Sémaphore de la Taillée

Sémaphore de la Taillée is a viewing tower by French sculptor Vincent Mauger, standing beside a canal in Donges, right in the heart of the Loire estuary between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. It belongs to the artistic series "Les Sémaphores," a set of five similar structures placed along the Loire à Vélo cycle route, built to accompany travellers exploring the Loire valley on foot or by bike.

What exactly is Sémaphore de la Taillée?

It is a compact structure, roughly five metres tall, designed as a viewpoint rather than a conventional monument. Visitors can climb it to look out over the surrounding landscape. Vincent Mauger designed the piece together with the Perrault Frères and ECSB workshops, following an artistic consultation held in 2017 as part of the Estuaire programme linked to Le Voyage à Nantes.

Where does the name "sémaphore" come from?

The word "sémaphore" refers to an older visual signalling system — communication through flags and moving arms, once used in shipping and rail transport to send messages over distance. The name plays on that idea: just as historical semaphores relayed signals across long distances, Mauger's towers "signal" their presence to travellers moving along the Loire, acting as recognisable landmarks scattered across the route.

Where is the tower and how do you reach it?

Sémaphore de la Taillée stands in the commune of Donges, next to a canal, surrounded by wet meadows, hedgerows and protected reed beds typical of this stretch of the estuary. There is no road access for cars — the site can only be reached on foot or by bicycle, a feature shared by every tower in the series. Visiting it therefore fits naturally into a longer ride or walk along the Loire rather than a quick roadside stop.

What can you see from the top?

The view from the Donges tower stands out among the five for its contrast. On one side lie the natural, protected reaches of the estuary — damp meadows, hedgerows and reed beds that shelter waterbirds. On the other, close by, sits the industrial landscape of Donges itself, home to one of France's largest oil refineries. The juxtaposition of this delicate wetland scenery with the refinery's industrial skyline makes this particular viewpoint one of the most distinctive stops on the whole Sémaphores trail.

The Donges tower is one of five such installations by Vincent Mauger along the estuary. Others stand in Saint-Herblain (Sémaphore de Roche-Maurice) and in Couëron (Sémaphore de l'île de la Liberté), each framing a different stretch of the Loire, from the urban edges of Nantes to the industrial approaches of Saint-Nazaire.

Frequently asked questions

Can you climb to the top of the tower? Yes, the structure was designed as a viewpoint open to visitors, who can climb up to take in the surrounding landscape.

How many sémaphores are there along the Loire? The series counts five structures spread along the cycle route between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, each positioned at a different point of the estuary.

Who created the series? French sculptor Vincent Mauger designed the towers, working with the Perrault Frères and ECSB workshops to build them.

When was this structure created? The artistic consultation that produced "Les Sémaphores" series took place in 2017, under the Estuaire programme.

How do you get to Sémaphore de la Taillée? The site is only accessible on foot or by bicycle, along the Loire à Vélo route that passes through the commune of Donges.