Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois: Cultural Trails, Chapels and Parks

Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois offers routes through the town centre, historic sites to visit, parks and a winery with wine tasting. When planning your visit, you can then choose whether to focus on a loop around the town, a route through several municipalities or individual visits.

Local Routes and the 15-Kilometre Trail

The cultural trail in Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois is a one-hour loop through the town centre. Along the way, it takes you to the wash house, built in 1912 and restored in 2002, and to Place de l’Église, with its 18th-century houses. The crypt and the church there are open to visitors. The loop thus connects several historic sites with a walk through the centre.

The orienteering course also goes through the town centre, taking in some unusual places. It was set up by the Conseil Municipal des Enfants. On foot, it takes about two hours; a shorter loop is also possible. The two town-centre options therefore differ clearly in terms of time: the cultural trail takes one hour, while the orienteering course takes about two hours and also offers a shorter option.

At 15 kilometres, the Sentier des Chapelles offers another route option. It passes through Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois and the municipalities of Beaufou and Les Lucs-sur-Boulogne before returning to the Historial. This route is not described as a loop around the town; instead, it goes through several municipalities and then back to the Historial.

Chapel and Old Forge in Tulévrière

La Chapelle de la Tulévrière was built in 1794 during the Reign of Terror by Abbé Tenebre, the parish priest of Croix de Vie. It was built in gratitude for the protection of the village of Tulévrière when the Infernal Columns passed through during the War in the Vendée. Guided visits are available. Before your trip, contact the town hall of Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois to check the arrangements for visiting.

The old forge in the village of Tulévrière can also be visited in summer. As visits are seasonal, it is best to check again before your trip. This way, you can plan for the historic chapel and the seasonal forge as two distinct places to visit.

Parks, Ponds and Animals

The Parc des étangs has two shaded ponds, a children’s playground, a multisport court and picnic tables. Fishing is also possible there. The fishing platform is accessible to people with disabilities. The Parc des aubépines has a children’s playground with a zip line and an educational pond. If you choose between the parks based on what each offers, they differ in features including the ponds, the fishing platform and the zip line.

La Ferme de l’Espoir is a traditional educational farm that is welcoming to families. Visitors can discover horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep and chickens there. The farm complements the parks with a visit centred on animals. The animals listed give you a specific idea of what you can discover there.

Wine Tasting at the Winery

Domaine de la Grande Villeneuve welcomes visitors to its winery in Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois to taste its wines from the Vendée terroir. Victor de Goulaine introduces at least a dozen grape varieties there. As well as tasting the wines, you can learn about the different grape varieties. Check the visiting arrangements before you go, as they may change.

Discover more destinations: Moutiers-Les-Mauxfaits, Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure, Luçon, Saint-Avaugourd-des-Landes, Le Boupère, Bretignolles-Sur-Mer, Les Sables-D'olonne, Saint-Révérend.

For the main travel overview: Vendée.