Vaudelnay: Nature Park, Wine Country and History

Nature Park and Wine Country

Vaudelnay is located in the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Nature Park. Between the banks of the Thouet and the Fierbois hill, the vineyards of the Saumur AOC are everywhere. The nature park setting and winegrowing offer different perspectives: the regional natural landscape on the one hand, and the wine country extending between the Thouet and Fierbois on the other. You can use these themes to decide whether you are more interested in landscapes or a specific hike. The local buildings offer another focus, highlighting design, former function and historical context.

Circular Hiking Trail

One specific hiking option is the “From woods to vineyards and wash houses – Variant” trail. It is 12.7 km long, follows a circular route and starts at Place de la mairie in Vaudelnay. Three different details come together in planning: the distance indicates the scope, the circular route indicates the tour format, and the starting point identifies where it begins in town. As a circular route, the trail follows a closed loop back to its starting point; starting at Place de la mairie gives your plans a specific local reference point. The stated distance makes the hike a clearly defined activity in its own right. By contrast, the topics of mills and churches focus on architectural form and former function. This lets you weigh up a clearly measured route against travel plans with a stronger historical focus.

Mill and Saint-Pierre Church

The Moulin de Battereau is a working watermill and adds a technical focus alongside the religious buildings. Visiting options may vary, so check in advance. In the hamlet of Saint-Pierre-la-Casse, a remnant of the former Saint-Pierre Church has been preserved: a roughly assembled rubble-stone wall with a Romanesque arch above a niche. This identifies a specific remnant of a wall, its material and an architectural detail. The former Saint-Pierre chapel or church served the parishioners of Vaudelnay for almost a thousand years. The surviving architectural fragment and the long-standing parish function offer two different perspectives on local history: the form of what remains and the role of the church building in the community.

Messemé Chapel

Messemé Chapel offers a different historical focus. The year 1772 is inscribed above the door and is considered the presumed year of construction. The chapel was the private chapel of Domaine de Champagne, a hamlet of Vaudelnay. The date provides a point of reference, while the private chapel function indicates its connection to the Domaine. In comparison with Saint-Pierre, the focus at Messemé is its role as a private chapel, not the almost thousand-year parish function. This makes it possible to distinguish the two religious sites by their respective functions. The stated construction date remains a supposition.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Melaine-Sur-Aubance, La Cornuaille, Saint-Sigismond, Clefs-Val D'anjou, Seiches-Sur-Le-Loir, Challain-La-Potherie, La Jaille-Yvon, Les Rairies

For the regional travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.