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Pouzauges / Le Puy du Fou (Les Epesses) Vendée Vélo Tour
Nature & small heritage
44,95 Km
4 h 30 min
I cycle often
44,95 km cycling route from Pouzauges to Les Epesses
Continue exploring the Haut Bocage Vendéen area via lovely quiet country roads and paths, these hilly ways surrounded by streams and lakes. Like a lighthouse towering over the hedge-divided fields, a belltower topped by a figure of an archangel stands out from afar, signalling the church of Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure. Climb the tower’s 199 steps to enjoy the views from this, the highest point in the Vendée, at 290m in altitude! The Vendée Vélo Tour leads on from Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure along quiet paths running alongside the Bois des Jarries woods. Then you can press on to Le Puy du Fou, where you can head into the heart of French history via all the activities, stalls and shows at the internationally renowned amusement park here, focusing especially on Vendée stories.
Elevation of the stage
332 m 326 m
Waytypes of the stage
Cycle path: 2,30 km By road: 42,65 km
Surface of the stage
Smooth: 3,45 km Rough: 39,19 km Unpaved: 2,30 km
The route
This stage allows you to cycle through the Bocage Vendéen making use of small country roads. The village of La Flocellière is a tourist stop you shouldn’t ignore in the Haut Bocage area. Take particular care crossing the D752 road before getting onto smaller roads with very little traffic. Having crossed the small town of Saint-Mars-la-Réorthe, continue to the village of La Renaudière, where you rejoin the Vendée Vélo cycle trail.
Link to Le Puy du Fou
At the round-about on the D11 road, follow directions for Le Puy du Fou.
Don't miss
- Château de Pouzauges: built in the 11th century and packed with history, this castle has become the emblem of Pouzauges, a little town designated a Petite Cité de Caractère which the château overlooks, offering exceptional views over the surrounding hedge-divided fields of the Bocage Vendéen area.
- Logis de Maison-Neuve: located at Montournais, dating back to the 15th century, this old manor is typical of the former lordly homes of the Bocage Vendéen area.
- Château de Saint Mesmin: proposing many events through the tourist season, plunging visitors back into medieval times. (Accueil Vélo accredited site)
- Château de la Flocellière: for a lovely walk around the grounds, where different periods interweave.
- Chapelle de Lorette (La Flocellière - Sèvremont): enter to discover its treasure, a faithful reproduction of the Virgin Mary’s Italian shrine in Loreto, the Santa Casa.
- Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure belltower, topped by its famed figure of the archangel Michael, making it the highest point in the département (French county) of Vendée, at an altitude of 290m.
- Eglise de Saint-Mars-la-Réorthe, a church with seven stained-glass windows relating episodes in the Guerre de Vendée during the French Revolution.
- Le Puy du Fou: multi-award-winning, twice voted best amusement park in the world, this is a unique, unforgettable venue, where you can embark on a journey back in time, enjoying extraordinary, immersive shows.
- Savonnerie des Collines (Saint-Mars-la-Réorthe): a sensory stop, where you can learn about the remarkable soap-making craft here.
SNCF train stations
- Pouzauges TER station (for coaches and trains): line 14 (serving Les Sables-d'Olonne - La Roche-sur-Yon - Bressuire - Saumur)
Travellers’ reviews