YOUR GATEWAY TO BEAUTIFUL BRITTANY

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Located in historical Brittany and in the Region of "Pays de la Loire", Châteaubriant nestles in an ideal position 45 mins from Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Laval. La Baule and the Atlantic Ocean are only an hour’s drive away.

Staying in Chateaubriant means that you can easily explore a vast area while at the same time enjoying all the advantages of a small town, its green countryside and its proximity to the coast.

In Chateaubriant there are two castles within the same compound:
a Medieval castle and a Renaissance castle.

They both have strong links with the history of Brittany and of France.

A castle visit enables you to discover not only the old medieval dwelling which dominated the town and the "étang de la Torche" but also the Renaissance wing, the main staircase with its caisson arches and the archways where the red colour of the brick is intertwined with the blue colour of the schiste (slate).

This listed Church, dedicated to St Baptiste, is one of the oldest Romanesque Churches in the department. 

Built in the 11th century, not far from the fortress of the Brients and from the St. Sauveur Monastery, the Church is very simple but its baroque 17th century alterpiece and its listed statues give it a certain charm under the watchful eye of the “Eternal Father” which is sculptured out of wood from an old alterpiece. 

Admire the romanesque architecture of this church. 
The Romanesque Church (X1th century)
Listed Statues
Baroque Alterpiece
History of Chateaubriant

The Chateaubriant Region played an active part in the Resistance and during the Liberation of France in the Second World War. 

Numerous Memorial Sites, eg.  “La Carriere des Fusillés” are proof of this patriotic fervour.  

In this quarry on 22nd October 1941, 27 hostages were executed by the Nazis as a reprisal for having assassinated Lieutenent Colonel Holz in Nantes.

 A commemoration ceremony is held every year on the nearest Sunday to 22nd Oct. 
v  Free Visit of the Quarry all year round (Audio commentary)
v  Guided visit for Groups on request

From the Romanesque Church to the fortified Castle, Chateaubriant grew little by little.  The town centre has kept the contours of the ramparts of the old town and it is very pleasant to wander along the narrow streets lined with small shops and flowers in summer. Numerous original houses and several of the buildings in town have a close historical link :- l’Hotel de la Houssaye (MH listed building), la Maison de l’Ange (MH), la Porte Neuve, la Tour du Four Banal.  Until the end of the 19th century, between la Grande Rue and the Rue de Couére, there was a magnificent wooden covered market, providing the axis of this medieval city.  Numerous craftmen, manufacturers and traders had their stalls along this road which reveals to the careful observer how this town spread beyond its walls from 1860.   The construction of the Town Hall in 1850, the St Nicholas Church in 1870, the opening up of the city wall for the Town Hall (between 1850 &1870) and the arrival of the Railway in 1877, all helped to transform the face of this town with such a rich past. 

v    Guided Visit every other Thursday in July & Aug
v    By request for groups
v  A Visitor’s Guide “Raconte-moi Chateaubriant” (Tell me about Chateaubriant) is also available.

The Glass Theatre with its warm and friendly atmosphere offers everyone a varied, good quality programme of cultural events throughout the year.

La Halle de Béré, located on the field where the Agricultural Fair takes place, is a multipurpose function room where all the main events in Chateaubriant are held.

The National Horseracing Track of La Métairie Neuve
Chateaubriant is located in the middle of a very famous Horseracing area where the horse is “king”.  The town is blessed with a racecourse which organises 15 Racedays per year of which 5 are PMU (state-controlled betting system).  These races are shown live on TV and help to make the town famous throughout France.

The Green Path which runs for 13 km along the former railway line between “Chateaubriant – Messac”, is an ideal spot for family walks and for sporting activities.

It takes you all the way to Rougé, through a protected environment and far from everyday traffic.

Held at the base of the Béré Church, the Agricultural Fair, started in the 11th century, is one of the main events of the town. Over 45,000 visitors every year pass through its gates during the second weekend in September.  It is the showcase for the agricultural, industrial, commercial and craft industries of the region.  The Fun Fair is also one of the most grandest in western France.

History is brought to life by the chocolates and cakes of the town :- Francoises de Foix, Brient, and St Nicolas chocolates, and Jean de Laval, Duke of Aumale, and the Plantagenet cakes.

All the information on this page taken from the pages of Office de tourisme Chateaubriant