Attractions and Places To See around Grand'Landes - Top 4

Largest lake in Vendée with its 1.67 km2

The Château would date from the mid-13th century; at the time it was a true fortress, flanked by six towers and surrounded by wide moats. From the 12th to the 14th century, this fortified castle served as a lock between Brittany and Poitou, in this border region where numerous strongholds stood: Pornic, Machecoul, Clisson, Tiffauges, Champtocé in the Marches of Brittany facing Commequiers, La Garnache, Palluau, Montaigu, Pouzauges, in lower Poitou. In the 17th century, Philippe de Clérembault, who inherited the family estate, was promoted to Marshal of France by the young King Louis XIV, and then undertook to rebuild his Château de Palluau to transform the old fortress into a modern castle, retaining the six large medieval towers and including between them a building covered with a Mansart roof, topped by a dome. The Marshal's castle was a unique building in all of Poitou: "the most regular and the most accomplished that exists in the region", according to Claude Masse, famous engineer-geographer to Louis XIV. Abandoned by its owners during the Revolution, the large empty residence served as a stronghold for the royalists in 1793 and its underground passages, as dungeons for republican prisoners. On February 8, 1794, a Republican Column set fire to the Château and the Church of Palluau. The site has never been rebuilt, nor even consolidated since. It remains in a state of ruin abandoned to vegetation. The Château de Palluau must have been a magnificent residence, judging by the imposing ruins that remain and by the plans and watercolor drawings by Claude Masse, which are preserved at the Museum of Engineering in Vincennes.

Very beautiful trail along the lake. On the other hand, I do not recommend doing it by bike on weekends as it is relatively narrow and quickly saturated with pedestrians/cyclists/dogs... During the week it is perfect!

I couldn't get as close as guigui during his hike because a barrier blocked the path. You can see it well despite everything.

Pleasant little village with old buildings.

This pretty little village offers a rich heritage with its chapel built during the Vendée War. The Domaine des Iles suggests a gourmet break to discover the local wine (IGP Val de Loire). There is also a municipal campsite and a grocery store in the center.

good

Here is one of the most mysterious megaliths in the country. It features 362 enigmatic engravings. Sometimes called Pierre de Merlière and in connection with the apparitions of a white lady, sometimes called Palet de Gargantua and in connection with the famous giant, according to the most widespread tradition, the strange marks come from leprechauns who would have hidden a treasure under the Pierre. The engravings would either represent a game they were playing, called a caguenette, or they would magically protect the stone from anyone who wanted to move it to get their hands on the treasure. Officially, we do not know who engraved these shapes, nor when. According to historians, they probably date from the Neolithic era but their meaning remains, and will remain, one of the greatest mysteries in France ...