Ille-Et-Vilaine: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Ille-et-Vilaine combines lively towns, medieval villages, cliffs, beaches and seaside resorts between the countryside and the sea. Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Ille-et-Vilaine can then continue searching for accommodation.

Nature

The landscapes of Ille-et-Vilaine encompass coastal, river and rural habitats, including dunes, marshes, forests, heathlands, peat bogs, bocage landscapes, ponds and gravel pits. The département protects natural areas recognised for their ecological, landscape or geological significance. These natural areas are open all year round and criss-crossed by walking trails with information panels.

The Couesnon flows for 80 km through Ille-et-Vilaine in a wooded granite valley before reaching the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. The Couesnon Valley is an open natural area with signposted trails for walkers and horse riders. It provides a habitat for woodland birds, mammals, wetland insects, reptiles and amphibians.

At the Mégalithes et landes de Saint-Just site, there are three circular trails starting at the Maison Mégalithes et Landes and lasting approximately 1 hour, 1.5 hours or 2.5 hours. The green circular trail is accessible to people with reduced mobility. The Maison Mégalithes et Landes serves as a visitor information centre and as a starting point for walks through the megalithic site of Saint-Just.

The landscape of Saint-Just combines meadows, farmland and heathland; yellowhammers, skylarks, bees and numerous insects find a habitat there. Buckwheat, known in Brittany as blé noir, historically thrived in poor soils. The département continues to sow it every year as a reminder of local history.

Culture and history

In Ille-et-Vilaine, Vitré bears the Ville d’Art et d’Histoire label. Its historic ensemble includes a medieval castle, the town walls and half-timbered houses. From the 15th century onwards, Vitré’s cloth merchants built half-timbered or stone houses because their international trade brought them prosperity. A museum in the Château de Vitré presents the town’s history in ten exhibition rooms.

Since 2009, the Château de Fougères has offered an interactive visitor trail. In Paimpont, the Porte des Secrets experience route presents the various riches of the Brocéliande forest. Brocéliande encompasses legendary sites associated with the Val sans retour, the Arbre d’Or, the Miroir aux Fées and the Fontaine de Barenton.

Trails and activities

The département offers 5,000 km of signposted walking trails, including PR, GR and GRP routes. Ille-et-Vilaine Tourisme provides more than 500 tours and excursions on foot, by bicycle, on horseback and on the water.

Ille-et-Vilaine also has more than 1,700 km of signposted cycle paths, including 420 km along seven Voies vertes. La Régalante connects Mont-Saint-Michel and Nantes over 275 km in nine stages through the Marches de Bretagne. The route features gentle gradients and secured sections.

Coast and water

The coast of Ille-et-Vilaine offers opportunities for coastal walks, swimming, boating and diving. At the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance in Hédé-Bazouges, eleven locks lie directly one after another. The Maison du Canal displays animated models and exhibitions there.

Local highlights

Marrons de Redon are a local product favoured by the region’s acidic soils and temperate climate.

Connections

TGV and TER services support travel within Ille-et-Vilaine. BreizhGo provides connections between towns and important destinations such as Dinard, Saint-Malo, Brocéliande, Fougères and Vitré.

For further geographical orientation: Argentré-Du-Plessis, Baguer-Morvan, Baguer-Pican, Bazouges-La-Pérouse, Bonnemain, Bruc-Sur-Aff, Cancale, Cherrueix, Combourg, Dinard, Dol-De-Bretagne, Epiniac, La Boussac, La Chapelle-Aux-Filtzméens, La Fresnais, La Gouesnière, La Ville-Ès-Nonais, Le Tronchet, Les Iffs, Lillemer, Miniac-Morvan, Mont-Dol, Muel, Pleurtuit, Plouasné, Poilley, Rennes, Roz-Landrieux, Roz-Sur-Couesnon, Saint-Broladre, Saint-Coulomb, Saint-Georges-De-Gréhaigne, Saint-Lunaire, Saint-Malo, Saint-Marcan, Saint-Médard-Sur-Ille, Saint-Méloir-Des-Ondes, Saint-Père, Saint-Pern, Saint-Pierre-De-Plesguen, Saint-Suliac, Tinteniac, Trans-La-Forêt, Tremblay, Vieux-Viel, Hirel, Châteauneuf-D'ille-Et-Vilaine, Pleine-Fougères, Luitré, Longaulnay, Le Minihic Sur Rance, Vitré, Saint-Jouan-Des-Guérets, Saint-Jacques-De-La-Lande, Saint-Grégoire, Saint-Brice-En-Coglès, Paimpont, Liffré, Le Rheu, La Mézière, Grand-Fougeray, Fougères, Chartres-De-Bretagne, Chantepie, Cesson-Sévigné, Bruz, Bédée, Montfort-Sur-Meu, Gosné, Redon, Saint-Gilles, Sixt, Poligné, Antrain, Tressé, Cuguen, Iffendic, Châteaugiron, Plerguer, Saint-Marc-Sur-Couesnon, Étrelles, Châteaubourg, Vezin-Le-Coquet, La Baussaine, Noyal-Sous-Bazouges, Saint-Benoît-Des-Ondes, Saint-Onen-La-Chapelle, Lanhélin, Meillac, Saint-Aubin-D'aubigné, Pleugueneuc, Romagné, Hédé, Parigné, Servon-Sur-Vilaine, Saint-Germain-En-Coglès, Le Vivier-Sur-Mer, Pancé, Bain-De-Bretagne, La Fontenelle, Torcé, Montours, Pacé, Champeaux, Vern-Sur-Seiche, Saint-Jean-Sur-Couesnon, Montgermont, Québriac, Janzé, Plesder, Dingé, Lohéac, Landéan, Chauvigné, Domloup, Saint-Domineuc, Billé, Lassy, Gahard, Coësmes, La Couyère, La Chapelle-Des-Fougeretz, Messac, Pipriac, Melesse, L'hermitage, Louvigné-De-Bais, Marcillé-Raoul, Saint-M'hervé, Eancé, Thourie, Mellé, Villamée, Sougéal, Crevin, La Bazouge-Du-Désert, Betton, La Chapelle-De-Brain, La Chapelle-Chaussée, Acigné, Laillé, Vendel, Guichen, La Chapelle-Saint-Aubert, Montreuil-Le-Gast, Saint-Rémy-Du-Plain, Pléchâtel, Baulon, Beaucé, Gaël, Feins, Louvigné-Du-Désert, Le Theil-De-Bretagne, Talensac, La Nouaye, Saint-Sauveur-Des-Landes, Quédillac, Guignen, Lécousse, Domagné, Essé, Le Châtellier, Chavagne, La Guerche-de-Bretagne, Saint-Thurial, Le Verger, Bourg-des-Comptes, Comblessac, Saint-Georges-de-Reintembault, La Bouëxière, Médréac, Dourdan, Saint-Méen-le-Grand, Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine, Brie, Ercé-en-Lamée, Retiers, Combourtillé, Goven, Dompierre-du-Chemin, Romillé, Mouazé, Martigné-Ferchaud, Guipry, Saint-Étienne-en-Coglès, Piré-sur-Seiche, Bécherel, Monthault, Renac, Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier, Treffendel, Le Tiercent, Ercé-près-Liffré, Chancé, Clayes, Montreuil-sur-Ille, Thorigné-Fouillard.

The linked places can be used to continue researching the individual destinations in Ille-et-Vilaine.

For the broader travel overview: Brittany.