The Vilaine is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

, in the west of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The river's source is in the Mayenne

Mayenne

Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...

 département (53), and flows out in the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 at Pénestin

Pénestin

Pénestin is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-Beaches:As Penestin lies on the coast, it boasts several beaches, the most popular of which are La Mine d'Or and Loscolo.-References:* * -External links:*...

 in the Morbihan

Morbihan

Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...

 département (56). It is 218 km long. The river is joined to the Rance

Rance River

The Rance is a river of northwestern France. It flows into the English Channel between Dinard and Saint-Malo.Before reaching the Channel, its waters are barred by a 750 metre long dam forming the Rance tidal power plant....

 by means of the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance

Canal d'Ille-et-Rance

The Canal d'Ille-et-Rance is a canal in northwestern France connecting Dinan to the Vilaine at Rennes in western France.-References:...

 by the commune of Évran

Évran

Évran is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in the region of Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:The inhabitants of Évran are known in French as évrannais.-External links:*...

.

Course of the river

The river passes through 4 départements (Mayenne

Mayenne

Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...

, Ille-et-Vilaine

Ille-et-Vilaine

Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...

, Loire-Atlantique

Loire-Atlantique

Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...

 and Morbihan

Morbihan

Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...

) and 4 main towns (Rennes

Rennes

Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...

, Vitré

Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine

Vitré is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants . It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou...

, Redon

Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine

-Breton language:The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 10 October 2008.In 2008, 14.31% of the children attended bilingual schools in primary education.-Economy:* Cargill Texturising Systems - A pectin factory...

 and La Roche-Bernard

La Roche-Bernard

La Roche-Bernard is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of La Roche-Bernard are called in French Rochois for men and Rochoises for women....

).

Three barrages were built around Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine

Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine

Vitré is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants . It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou...

 to avoid floods, the drinkable water and leisure spaces:

• 1978 Valière barrage
• 1982 Haute-Vilaine barrage
• 1995 Villaumur barrage

Navigation

The Vilaine is part of Brittany's canal system. The section from Rennes to the Atlantic Ocean is navigable for smaller craft. In Rennes the river connects to the Canal d'Ille et Rance, in Redon it crosses the Canal de Nantes à Brest

Canal de Nantes à Brest

The Nantes-Brest canal is a French canal which links the two cities of Nantes and Brest through inland Brittany. It was built during the 19th century and its total length is 385 km with 238 locks from coast to coast...

. (Source: NoorderSoft Waterways Database)