ANGELA BIRD'S

 

 

The
Vendée 

 

 


December 2012

WHAT'S ON IN THE VENDEE

(entries in red indicate new additions)

 

 



Vcover2011small.JPG

PLEASE NOTE

This website is really just a supplement to Angela Bird's guidebook, The Vendée (left), which gives full details
in its 176 pages of hundreds of interesting and off-beat tourist sites throughout the region.
What you see on the website consists of either extra topics not covered in the book (Calendar, Restaurants, Travel routes, Internet links etc), or updated information (new tourist attractions open - or old ones closed)
since the most recent edition of the book appeared.
For the complete picture, order The Vendée through bookshops in the UK and Ireland, or from Amazon ;it is also on sale in good bookshops throughout the Vendée.

 

 

The listings on this site are supplied in good faith, gathered by the author from various Vendée sources.

However it is always wise to check details with organisers or tourist offices before making a special journey.

 

 

 

Early Dec

Foire Foraine  Funfair

Cours Dupont,
Les Sables-d’Olonne

 

2-4 Dec 2011

Marché de Noël  Beaulieu’s Christmas market is the most famous in the Vendee, full of craftspeople and Christmas cheer beneath the trees of the picturesque square. 125 stalls. (Sunday afternoon is the most crowded time, so best to avoid that). Fri 4-9pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-7pm. Admission free

 

Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche, near Aizenay

Early Dec 2012-
late Jan 2013

Crèches animées: La Féérie des Santons  Wonderful displays of animated nativity scenes in model-village settings and landscapes of all kinds.  Daily 2-6.30pm. 5€, children 3€, under 10 free.

 

Maison de l’Art, Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche

Early Dec

Telethon  Local clubs do odd jobs to raise money for charity.

 

Throughout the Vendée

Early Dec

Marché de Noël   Christmas market. 10am-7pm.

Place Leclerc, Luçon

 

early Dec

annual Christmas fair, held among the atmospheric ruins of Maillezais Abbey – beautifully illuminated for the occasion. A second craft “village” sets out traditonal Christmas trees amid snow. Sat 2-8.30pmpm ; Sun 11am-8.30pm. Admission free.

 

Abbaye St Pierre, Maillezais, near Fontenay-le-Comte (tel : 02 51 87 22 80).

 

Dec weekends

Le Mystère de Noël  A beautiful 75-minute Christmas show in the indoor arena offers a colourful re-creation of Bethlehem on the eve of Christmas. A sort of “Nine Lessons & Carols” with some Puy du Fou exoticism!  Times vary.  Admission 20 euros, children under 12, 11 euros, under-5s free.

 

Puy-du-Fou,
Les Epesses, ne Les Herbiers (tel: 02 51 64 11 11)

4 Dec 2011

Nouvel an du Muscadet  Annual event at which Muscadet producers bring their latest vintage to show off and offer tastings under the medieval market hall of Clisson.

 

Clisson (Loire-Atlantique)

Mid Dec

Noël à La Chabotterie  Christmas food and craft market in and around the historic country mansion. This year under a Provençal theme, with olive trees and cypresses to set the mood. 40 stalls; Provençal story-telling; donkey-rides; ice-sculpture Sat 2-8pm; Sun 10am-7pm. Admission free.

 

 

Logis de la Chabotterie,
St-Sulpice-le-Verdon
(tel: 02 5142 81 00)

 

Mid Dec

Marché de Noël  Traditional wooden chalets inside the grounds of the medieval castle, selling Christmas gifts and goodies. Regular 10-minute concerts on bells, puppet shows, barrel organ, pony-rides and ice-sculpture. Sat 2-8.30pm; Sun 2-8.30pm. Admission free.

 

Tiffauges (tel: 02 51 65 77 65)

Mid Dec

Spectacle de la Creche Vivante  de Noël de Cholet  120 people take part in a 45-minute Nativity tableau on the main square. 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Admission free.

 

Place Travot, Cholet (Maine-et-Loire) ; information from Cholet tourist office (02 41 49 80 00).

Mid Dec

Marché de Noël   Christmas market, in the most ancient street of Fontenay. On Sat 17 Dec, torchlit procession, 6pm.

 

Rue des Loges, Fontenay-le-Comte

 

Mid-late Dec

Noël au Haras  Equestrian talks, demonstrations and donkey rides in the handsome stud farm that lies in the centre of La Roche. 2-7pm. Admission 5 euros, children free; does not include equestrian show “le 4e roi mage”.

 

Le Haras,
Bd des Etats-Unis, La Roche-sur-Yon (tel : 02 51 37 48 48).

Mid Dec

Marché de Noel  Christmas market in the centre of La Roche, with 70 stands. Daily 10-7.

 

Place Napoléon, La Roche-sur-Yon

 

 

25 Dec

 

CHRISTMAS DAY (public holiday)


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE EVENTS

 

The Vendée Tourist Board website has many events listed under
various categories, starting from this page

 

The Conseil-Général’s website also has a regularly updated
calendar of events on its site, under “Agenda”
(click on “Evenements suivants” for later events, or on the names
of the other months shown)

 

For Vendée vide-greniers (brocante fairs and car-boot sales),
I have made a selection from 
this excellent specialised website.

If you wish to see fairs in another département, simply change the Vendee code (85) at the end of the link to that of your chosen département: i.e. 44 for Loire-Atlantique; 49 for Maine-et-Loire etc

 

 

 

JAN FEB MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC



 

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