoir de la Touche, the original residential building dates from the late 15th century, while individual structural elements date from different periods. Dendrochronology dates the timber framework to autumn and winter 1495–1496, and the ceiling to 1522. The two dates therefore refer to different parts of the building and show that its construction took place in several stages.

The Église paroissiale Saint-Martin was built between 1864 and 1869 in the Gothic Revival style; the upper part of the bell tower dates from 1874. The Chapelle Saint-Nicolas is a Romanesque-style cemetery chapel dating from the second half of the 19th century. It was built in memory of Chavagne’s former parish church. The different construction dates and styles offer several ways to explore the local heritage.

The grounds of Château de la Sillandais include a chapel and a dovecote with a lantern; the entire complex is surrounded by moats. These architectural features add another ensemble to the historic churches and the manor, with each of its components identifiable by name.

Breton baked goods and farm produce

La Fabrique is one place in Chavagne to discover local food. Its shop offers handmade Breton baked goods, including galettes bretonnes, palets bretons, financiers and brioches. The selection may change.

Radis Rouge offers farm produce and local food at the Les Petits Chapelais farm in Chavagne. Products include sourdough bread, meat, seasonal vegetables, dairy products, flour and milk. The availability of individual products may vary. Along with the trails, natural areas and historic buildings, these offerings provide another specific focus to consider when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Mont-Dol, La Bouëxière, Tinteniac, Torcé, Saint-m'hervé, Montreuil-sur-Ille, Les Iffs, Gahard.

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