An extraordinary site
Forgotten for a long time, the fortified château in Rieux, or rather the feudal mound, has now become known as an beautiful site in the "Pays de Redon".

Going back 2000 years
The village of Rieux's past history started well before the middle ages. Formally a Gallo-Roman village, Durétie (the former name for the village of Rieux) stretched over both banks of the river Vilaine. Along the ancient Roman way, archaeologists have uncovered foundations, statuettes, and coins bearing the heads of emperors.

The past
Of this imposing château remains only the porch and a few of the surrounding walls. What happened here? A discovery trail with interpretation panels retraces the history of this château going back over many centuries.

New residents move in
After the château was abandoned, cows and sheep came to graze on the mound.
Today, it has grown into a small forest with more than twenty different species of trees and shrubs. From where does this myriad of plant life come? And how come such a wide variety? When the surrounding landscape is dominated by pine, oak and chestnut trees. An instructive and humorous information panel on trees and shrubs supplies the answers.

Picnic area, campsite, moorings.
The Rieux Castle site has recently benefited from many improvements : Picnic area, campsite and moorings for boats, all just a few hundred metres from the village centre.