Fontenay- le- Comte <http://www.tourisme-sudvendee.com/decouvrezan/> At the heart of a region of 100,000 inhabitants, between the sea, the bocage and the marshes, at the gateway to Mervent forest, the former capital of Lower Poitou is the architectural pearl of the Vendée
Info also available at www.ville-fontenaylecomte.fr
Mervent (www.tourisme-sudvendee.com/decouvrezan <http://www.tourisme-sudvendee.com/decouvrezan>) is only a short drive ride from Le Cedre,it is a large forested area with lakes,a beach where you can hire all types of boats and the walks through the woodlands are well marked, there are plenty of picnic areas through out the forest. The woods are particularly good for mountain biking with well laid out routes. There are several good restaurants both in the village of Mervant and in the various small villages around the forest. The small zoo on the edge of the forest is quite good especially for the smaller children, and there is very extensive fun park known as 'Pierre Brune', which has dozens of rides from castles, crazy bikes, and slides to hamster wheels and see-saws. A Recent new attraction is the Adventure play area with tree top swings and rope walks etc.,there are courses for all levels of ability and age.
At the top end of the forest is the village of Vouvant. It is claimed to be one of the five most beautiful villages in France.
Venise Vert (www.la-venise-verte.com/english.htm) is the canal system the Vendée is famous for,it covers a large area in the south vendee and extends into the neighbouring departments of Deux Sevre and Charente Maritime.
The Marais Poitevin as it is called is a vast area of wetlands that were reclaimed about a thousand years ago by the large Monasteries. This extraordinary landscape is home to a staggering variety of flora and fauna.
One of the best ways to see the Venise vert (green Venise ) is to take a boat trip.There are many places where a variety of boats can be hired either with a guide or by your own power. amoungst the better locations are Coulon, Arcaix, Damvix and Maillezais. An alternative to the water is to hire bikes at one of the many shops that hire in most villages.If you are going to visit by car my best suggestion is to start at Coulon,this is near to Niort and is the furthest inland the marais comes. Its a pritty village with good restaurants and shops and both boats and bikes can be hired here.Then follow the river towards Arcaix passing very attractive cottages on the banks along the way. From Arcaix (another attractive village with boat hire)continue along the river and canals to Damvix and from here to Maillezais a small town with a two abbeys. the old one, in ruins, is said to be where Eleanor of Aquatain was married. From here it's just a short drive to Fontenay le Comte.
Atlantic Beaches The Vendee is famous through out france for the quality of it's fine sandy beaches.The 140 kms of the vendee coast has some of the cleanest beaches in Europe and with up to 2600 hrs of sunshine a year. Many of the beaches have lifeguards during the summer holiday season. In the south Vendee the beaches start with L'Aiguillon though this is on the river estary and only at Le Piont are there good sands. From La Faute the sands start in ernest and continue past the town of Le Tranche,it is worth pionting out that La Tranche gets very busy during high season,but from September to July it is a most attractive resort.
La Terrier is just around the corner from La Tranche and has a large car park almost on the beach,this beach continues on to Les Conches, Probible the favourite with my Gite customers. There is a large car park on the beach,but 150 meters befor the car park the turning on the left lead behind the dunes where you can park in the shade and there are walks over the dunes.The further you go the longer the walk but the less crowde the beach (Please take note that on nudity is often to be found on these less crowded beaches,not only here at les Conches but any where in the vendee)
The next stopping off piont along the coast is Le Roche a small resort also popular with our Gite clients.Besides the Beach there are a few shops and a good Restaurant.
Lastly along this strech of coast is Jard Sur Mer. a small harbour and sheltered beach
French Gite Holidays | Gites with Pools | French Holiday Homes | Vendee | Pays de la Loire | gites | cottages,
Vendee Department 85 The vendee department is like a county in Britain and is about the size of Devon or Yorkshire.Its western limit is the Atlantic and the Vendee has some of the best blue flag beaches in France.To the north is the Loire and the Vendee is often refered to as being in the Pays de la Loire,where as its southern bounderies are the Charente Maritime and the Deux Sevre and the three make up the region of Charente Poitou.
The Area is steeped in history,this being Richard The Lionhearts country.Richard was born near Les Sable d'Olonne and the mother of Elannor of Aquataine is burried in the Royal Abbey at Nieul sur-l'Autise. The War of the Vendee which followed the Revolution was a bloody and tragic period.
