Rougé: Trail, Forest and History

Rougé offers several ways to experience a stay: a signposted trail through varied landscapes, natural areas and places of historical significance. There are also various leisure activities. You can decide which themes matter most to you by exploring the trails, nature and local history.

The Sentier Les Pierres Rouges

The Sentier Les Pierres Rouges trail is 12 kilometres long; the walk takes three hours and is rated easy. The route is also rated easy for mountain biking and horse riding. Its scenery shifts between the Brutz Valley, heathland, bocage and long wooded stretches. If you mainly want to spend time outdoors during your stay, this clearly described route offers a variety of landscapes.

The starting point is the car park at Rougé's former railway station; signs for the Voie Verte point the way there. Parking regulations may change, so check them when making specific plans. The area around the trail includes a leisure facility, a picnic area and a skate park. These facilities may also change, so it may be worth checking for current information before your visit.

Forest and natural area

At the former Moulin de la Rouelle is a 1.5-hectare departmental natural area with a pond and its surroundings. It is connected to the 16.8-hectare Bois de la Houssaye, also known as St-Joseph; the Brutz stream runs along the woodland. These different scales show two aspects of the landscape: the smaller area around the pond and the larger stretch of forest.

Fifteen bat species have been recorded in the Bois de la Houssaye. The hazel dormouse is also ecologically significant there; in the Loire-Atlantique department, it is considered a rare species. The natural areas give your stay a different focus from the trail itself: you can explore the landscape and its wildlife, while the route description focuses primarily on the trail and its sections.

Chapels, manor house and local history

In the town centre, behind the town hall, stands the 16th-century Manoir de l’Orgerais and its chapel. The estate is privately owned; the chapel is visible from the road. Please respect the boundary of the private property. The Notre-Dame de la Salette site includes an altar and an oratory. A depiction of Notre-Dame de la Salette, surrounded by children, is housed in a glazed niche. The Calvary was formerly visited during processions, Rogation Days and on Ascension Day; this does not indicate that a regular event takes place today.

North of Rougé, in the Bois de Saint-Joseph, stands a statue of Saint Joseph showing him with the infant Jesus. Another historical reference is the de Rougé family, documented in the region since at least the 12th century. The family shaped the town by building a castle and making donations to the nearby abbeys of Melleray, Béré and Teillay.

The red soil is also part of Rougé's character: it comes from clay coloured red by abundant iron ore. The ore was probably already being worked by Celtic and Gallo-Roman metalworkers. Two paintings were created in 1856 for the former church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul. Together, these details point to different periods, from early regional history to a specific date in the 19th century.

Leisure activities in Rougé

Swin Golf des Grées has an 18-hole Swin golf course and also offers paintball, bicycle hire, archery, footgolf and disc golf. Individual activities may be subject to the operator's terms; if necessary, check any details relevant to your visit in advance.

The Centre équestre de Rougé offers group or individual lessons, rides, horse treks and holiday courses. Visitor activities include rides on horses and ponies, a look inside the stable, grooming the horses and use of the indoor riding arena. Prior arrangements may be required for visitor access. If you would like to include these activities in your plans, arrange this directly before your visit.

Rougé can be explored according to your interests: the Sentier Les Pierres Rouges offers a signposted route with a stated length and duration, while the natural areas, historic sites and leisure activities each provide a distinct focus for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Machecoul, Treffieux, Les Touches, Saint-Lyphard, Clisson, Guérande, Remouillé, Anetz

For the main travel overview: Loire-Atlantique.