Cugand offers a history of mills, historic buildings and opportunities to get active on foot, by bike and on the water. You can focus your stay in different ways: visit the Moulin à Foulon, follow the Les Diligences loop trail or enjoy the seasonal activities at the Base de canoë-kayak Cugand. The activities differ clearly in theme and type of visit.
Mills and River History
The Moulin à Foulon de Cugand is a working fulling mill and a testament to the use of the river’s water power for processing wool. The site includes a restored fulling mill and a dye works; information panels explain Cugand’s wool-processing tradition. Here, the mill as a workplace, the dye works and the history of textile crafts are all connected.
The mill is freely accessible and has explanatory panels and markers. The stated visit time is 45 minutes. Check seasonal access before travelling. This makes it easy to plan a visit to the mill as a clearly defined part of your stay.
The Sèvre Nantaise runs through Cugand-la-Bernardière. Since the Middle Ages, its current has been used to grind grain in mills, as well as for spinning and tanning. The last spinning mill in Cugand closed in 1985. Two different time scales are at play here: the river’s long-standing use for various trades and the specific end date of one branch of industry.
La Feuillée successively housed a grain mill, a paper mill, a spinning mill and a tannery. This sequence shows how its uses changed over time: these were successive operations, not four businesses running at the same time. Paper and grain are therefore also among the trades mentioned in the history of this place.
Buildings with Different Historical Connections
The Pont d'Arsenal in Cugand was built before 1740. The Grotte de Lourdes in Cugand was built on the banks of the Sèvre as a replica of the Lourdes grotto, following a vow made during the Second World War, and was inaugurated at Easter 1948. The buildings thus have different historical points of reference: for the bridge, the focus is on its early construction date; for the grotto, it is the connection between the vow, the replica and its inauguration.
On Foot, by Bike and on the Water
Les Diligences is a 5 km, very easy loop trail for walking and cycling. It starts at the car park of the Pierre Stepanovsky sports complex in Cugand. Its length, circular route and starting point provide a practical framework for planning. The 45 minutes for the Moulin, by contrast, refers to its stated visit time: these are different planning measures, one being the duration of a visit and the other the length of a route.
The Base de canoë-kayak Cugand offers seasonal rentals of canoes, stand-up paddleboards and boats. Courses are also available, and groups are welcome. Check the current operating period before travelling, as the activities are seasonal. This gives you a choice between a loop trail for walking or cycling and seasonal water activities as different ways to get active.
Discover more destinations: Bretignolles-Sur-Mer, Froidfond, Aizenay, Barbatre, Luçon, Les Lucs-Sur-Boulogne, La Caillère-Saint-Hilaire, Château-Guibert.
For the wider travel overview: Vendée.
