The Hermitage
St Michel en L’Herm, Vendee


Climate

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average days of sunshine	16	16	20	23	23	25	26	23	22	19	15	14
Average temperature (celsius)	9	9	13	15	19	22	25	24	22	17	12	9
Average rainfall (centimetres)	90	73	65	48	61	65	56	70	84	83	96	109

Local facilities

St Michel en L’Herm and all the main towns in the area have Tourist Offices and we recommend that you make these your first port of call for up to date details of exactly what is available. The following is just intended as a brief introduction.

Lucon: Town information

Lucon was once a port (it was a long time ago but all the surrounding area is very flat and largely reclaimed land) and you can still see the portside buildings. It is famous for its carefully manicured, tree lined avenues and the beautiful Dumaine Gardens which include parkland, decorated lawns, an ornamental lake and wildlife.

The large and attractive Notre Dame Cathedral overlooks all of Lucon and it is spectacularly illuminated each evening.

In the main summer season, there are regular trips around Lucon in an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage which is a lovely way to introduce yourself to the town. Throughout the year, there are many different community events and these range from firework celebrations to craft markets to local shows. There is also a very popular covered food market in the Halls just off our road - each Thursday and Saturday morning.

There is a Water Sports Centre just outside the town and this has a 105 acre lake offering sailing, wind surfing and canoeing facilities.

Lucon has equestrian facilities and cycle hire to make full use of the local network of marked paths and bridleways.

The Millandy Theatre has recently been refurbished and there is also a cinema.

The Beaches and resorts:

There are many superb beaches and resorts a short drive away. The most famous is La Tranche sur Mer; which can get very busy. La Tranche web site

The nearest beach is La Faute sur Mer, just 8kms from the house. La Faute web site

Les Sables D’Olonne:

Approximately 30 miles North is the well known and very smart sailing resort of Les Sable d’Olonne. It has a very large and popular sandy beach and a network of attractive shopping streets. The Zoo is only small and compact but it is very well run and families with small children will enjoy it immensely. Les Sables web site

La Rochelle:

This historic old town and port is well worth a visit and is about 30 miles and 45minutes away. In addition to the excellent range of shopping, wonderful architecture and a large choice of restaurants; we would particularly recommend their spectacular aquarium. There is also a Maritime Museum. Just off the coast is the famous Fort Boyard and from the port, there are many regular boat trips here and also to the Islands of Re, Aix and D’Oleron

Ile de Re:

This peacefully, unspoilt island is reached by an impressive new bridge from La Rochelle. It is full of vineyards, pinewoods and salt marshes and has a beautiful, quaint harbour at St Martin. Definitely recommended for a visit.

Fontenay Le Comte:

This is only a short distance inland but you will notice the change in landscape as hills and valleys begin to appear. It is an attractive market town with very interesting architecture and quaint side streets and the Chateau de Terre Neuve is classed as an historical monument. Nearby is the L’Abbaye d’Alienor d’Aquitaine which is a 12^th century Royal Abbey open to the public. Due east is the Mervent - Vouvent forest (12,500 acres of ancient woodland) which is a very pretty area and well worth a drive around.

Marais Poitevin:

Lucon falls within the boundary of the Marais Poitevin National park which is also known as “Green Venice” due to its extensive network of water channels. The whole area is predominantly open countryside and it is justifiably well known for its wildlife. There is the L’Abbaye du Marais at Maillezais which is what remains of a Benedictine Abbey and from here, you can hire a punt (plus boatman if you wish) to explore the labyrinth of little canals. From the nearby town of Marrans, you can also hire canoes, motor boats and sailing boats by the hour or day; for more adventurous trips into the parklands - we really enjoyed a lazy trip around the river ways in a motor boat.

Chateau Puy du Fou: Website

Well worth a visit.It is a sort of up-market theme park (classical music is played in the background and everything is very discrete and well-organised) and split into Le Grand Parc and La Cinescenie. Le Grand Parc is loosely based on France through the ages and has four main shows - Roman gladiators, a Viking invasion, a bird display and a medieval battle - they are all very elaborate with large casts of people and animals and brilliant special effects. La Cinescenie is an evening show describing the Vendeen Wars involving a cast of literally hundreds of people and animals, music, lights, tremendous special effects and fireworks.

Contact Ian Bullen
Tel: 01462 811502
Email: Ian@stjean.freeserve.co.uk

Climate

Local facilities