All-terrain excitement in the Vallée du Léguer

Mountain biking with the family at Belle-Isle-en-Terre

Senses on full alert and team spirit raring to go, how about an orienteering trail around the mysterious site of the Papeteries Vallée?

Sports and Nature centre activities

Choose one of the activities offered by the Centre Régional d’Initiation à la Rivière and have fun exploring the richness and diversity of our natural heritage!

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Mountain biking, orienteering, archery in nature, kayaking...  In the heart of the Vallée du Léguer, the Sports & Nature centre at Belle-Isle-en-Terre offers a wealth of ideas for activities with family or friends.  Are you ready for a breath of fresh air and fun times, getting close to nature?

The Vallée du Léguer, a paradise for mountain bikers

We’d promised a mountain-biking trip to the kids, and of course they haven’t forgotten!  So we head for Belle-Isle-en-Terre, nestled in the depths of the wild Léguer valley.  We’re here to meet the activity coordinator of the Sports & Nature centre, for a complete immersion in the heart of an incredible network of 200 kilometres of marked mountain bike trails:  a fabulous playground for lovers of mountain biking, from the most experienced to the least daring (like me!).

We’re welcome with a broad smile outside the Château de Lady Mond.  The kids can hardly wait to hear the safety briefing before they start doing tricks on their bikes.  Meanwhile, Maxime is giving me some advice on how to save my energy on the uphill climbs.

Immersion in the heart of the Argoat

And we’re off!  A gentle ascent helps us get into the ride.  The group stretches out, and the kids are already making fun of me from the top of the climb.  Then we move quickly into woodland.  The network of sunken paths is incredible, and means that we can ride in perfect safety without ever coming across a car!  We hear the gurgling of the river Guic and the sound of birdsong, we see the play of light in the leaves and the views of the wooded valley, we inhale the earthy scents...  All our senses are awakened, and we experience the rejuvenating energy of the Argoat country.  The first descent:  while some riders are quietly gaining confidence, others are having a ball slaloming between the tree roots, stones and branches strewn along the narrow trail!

A little Gothic treasure at Loc-Envel
We cross the clear waters of the Guic river and after a few turns of the pedal in low gear the magnificently flamboyant church of Loc-Envel appears before us.  Nestling against a hillside in the heart of the smallest village in Brittany, it looks like a film set.  We immediately fall for its charms, especially as it’s exactly the right time for a well-earned rest!  The decorated beams and rood screen are breathtaking.  The children have fun identifying the fantastical figures carved into wood and stone.

A family moment

On the way back, just after a low-gradient climb, I wait for the children at the Château de Coat-An-Noz.  I’ve got my own back!  And finally, it’s a downhill ride to Belle-Isle-en-Terre.

My aching backside isn’t used to the exercise, but that’s all forgotten when I see the delighted faces of my family.  But the next time, I think I’ll hire one of the Centre’s electric bikes!

Giving it your best shot

Before the end of our lovely day in the glorious outdoors, we have one last surprise for the children!  Our multi-activity facilitator leads us behind the château, to a meadow surrounded by wooded slopes.  Here, bows and quivers full of arrows await us in our quest to follow in the footsteps of archers of legend, on a range scattered with 2D and 3D targets hidden in nature. Find out which is your dominant eye, notch your arrow, stretch the cord with two or three fingers (like a true archer!), take a breath, and let fly the arrow...  There’s a lot to think about!  The lie of the land, the angle, the tree branches tickling our ears...  Oh, go on then, the winner gets out of the washing-up tonight!

 

  • Village et église de Loc-Envel ©. Berthier