Saint-Lyphard: Discover Brière and Kerhinet

Saint-Lyphard is located in the Brière Regional Nature Park. The commune is home to more than 900 thatched cottages; crosses, bread ovens and dolmens are also part of its local heritage. These other historical features are scattered throughout the commune. In Saint-Lyphard, the landscape of Brière and a diverse architectural heritage come together. Kerhinet showcases an example of traditional housing, while guided trips and a cycling tour offer further perspectives on the marshland.

Kerhinet and the Brièronne style of housing

Kerhinet is a hamlet of 18 thatched cottages, restored as a showcase of traditional Brièronne housing. The hamlet is entirely pedestrianised. Two self-guided interpretation trails explore the village’s former way of life. In Kerhinet, both the houses and the daily lives of former villagers take centre stage. The trails broaden the focus on housing with their own subject: life in the village in times past.

The 2026 summer farmers’ market in Kerhinet includes bread baking in the village bread oven. This activity is linked to one of the local bread ovens and adds a culinary dimension to the exploration of the houses and the village’s history. If you are interested in this market, bread baking is a specific activity to consider when planning your visit.

Guided trips in Brière

Brière Evasion offers a 45-minute guided chaland boat trip from Port de la Pierre Fendue in Saint-Lyphard. The trip introduces visitors to the local wildlife and plant life, the history of the marshland and local traditions. The same operator also offers a 45-minute guided horse-drawn carriage ride through thatched villages. Along the way, visitors learn about thatching techniques. Both trips have the same stated duration but different focuses: the chaland trip covers nature, history and traditions, while the carriage ride focuses on villages and thatching.

Calèches Briéronnes organise chaland boat trips in the Marais de Brière and are based at Port de Bréca in Saint-Lyphard. Check booking details before your trip. The place names have different roles: Port de la Pierre Fendue is the departure point for the Brière Evasion trip, while Port de Bréca is where Calèches Briéronnes are based.

Exploring by bike

The Saint-Lyphard tourist office rents pedal-assist electric bikes, which you can use to explore Brière. A cycling tour runs from Kerhinet via Kerbourg to Marlais, through flowering hamlets of Brière. The rental offer specifies the bike and Brière as the destination; the tour provides a specific sequence of places. You can therefore choose between a guided trip, exploring village history and housing in Kerhinet, or a cycling route through the hamlets.

Discover more destinations: Nozay, Trignac, Derval, Basse-Goulaine, Grand-Auverné, Blain, Grandchamps-Des-Fontaines, Saint-Vincent-Des-Landes

For the main travel overview: Loire-Atlantique.