Free walking tours in Les Epesses and what to see

Must-sees

Les Epesses is a village in the bocage of the Vendée, a landscape of meadows and hedgerows in western France. Its name is tied to Puy du Fou, which lies within the municipality. The park grew up around the ruins of a Renaissance château and has become a huge attraction devoted to French history, with large-scale shows recreating a Roman circus, medieval battles, the Viking era and the Vendée wars.

As well as the daytime shows, the park has recreated villages from different eras, craftspeople and gardens to wander between performances. At night the Cinéscénie is staged, an open-air show with hundreds of volunteer actors beside the château. Nearby, Les Herbiers, Mortagne-sur-Sèvre and Pouzauges let you discover the inland Vendée, with hills, stone villages and châteaux.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours in Les Epesses: the village is small and almost everyone comes for the park. What Civitatis offers is a ticket for Puy du Fou, with access to the shows and recreations of the great park. For the rest of the Vendée, people usually get around on their own by car.

How long to spend

To see the park’s big shows you need at least a full day, and two if you want to do it without dashing about and miss hardly any. If you also want to see the Cinéscénie, which starts at nightfall, it makes sense to stay nearby. With an extra day you can explore Les Herbiers and the bocage villages.

Where to stay

The park itself has several themed hotels by the entrance, the most convenient option if you are staying for the Cinéscénie. In Les Epesses and the neighbouring villages there are chambres d’hôtes and country cottages in the middle of the countryside. Les Herbiers and Cholet have more hotels and restaurants, a short drive away.