Erdre River Loop

The paths along the Erdre River are probably the best place to run in Nantes. Starting at Square Maquis-de-Saffré in central Nantes, the paths run along both sides of the river north to the N844 highway, passing elegant buildings, pleasant neighborhoods, a university campus, woods, a Japanese garden, and numerous colorful boats. A full loop is 10 km, including a jaunt around the small île de Versailles. On the east side of the river, there’s a particularly scenic boardwalk section that juts out on the water, for ~ 1 km. On the west side, you’ll pass Nantes University.

Add-Ons: On the east side, you can continue north of the N844 on a path to Park La Beaujoire/Roseraie, which has some nice paths. Also, at the 4 km mark of our route, just east of the river path, is a running track at the Don Bosco athletic complex.