What to do during your stay

Foret de Grasla

The local area boasts market towns, beaches and local activities.

La Copechagniere

La Copechagniere is a small local village, just a mile away. It is the place to go for fresh bread from the boulongerie, the post office, a rather nice church and a bar.

The roads in the area are flat and quiet, making them ideal for cycling. There are plenty of lovely walks in the local forests, such as Foret de Grasla.

Beaches

Les Sables des O'LonneLes Sables des O'Lonne offers the nearest and best beaches in the Vendee. It is also great for restaurants. The local tourist office website - www.lessablesdolonne-tourisme.com - has a photo gallery.

St. Jean de Monts has soft sandy beaches and is quieter than Les Sables des O'Lonne.

Notre-Dame-de-Monts is a family resort with lovely sands.

Also we recommend the lovely old fishing port of St. Gilles Croix de Vie.

 

La ChabotterieSights

La Chabotterie, our 'local' chateau, is just a mile up the road. It is surrounded by beautiful grounds, some formal gardens and a lake and it is a perfect place for peaceful walks and a picnic. Take a tour of the Chateau and learn a little about the history of the local area.

L'Historial de la Vendee is a museum that opened in 2006 and gives a complete history of the Vendee, from prehistoric times to today. Situated in Les Lucs-sur-Boulogne (5 miles), you could easily spend a few hours here and we recommend the restaurant for a quick, good value snack.

 

 

 

Attractions

Puy du FouSpend a day at the spectacular theme park of Puy du Fou. While just under an hour away, this is one attraction that should not be missed. Watch Gladiators fight in a Roman Amphitheatre or maybe see an action packed show with Vikings, medieval jousting or the Three Musketeers.

Then take a stroll through a the recreation of a Medieval City, 18th Century Village or a market town in 1900. Finish your day with an outdoor evening performance, with 1100 actors and extravagant technical effects. For more details, see www.puydufou.com or read what France Monthly had to say in 2006.

Other attractions span every taste, from a safari park at Port St. Pere, between Nantes and Pornic to go karting racing at Belleville. La Maison Neuve has a complete range of leaflets and guidebooks to help you make the most of your stay.

Shopping

The market in La Roche-Sur-Yon boasts 100 local suppliers, offering a wide selection of fresh produce. Or search out the monthly markets in Les Essarts, Les Herbiers, Lucon, Saint-Fulgent or Talmont-Saint-Hilaire.

Nantes is a the largest city, a comfortable drive to the North.

All of the local hypermarkets offer excellent selection of local wines, in particular Muscadet (white) and Bordeaux (red).

Restaurants

You don't need to travel far to find a good local restaurant serving French cuisine at a reasonable price.

Relais De La CharetteIn La Chabotterie (2 miles) is Relais De La Charette,
which is good for summer dining in their glazed conservatory.

Near the chateau of La Chabotterie is L'Oree De La Chabotterie, a good value restaurant serving local food.

And in Les Brouzils (2 miles) is La Pierre Blanche, a family run restaurant, where you are unlikely to find any other holidaymakers.

There are further restaurants in the larger towns, like La Roche-sur-Yon. For restaurants serving fresh fish, try the quay at Les Sables D'Olonne.

Pools and boating

Swimming pools can be found in

You can also swim, or hire a boat, on the lakes at

More about the Vendee

To learn more about the rich culture and history of the Vendee, we recommend these websites.

www.the-vendee.co.uk - The site of Angela Bird, author of the definitive guidebook to the Vendee

The local tourism site is www.vendee-tourism.com, with further details of local attractions.

For maps, see www.viamichelin.com or www.routeloisors.com

For local news, see www.infofrance.com and www.distfulgent.com

For local shops, see www.carrefour.fr or www.jardiland.fr