The themes in Grand'landes range from trails through bocage and wooded areas to a digital treasure hunt and herbal production. The church and chapel have different historical connections. You can therefore shape your choices around the landscape, architectural history or plant products.
Trails between bocage and woodland
The Sentier des Buses starts and ends at the church square in Grand'Landes. Along the route, trails through the bocage landscape alternate with wooded sections. If you want to experience both types of landscape on one route, you can find them here in alternating succession. The Sentier de la Frande also follows trails through bocage and wooded sections. The shared choice of landscapes is a useful point of comparison; the Sentier des Buses also starts and ends at the church square.
Grand'Landes also has the Sentier des Landes cycling route. The distinction is useful when making your choice: the Sentier des Landes is a cycling route, while the Sentier des Buses and the Sentier de la Frande focus on trails through bocage and wooded sections. This lets you decide first based on the landscape or the type of route you want, without combining the routes mentioned into a single trail.
Digital treasure hunt and time required
Le puits secret de Grand’Landes is 2 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. It starts at the town hall car park. As a digital treasure hunt in the Baludik app, it offers a different format from the trails through bocage and woodland. The approximate duration provides a useful guide for planning your time. Le puits secret is accessible to pushchairs and people with reduced mobility; check this information again before your trip.
Church, chapel and local legend
The present-day church in Grand'Landes dates from 1928–1929 and preserves the porch of the previous church. This connects the construction period of the current building with a surviving part of its predecessor. The Chapelle de la Pitié was rebuilt on the ruins of a 15th-century chapel. It preserves a window from that period as well as a late-medieval door. A local legend links the chapel to the vow made by fishermen who had survived a shipwreck. The historical focus therefore differs: the church is notable for its connection to the previous building, while the Chapelle brings together medieval architectural elements and a traditional tale.
Herbs and planning your visit
Infus’Herbes grows around 25 varieties of aromatic and medicinal plants and also gathers some of them in the wild. These are used to make simple herbal teas or aromatic blends. The cultivation, partial wild harvesting and processing make the subject of plants tangible there; it encompasses both the herbs used and the products made from them. Guided tours last an average of 30 minutes. Confirm their availability before your trip. Direct sales take place by appointment every day except Sunday. For planning your time, you can compare two different durations: about 1 hour 30 minutes for Le puits secret, compared with an average of 30 minutes for a guided tour at Infus’Herbes.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Hilaire-Des-Loges, Bazoges-en-Paillers, Sallertaine, Mouilleron-En-Pareds, Chavagnes-les-Redoux, Treize-Vents, Saint-Symphorien, L'aiguillon-Sur-Mer.
For the overview of the wider area: Vendée.
