Discover Les Trois-Moutiers

Looking for a hotel in Les Trois-Moutiers? The history of the Saint-Hilaire church and the Sentier des Dolmens offer concrete points of reference if you want to choose a destination based on its history and landscape themes.

Saint-Hilaire and the village’s history

After the French Revolution, the Romanesque Saint-Hilaire church was the only one of the village of Les Trois-Moutiers’ three churches to survive. It was destroyed in 1888 and replaced by the present-day church of Les Trois-Moutiers. This sequence links the former church landscape to the later new building and gives the local history a clear timeline. Anyone interested in how the village developed will find more here than a single construction date: Saint-Hilaire first represents the preservation of one of the three church buildings, and later the transition to the present-day church.

The Sentier des Dolmens

The Sentier des Dolmens starts in Les Trois-Moutiers and is 12.5 km long in total. Along the way, you pass several dolmens and a hill where people in the Neolithic period gathered large stone slabs. The route’s length gives you a concrete measure for planning your trip, while the dolmens and the hill bring the trail’s main theme into focus. The same route thus features both stone monuments and a hill associated with a history of human labor in the Neolithic period.

There is a picnic area along the Sentier des Dolmens. Another place with picnic facilities is the Etang de pêche des Trois-Moutiers, on the edge of the village in the direction of Loudun. It has picnic tables and play equipment for children. The facilities are specified at their respective locations: the picnic area is part of the trail, while the tables and play equipment are at the Etang.

More historical themes

The Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers has a history that runs from splendid prosperity through neglect and a daring reconstruction to a devastating fire; its remarkable survival is also part of that story. The Moulin du Gué Sainte-Marie is one of the last tower windmills in the Vienne département. Together with Saint-Hilaire and the Sentier des Dolmens, these offer a range of historical points of reference: a village church with two notable periods in its history, a trail featuring dolmens and a Neolithic hill, and the story of a château and a tower windmill.

Mushroom cultivation and wineries

In Bernazay, the Champignonnière de Bernazay offers a visit to an underground mushroom farm that is still in operation. Blonde button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake, and snowball mushrooms are sold on site. If you are planning a visit, check the visiting options in advance.

The family-run Domaine de la Neuraye in Vaon produces and sells wines from the AOP Saumur, Saumur Puy Notre Dame, and Crémant de Loire appellations, as well as grape juice. The product range may change; if a particular product is important to you, check the current selection in advance. Domaine Saint Landor is a certified organic winery in the Vienne part of the AOP Saumur. It produces Saumur Rouge, Saumur Blanc, Saumur Rosé, Saumur Puy Notre Dame, and Crémant de Loire. Certification and product range may also change at this winery.

These highlights differ considerably and can help you match the destination to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Lathus-Saint-Rémy, Joussé, Gençay, La Roche-Rigault, Berrie, Moncontour, Liglet, Ternay.

For the wider travel overview: Vienne.