A 1.5-kilometre circular route runs around Étang du Grand Fay and is fully accessible. It offers families with strollers and people with reduced mobility a peaceful, safe walk. Check the facilities locally before your arrival. There is also a jetty at Grand Fay for people with reduced mobility; check its facilities before setting out, as they may change. Plan d’eau du Grand Fay is set in green surroundings.

Crafts, local history and heritage

The Conservatoire des vieux métiers displays 3,200 tools across 1,500 square metres, recalling the work of bygone times. Some of them are animated. Group visits are available year-round by prior appointment. Arrange your visit in advance, as access information may change.

The town’s history also goes back a long way: Saint-Père-En-Retz was built on the site of an ancient Roman station, whose harbour was on an Étier of the Boivre. The Menhir de la Roche-Govi in Saint-Père-En-Retz is a 4.20-metre-high granite menhir. A heritage trail invites you to discover the town’s heritage.

Hiking, cycling and landscapes

Two different route options are available for comparing longer outings. The Circuit de la Roche Govi is 19 kilometres long and designated for hiking and cycling; it starts and ends in Saint-Père-En-Retz. The Circuit de la Fontaine is a 17-kilometre circular hiking route that starts in the town centre. The difference is therefore not only in length, but also in the designated activity and starting point.

The Circuit de la Roche Govi passes a restored washhouse and continues to the Conservatoire des vieux métiers. On the Circuit de la Fontaine, the washhouse built in 1871 lies along the way; from there, the route continues towards the Conservatoire and its bread oven. Check the route details before setting out, as routes may change.

The Circuit de la Roche Govi also leads into the Boivre marshland. Wet meadows and numerous birds shape the landscape along the route. The family information sheet “Ouvre l'œil” introduces some of the bird species found along the Circuit, as well as the landscapes it crosses. There is a picnic area on the route at Étang du Pont Neuf; information about such facilities may also change, so it is advisable to check before your visit.

A 7-kilometre link connects the Circuit de la Roche Govi to Saint-Brevin and the sea. In the wider Pays de Retz travel region, the Circuit de la Fontaine passes through typical bocage countryside along the Boivre; the stream was once navigable.

Market under the covered market

Les Jeudis des Halles is a weekly market featuring local producers, held under the covered market at Place du Marché. Since 17 September 2026, it has offered fruit and vegetables, cheese, sourdough bread, eggs and honey. Check whether the market is currently taking place before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Haute-Goulaine, Indre, Brains, Donges, La Chapelle Sur Erdre, Marsac-Sur-Don, Saint-Nazaire, Plessé

For the broader travel overview: Loire-Atlantique.