Acheneau

The Acheneau is a roughly 30-kilometre river in the Loire-Atlantique département, flowing northwest through the Pays de Retz landscape as the sole natural outlet of the Lac de Grand-Lieu before joining the Loire near Le Pellerin. The lake it drains is the largest natural lowland lake in France, and together with the river valley it forms an expansive wetland registered under the European Natura 2000 network. The corridor is an important staging and breeding ground for migratory birds, including great egrets and cormorants. The largely undeveloped riverbanks make for quiet paddling and fishing in an unhurried rural setting.