Museum and eco-museum
Vendée should be explored through its own history. Because the people of Vendée are very attached to their roots, they are motivated to bring their heritage to life, the better to share it. These heritage sites are enlivened by shows and festivals.
Not to be missed :
The Bourrine of Bois Juquaud at Saint-Hilaire de Riez
The Bourrine is an authentic collection of mud buildings covered in reeds, a reminder of life in the Vendée Breton Marshes in the early years of the last century. It consists of the cottage itself, the bourrine, which has been restored, and a large number of surrounding buildings which, thanks to evidence of various kinds, have been rebuilt as they
once were. The group of buildings is situated in a privileged environment on the edge of the marshes, an area rich in the protected plant life of the dunes.
The Salines at Olonne sur Mer
First of all, board the boat for an extraordinary two hour journey through the Olonne marshes, open to the sky and to the sea, a blend of salt and land. The leisurely boat ride takes you to the Jardin des Salines to meet the salt-producers at work: discover the secret smugglers’ paths, the fitness circuit and the adventure trail,…
The Vendée Automobile Museum at Talmont Saint Hilaire
The Vendée Automobile Museum invites you to peruse its collection, which was begun in 1939. One family’s passion for engineering and cars has led to the preservation of over 200 vehicles (cars, bicycles, motorcycles and horse-drawn carriages) ranging from 1885 to prototypes for the future. 160 of them are displayed in a vast 3 300 m² hall decorated with a remarkable collection of posters and advertisements of the day.
Georges Clemenceau’s cottage at Saint Vincent sur Jard
In 1919, after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Georges Clemenceau, then 78, decided to retire to his estate in the Vendée. Between the Atlantic and the fisherman’s cottage which he rented, the «Father of Victory» and close friend to Claude Monet took up and completed the challenge of creating a garden in the dunes. The house remains as it was on his death in 1929, with his furniture and personal effects. The remarkable gardens created by Monet and the «Tiger» himself were fully restored in 2006.
The 2 Victory-National Museum Clemenceau - de Lattre at Mouilleron en Pareds
The Musée des deux Victoires links Georges Clemenceau and Jean de Lattre, both of them born in Mouilleron en Pareds. They both had a role in one of the two World Wars, and signed in the name of France on the occasion of the «two victories» putting an end to the two workd-wide conflicts. The house where Marshal de Lattre was born is a fine example of a Vendée notable’s house from the XIXth century.
The Coal mines of Faymoreau
The Vendée’s coal mines, which were worked from 1827 to 1958! Today, in the heart of the Vendée Bocage, this astonishing attraction immerse yourselves in the world of mining. The museum, with its «descent» down to the coal face and visit to a reconstruction of a mining gallery, and an exhibition featuring an animated model and other displays. The village and its miners’housing. The contemporary stained glass windows in the Miners’ Chapel, a unique work by Carmelo Zagari.
