The final stage of the inland crossing: the route leaves the Nantes-Brest canal proper to follow the Vilaine and then, approaching Nantes, the canals and Loire branches that frame the city. The scenery gradually turns more urban as you near the metropolis.
This stage marks an important transition in the trip: after several days deep in the countryside, Nantes offers a real return to city life, with all the density of accommodation and services that comes with it.
Nantes itself is worth lingering in: Les Machines de l’île, the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, and a natural pivot point before joining the Loire estuary and, soon after, the ocean.
Distance shown is indicative for this leg.