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‘As a child, I would spend my holidays in and around Pornic. Here is a wonderful ocean realm where I could wade and pick shellfish for hours on end. I had wild oysters, clams, scallops, shrimp and prawns for friends. Many years later, this experience pushed me to build this lovely white house in La-Plaine-sur-Mer. I truly became a Chef on this isolated slither of land between La Baule and Noirmoutier. Now, I couldn't live anywhere else. The salty air conceals so many riches.’
To give you inspiration, Relais & Châteaux presents the Routes du Bonheur: suggestions for travel itineraries that you can fully personalise according to your wishes and the experiences you would like to discover. Our consultants are available to help customise your route and assist you in making reservations at our properties. It is up to you to reserve any recommended activities on-site or nearby that might interest you.
*Total price provided for information only, based on accommodation for two people in a double room for the number of nights per property as indicated on this page, exclusive of recommended activities, properties that cannot be reserved online and restaurants.
Restaurant in the country. Delightful French-style gardens and the historic walls of the Logis de la Chabotterie, a significant site in the Vendée war where General Charette was captured in 1796, provide the idyllic setting for this highly renowned restaurant. The two-star Chef Thierry Drapeau takes his inspiration from the surrounding countryside and its top-quality ingredients, then adding an artistic flourish to his fine regional cuisine. He favours herbs over spices, and creates a fragrant, brightly coloured "floral cuisine". Savory might accompany an asparagus starter, and pureed Vitelotte potatoes add a pretty dash of violet to a brandade of cod delicately flavoured with parsley juice.
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Restaurant and hotel on the seafront. On the sand dunes, facing the charming port of La Gravette, Anne de Bretagne is a contemporary villa, perfectly placed to enjoy the best of Brittany. There are breath-taking views over the ocean from the suites and the Italian-style terraces. In the excellent restaurant, Mathieu Guibert’s cuisine is inventive with a touch of the sea, in perfect harmony with the wines selected by Michèle Vételé, a highly-recognised sommelier. In season, you can try wild clams with shredded leek. Fish and shellfish create a perfect match: “slow-cooked” line-caught sea bass is served with a sardine concassé, a string of winkles and a sea lettuce emulsion.
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Awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Crafstman in France) in April 2015, François Arnaud is an artist, glassblower and adventurer who travels the world seeking to unravel the mysteries of this millennia-old art form. An expert in blowpipe glassblowing, he broadened his art in Syria, South Africa, Czech Republic and India. For ten years now not far from our place, he has skilfully kept alive the ancient techniques in an "experimental archaeological approach." François offers beginner's lessons throughout the year.
On the route
Fié Gris wine tasting at the Domaine de L’Aujardière, Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu
An ancient and forgotten grape variety, Fié Gris was endangered. Then in 2005, my wife and I bought a piece of Côtes de Grand Lieu land saving it from being uprooted and the wine growing was entrusted to Eric Chevalier. This "sauvignon rose" was first harvested in 2005 and we have never regretted our "folly"! You can try the exceptional vintages of this aromatic wine on the estate or when dining at our restaurant.
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront. This Belle Epoque Mansion house with its sophisticated décor by Jacques Garcia overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and La Baule’s fine sandy six-mile-long beach. Every detail counts. This villa, now a hotel, is an ideal retreat for couples and families who want to spend some special time together. The delicious breakfast already hints at the chef’s treats in store, such as pigeon breasts in wild hay. You can enjoy all the activities offered by La Baule Resort: golf and the Thalgo Thalassotherapy Centre, an evening at the Casino and water sports in the bay when the weather is fine. Here time stands still and you can get around on the bikes available at the hotel.
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Known as "the most beautiful beach in Europe", this sandy beach seems to extend forever along the ocean's edge. For over a century now, it has acted like a magnet for traders in the region. Families still queue up in front of Confiserie Manuel, a local institution opened in 1937. A stroll along the embankment between the ocean and the splendid old villas really gives you that holiday feeling. We must admit that we are separated from La Baule by the Loire. Another world again ...
Hotel and restaurant on a golf course. The boundless charm of this estate works its magic as soon as you cross the gates. A 15th century castle nestles in the heart of magnificent parkland with ancient trees and outbuildings housing the guest rooms. Each of the rooms boasts an original décor and they all exude warmth, authenticity and sophistication: also the hallmark of the Chef’s inventive cuisine at Le Montaigu, and of the décor of the bar in the former stable block which has preserved the ancient marble feed and water troughs. The Cour Carrée spa is a perfect haven of peace offering well-being and peace of mind and the 18-hole golf course, designed by Henry Cotton, provides superb views over the castle.
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The Brière regional natural park was created in 1970 and is one of the oldest in France. In the heart of the Guérande peninsula, the park mainly comprises water meadows, reed beds, canals and salt marshes. This natural heaven is one of the most bucolic areas in southern Brittany. Get to know it on board a rowing boat leaving from the jetty at Bréca or on the Île Fédrun.
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront. Bertrand Jaquet, owner of Domaine de Rochevilaine, has a genuine passion for Brittany and his desire to share that love with his guests is evident. Be seduced by the breathtaking, typically Breton setting on the Vilaine estuary with its jagged cliffs and blue waters. Savour a Breton lobster like none other at the seaside restaurant, where dining feels a bit like being on the deck of an ocean liner. Listen to the sound of the waves during a restorative treatment at the spa, perhaps “la table phénicienne” (the Phoenician table), a massage patented by the property. Another one of Bertrand Jaquet’s passions is art, as can be discovered in the hotel’s wonderful art gallery.
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Hotel and restaurant on the seafront. The secluded island of Belle-Île-en-Mer is the ideal setting for a restorative getaway. You reach this aptly named “beautiful island at sea” by boat, with its rocky coves with turquoise water, blooming hills and pastel-hued ports. Castel Clara Thalasso & Spa overlooks with its two buildings inspired by Belle-Île the picturesque Goulphar Bay, where the Impressionist Claude Monet liked to paint his magical landscapes. Marvel at the views of the Aiguilles de Port-Coton, a series of sculptural rocky formations jutting out in the middle of the ocean, savour the delights of seafood cuisine, or head to the thalassotherapy centre or spa to discover the new Ludique & Design pool.
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These grounds belonged to acting great Sarah Bernhardt, who would throw lavish parties here. Over a century ago, her prestigious guests (including King Edward VII) hit their first drives in the tall grasses. In memory of this, a new course was created here in 1984. 14 holes (par 56) making up a genuine links to rival the finest of British courses. Reach the no. 3 hole by literally going over the ocean! This course was also the first in France to partner with Natura 2000, the European network seeking to conserve environmental biodiversity.
Looking for gooseneck barnacles ...
Reserved for very experienced shellfish pickers, this most special and highly dangerous fishing activity is only permitted on eight days each month. On the schist cliffs on Belle-Ile's western coast, the men who do the picking are part mountaineer, part diver. Although long forgotten in France, gooseneck barnacles are still very popular with our Spanish cousins. They treat these crustaceans like ocean caviar.
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