Rétaud is in the Saintonge, between Saintes and the ocean. The town offers several distinct reasons to visit: the National Cemetery at Chez-le-Tard, an official puzzle game with a connection to churches, and a cycling route. If you’re looking for a hotel in Rétaud, you can first decide whether remembrance, the game or cycling will be the focus of your trip. This lets you tailor your stay to your interests: history, an activity for children or a clearly measured cycling route.
The National Cemetery of Rétaud
The National Cemetery of Rétaud is located in Chez-le-Tard. It contains the graves of 330 soldiers who died for France during the battles to liberate the occupied areas of Royan and Oléron. This gives the memorial site a specific historical context. A monument made of Vendée granite symbolizes a breach in the Atlantic Wall, bringing the material and its meaning together in a single structure. The cemetery can be visited independently year-round. Check local access conditions before your visit.
The Baludik discovery trail starts at the cemetery’s entrance gate. As digital access information may change, check the latest guidance for the trail before setting off. This lets you combine a visit to the memorial site with an additional digital discovery trail without confusing its starting point with that of another route.
Puzzle game with a connection to churches
The official “La Chasse aux Trésors” game is for children aged eight and up, including older children. It is free, available year-round and collected from the CDC. The route visits two churches and includes Rétaud. Age range, collection and the church connection are therefore the practical details to bear in mind: you can check in advance whether it is suitable for your group and factor in collecting it when planning your visit. The game is a separate activity from visiting the cemetery; it should not be confused with the Baludik discovery trail, which starts at the cemetery’s entrance gate.
Cycling route and architectural history
The “Les Bois de Rétaud” cycling route is 15 kilometres long, has 48 metres of elevation gain and takes a stated one hour and ten minutes. Distance, elevation gain and time offer different planning details that you can match to your stay. As the route provider may update these figures, check the latest route information before setting off. The route also features Château Chatenet, built in the 16th century. Alongside the route details, the description thus includes a historical point of interest.
Architecture as a landmark and a detail
The bell tower of the protected church in Rétaud is an important landmark and a key reference point in the landscape. Above the main entrance to the Manoir Million school, the portal features a carved coat of arms belonging to the Million family. These two details illustrate different aspects of the architecture: the bell tower helps orient visitors in the landscape, while the coat of arms is a distinctive feature of the school entrance.
Discover more destinations: La Natonnière, Saint-Palais-De-Phiolin, Champagnac, Vinax, Saint-Pierre-De-Juillers, Saint-Médard-d'Aunis, Vérines, Jonzac
For the main travel overview: Charente-Maritime.
