Ille (rivier)

The Ille is a river in Brittany, roughly 49 kilometers (30 miles) long, that rises in the Ille-et-Vilaine département. It begins as the Ruisseau de la Guzardière and first flows south until it meets the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance at Montreuil-sur-Ille. From this point on, the river is channeled and navigable, which gives it particular importance as a regional waterway. The Ille passes through several towns, including Betton and Saint-Grégoire, before joining the Vilaine as a right-bank tributary. This confluence takes place in the middle of the city of Rennes. Today the canal stretch is used mainly for tourism, as it is plied by pleasure boats and houseboats, making it an appealing feature for visitors to the region.