Interactive museums to understand the Vendée
The region is brimming with fascinating cultural sites that move away from the classic «dusty» museum image. In Lucs-sur-Boulogne, the Historial de la Vendée offers an ultra-modern journey back in time, using interactive technologies to recount the department's history from prehistory to the present day. It's thrilling for understanding local identity. Closer to home, the Musée de l’Abbaye Sainte-Croix in Les Sables-d’Olonne will delight modern art enthusiasts. For a more traditional but equally captivating discovery, the Écomusée du Daviaud in La Barre-de-Monts immerses you in the daily life of the Maraîchins of yesteryear. Here you'll see demonstrations of «saut à la nique» (a pole used to cross the tidal channels) and discover the typical architecture of the marshland. These museums are open windows onto the soul of the Vendée, perfect for cooler days.
Theme parks and outdoor adventure
For those who need to let off steam and get a thrill, the areas around Saint-Gervais offer multiple options. «Feeling Forest» in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez or the local treetop adventure parks offer courses in the trees for all levels, with giant zip lines and Tarzan swings. If you prefer water, water parks like «O'Gliss Park» (a little further south) or nearby water sports centres offer slides and wave pools for guaranteed fun. For a more unusual activity, the Vélo-rail (rail bike) in Commequiers allows you to pedal along an old railway track through the countryside, a fun and friendly experience to share with friends or family. These parks are designed to offer maximum safety while guaranteeing a thrilling experience.
Discovery of unusual heritage and science centres
Curiosity is also celebrated with unique sites such as «Le Jardin du Vent» (The Wind Garden) in Notre-Dame-de-Monts, an artistic and playful place that plays with air currents and wind installations. At Kulmino, you can climb to the top of a water tower to admire a 360-degree panorama of the marsh, islands, and ocean, all while learning all about the water cycle. For sea enthusiasts, «Escale Pêche» (Fishing Stop) in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie offers an interactive immersion into the world of professional fishing and canning. Finally, don't miss the Moulin de Rairé in Sallertaine, one of the few mills in France that has never stopped running solely on wind power. This diversity of leisure activities makes the Natura Villages region an infinite playground for exploration, where each day can be a new cultural or recreational discovery.