Villas LaBaule

Guérande in French and Gwenrann in the Breton language, (meaning : "white land") is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in northwestern France. It lies close to the Atlantic Ocean. The old walled town (known in French as vieille ville) is surrounded by nearly intact ramparts and has four fortified gates (the largest of which is a 15th century châtelet known as Porte Saint-Michel) and ten towers. It's the capital of the Pays Guérandais, an ancient region of the Duchy of Brittany. The residents are called Guérandais. Guérande is almost surrounded by the sea at the West, the Brière swamp at the east and the Vilaine river by the north. At the south extends the sea resort La Baule. Guérande is known by the salterns which produce a very fine, traditional salt called fleur de sel, and by the old town with fortifications. The town has a very rich history, full of important events. The most important event is probably the signature of the first Guérande treaty in 1365. This treaty put an end at the Breton War of Succession between Joanna of Penthièvre and the Duke John IV. Then a second treaty was signed in 1381 by John IV and Charles VI, king of France. Guérande received the visit regularly of the Breton dirigeants like the duchess Anne of Brittany.

La Roche Bernard has been popular since Bernhardt, a Viking chief, realised its strategic potential as a port, and the sheltered anchorage is now a favourite with yachtsmen.
This quaint and pretty town clings to the rocky cliff face overlooking the Vilaine estuary. As well as the little streets around Place du Bouffay, there is a museum of maritime history. La Maison de l’Abeille is an interesting and educational trip through the world of the bee, with a shop supplying honey. For the nautical, there are trips on a traditional sailing ship on the river Vilaine.
La Roche-Bernard has been designated a Petite Cité de Caractère (small town of character) in recognition of its historic nature, and is well worth a visit. There is a boat restaurant, where you can conveniently combine a good meal with boat tour of the Gulf.
There is an excellent range of restaurants and the old quarter is packed with charming flower-decked houses, and has become an artists quarter attracting crafts people displaying pottery, paintings, leatherware etc. There area regular craft markets where the resident artisans combine with visiting artists who set up street stalls to bring together some of the best qualitycraft items in Brittany. A graceful suspension bridge spans the river, replacing an earlier version accidentally destroyed when lightning struck a German ammunition base.

Batz-sur-Mer The normally quiet coastal village of Batz-sur-Mer (44 Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire) goes a little crazy for 3 days in July with their Nuits Salines - salty nights of music and dance - culminating in a Fest Noz (Festival of the Night) which is a traditional Breton festival, similar to a ceilidh - with traditional music, dancing and drinking!!A charming and typical little marina, Saint Michel has an old-time feel during the summer season with its yellow dressing cabins. 
There is a beach club for youngsters, providing numerous activities such as swimming lessons. The coastline is dotted with beautiful sandy coves great for shellfishing, sunbathing and swimming. The coves must be accessed via the coastal path, without damaging the surrounding vegetation

La Turballe

is an excellent centre for exploring the surrounding country side. The adjacent salt marshes offer opportunities for walking and bird watching as well as finding out about the salt industry, still active today. The marshes are particulary worth seeing at sunset.

Saint-Nazaire is a port and an estuary town which, while becoming a major industrial centre, has kept the charm of the beaches and coves of the Loire river mouth. Several famous people have also helped make history here.

During the Second World War, the port of Saint-Nazaire was strategically important In January 1941, the German occupiers began constructing the submarine base and a series of bunkers along the coast and at the mouth of the estuary. By December 1942 this enormous site, which housed two U-boat fleets engaged in the battle of the Atlantic, was fitted out as an arsenal. It contained 62 torpedo workshops, engineering machinery... and four kitchens, a service block and a dental surgery… Several thousand workmen were requisitioned for the construction of this immense edifice, which had a surface area of 39,000 m2 requiring 480,000 m2 of concrete.