Trignac, the former workers' city close to the Brière marshes
The town of Trignac is located 2 km north-east of Saint-Nazaire, between the Loire estuary and the Brière regional natural park.
A former hamlet, its territory once depended on Montoir-de-Bretagne and it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that it became a town in its own right. The city will also celebrate its centenary in 2014.
An industrial city
At the end of the 18th century, the village was surrounded by marshes and its inhabitants practiced hunting and fishing as well as the trade of peat, used as fuel and that of reeds for the construction of the roofs of thatched cottages.
The development of Trignac in the following century was mainly due to the industrial growth of the region, boosted by the Saint-Nazaire Naval Construction Sites, which were for a long time the only place of work.
At the same time, the creation of the Forges de Saint-Nazaire by the Société des Mines de Fer de l'Anjou made Trignac a high place of cast iron and steel production and transformed the village into a working-class city that attracted workers from Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine and even northern France. Long prosperous, the steel industry was hit hard by the crisis of 1920, only to come to a standstill in 1943.
In memory of this rich industrial past, the remains of the forges are now preserved. Today, when driving the RN 165 out of Trignac towards Saint-Nazaire, you can clearly see the remains of a blast furnace and puddling ovens.
In the heart of the marshes in the Brière Regional Natural Park
For nature lovers passing through the Trignac and Saint-Nazaire region, a detour through the Brière Regional Natural Park is a must.
The 49,000-hectare site in the heart of the Brie marshes has an astonishing ecological wealth made up of wet meadows, reed beds, mounds and canals which host a very diverse flora and fauna.
Walkers will enjoy walks along the many hiking trails accessible on foot, on horseback or by bike and will enjoy bird watching and discovering the typical thatched villages of the region. Others will undoubtedly be tempted by a trip along the water in a barge, a traditional boat directed by the pole.
Treat yourself to a getaway in the Trignac and Saint-Nazaire region aboard a Europcar Atlantique rental car!
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