Thirty-four kilometres east of Malestroit, at the junction not only of the rivers Oust and Vilaine and the canal, but also of the train lines to Rennes, Vannes and Nantes and of six major roads, REDON is not easy to avoid. And you shouldn't try to, either. A wonderful grouping of water and locks, it's a town with history, charm and life.Until World War I, Redon was the seaport for Rennes. Its industrial docks – or what remains of them – are therefore on the Vilaine, while the canal, even in the very centre of town, is almost totally rural, its towpaths shaded avenues. Shipowners' houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries can be seen along quai Jean-Bart by the bassin and quai Duguay-Truin next to the river. A rusted wrought-iron workbridge, equipped with a gantry, still crosses the river, but the main users of the port now are cruise ships heading down the Vilaine to La Roche-Bernard. Redon was once also a religious centre, its first abbey founded in 832 by St Conwoion. The most prominent church today is St-Sauveur. Its unique four-storeyed Romanesque belfry is squat, almost obscured by later roofs and the high choir, and best seen from the adjacent cloisters; the Gothic tower was entirely separated from the main building by a fire. In the crypt, you'll find the tomb of the judge who tried the legendary Bluebeard – Joan of Arc's friend, Gilles de Rais. Redon's gare SNCF is five minutes' walk west from the tourist office in the place de la République (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 4–6pm; Sept–June Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm; tel 02.99.71.06.04, www.ville-redon.fr), north across the railway tracks from the town centre. Most of the hotels are concentrated in town and near the gare SNCF rather than in the port area. The off-white Hôtel de France looks down on the canal from 30 rue Duguesclin (tel 02.99.71.06.11, [email protected]; under €30); its en-suite rooms offer a considerable degree of comfort for the price. Nearer the station, the Hôtel Chandouineau, 1 rue Thiers (tel 02.99.71.02.04; €55–70), is a luxurious establishment with just seven bedrooms, where the restaurant serves gourmet menus from €20.
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