Taking part in local tourism

We always loved hiking. When we lived in Munich (DE), we had the opportunity to visit a new place each weekend, and hike in the Alps. Short after that, we traveled in South America (Patagonia), so when we finally moved in Nantes, it seemed obvious to us that we would keep this habit of constant discovering. Unfortunately, this region is not famous for its mountains! And we cannot always go so far that we reach a gorgeous landscape.

So we investigated, and discovered that even non mountainous regions can have a lot to offer and are really worth discover by foot, out of the beaten tracks.

 When?

• After work walks : to clear up your mind
• At the weather is so-so – weekends (for the reason that if we have a brilliant weather we often go further)
• When we are lazy to drive far

Where?

• Look for your local hiking tracks. They most often follow rivers, cross fields, go around villages. 

What to look for?

• Look up the local producers: our absolute favorites are the local honey and wine.

Our recent favorite: wine from the 'Famille LIEUBEAU'
from Château Thébaud

How to investigate about your possibilities?

• Ask your local tourism office
• Google maps shows the hiking paths as well
• The old-school way: take a real map and you’ll be surprised by all the information you can find on it 

Bonus

• Don't forget your picnic at home ;) 
• Notice also all the edible plants that the nature can offer. Best of: the elderflowers, wild garlic, blue-, and raspberries. (Make sure that what you pick is far from any pollution sources) ↦ Recipes are coming soon!

The first area we want to feature is the vineyards. They are located just at the south gates of Nantes. They are home of the muscadet wines, not so well known white wines that go perfectly with local seafood.

We found hiking routes almost all over in the vineyards. Several paths were created to promote the local products and the sustainable tourism. The best way to present them here is by a few photos that we took.

Traveling with dog 🐕

Curiosity about small dog breeds: even if you have a small and shy dog (like us) you can slow by slow introduce him the wilderness. Our 5 years old bichon spent his first 3 years mainly at home, in the

garden, or just in the city parks. 'He's a couch dog, hiking is not for him' we thought. We were mistaken! Whichever tiny, sensitive dog you have, it's still a dog. He will love the time spent together with you in the nature!

Hope we could inspire you. Take some comfortable shoes and let’s go outdoors!