Discover Villiers-En-Bois: Forest, Nature and Cultural Heritage

You can plan a trip around Villiers-en-Bois with a focus on forests, wildlife or church history. The long-distance GR 36 trail passes through the Forêt domaniale de Chizé and Villiers-en-Bois; Zoodyssée and the Église Saint-Romain offer two other distinct areas of interest.

Forest and protected areas

The GR 36 crosses the Forêt domaniale de Chizé and passes through Villiers-en-Bois. This makes the village part of the route. If you want to centre your trip on hiking, this route offers a specific point of reference that connects the forest and the village.

The protected areas also have different characteristics: the Forêt domaniale de Chizé is part of the “Massif forestier de Chizé-Aulnay” Natura 2000 site. The Réserve biologique intégrale de la Sylve d’Argenson also includes the municipality of Villiers-en-Bois. The first refers to the forest’s inclusion in a Natura 2000 site; the second, to the municipality’s inclusion in the reserve. This distinction helps put the relationship between the forest, the protected area and the municipality into context without treating the different areas as one and the same.

Zoodyssée: themed worlds and animal encounters

Zoodyssée offers nine themed worlds and covers 30 hectares of preserved nature. These figures describe two different aspects of the offer: its thematic layout and the size of the natural area. So if you choose nature and wildlife as your focus, you’ll find both an experience with several themed worlds and a clearly defined connection to nature here.

At Zoodyssée, you can also take part in animal encounters guided by an educational facilitator. Alongside the themed worlds, guided animal encounters therefore offer another distinct aspect to consider when planning your trip. You can decide whether you’re more interested in the variety of themes or in a guided encounter.

The Église Saint-Romain and its history

The Église Saint-Romain was rebuilt in 1855. It also has a bell named Catherine, dating from 1712. The two dates refer to different historical details: the church’s reconstruction and the older bell. They are 143 years apart.

This gives cultural interest a specific focus on a building and an individual object. If you’re interested in history, you can consider the two dates as separate reference points rather than combining them into a single account of the church’s origins. Alongside the forest and wildlife, the church thus provides an independent theme for a trip to Villiers-en-Bois.

Planning your hotel stay

The history of the Église Saint-Romain offers a different focus. When choosing a hotel, compare the information each one provides about its location, rooms and amenities with your needs. This way, you can match your interests in Villiers-en-Bois with the actual features of the accommodation on offer.

Discover more destinations: Villiers-En-Plaine, Saint-Aubin-Du-Plain, Vasles, Chef-Boutonne, Châtillon-Sur-Thouet, Coulonges-Thouarsais, Chantecorps, Beaulieu-sous-Parthenay

For the wider travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.