In Vasles, several travel interests stand out: marked hiking trails, wool processing and animal encounters at Mouton Village, local history, and nature along the Magot. To plan your visit, first consider whether you want to focus mainly on a particular trail length, an insight into wool processing, or a historical or natural history theme. The specific trail lengths, starting points, and themes offer different ways to make that choice.
Hiking Trails by Length and Starting Point
The Sentier des moutons is 8.4 km long, marked in blue, and starts at the Mouton Village visitor car park. Le bois de Fontenalon is 12.5 km long, marked in yellow, and starts at the church square in Vasles. On this route, the Boivre and Auxance rivers are crossed via plank crossings. The trail’s length, markings, and starting point are all specific features to consider when choosing a route.
L’Auxance et le Magot is 11.2 km long, marked in yellow, and starts in the hamlet of La Coursaudière. La ferme de l’Abbaye also starts there, is likewise marked in yellow, and is 12.5 km long. These two trails share the same stated starting point but have different lengths. At 8.4 km, the Sentier des moutons is the shortest of the four trails; Le bois de Fontenalon and La ferme de l’Abbaye are the longest, at 12.5 km each. The blue-marked Sentier also differs from the three yellow-marked routes in its marking color.
Mouton Village: Plants and Wool Processing
The Parc Botanique at Mouton Village includes an arboretum with 4,000 trees and 120 different plant species. The Parc Botanique is designated an LPO nature reserve.
Mouton Village offers workshops covering various stages of wool processing. Topics range from sorting and washing the wool to carding and spinning. The workshops are part of a seasonal program; dates and availability may change. Visitors can also bottle-feed lambs there. This activity is also seasonal and should be checked before your trip.
Parc Mouton Village welcomes visitors from Easter to All Saints’ Day. Check the exact visiting dates before setting out. This allows you to take the park’s seasonal schedule into account when planning, while workshop dates and the availability of bottle-feeding should be checked separately.
Local History and Nature Along the Magot
Logis de Paulier spans several historical periods: in the 15th century, it belonged to Sainte-Croix Abbey in Poitiers; from the 16th to the 18th century, it was owned by the Pidoux family. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1984. Despite modern alterations, the Logis retains its medieval character. Its place in local history is reflected in both its former affiliations and ownership, and its protected status today.
At the Magot stream, the flowing water is of good quality and has a high oxygen content. Significant numbers of white-clawed crayfish, bullhead, and brook lamprey are found there.
Discover more destinations: Massais, La Forêt-Sur-Sèvre, Cerizay, Melle, Niort, Bouin, Argentière, Pers
For the broader travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.
