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Hiking by department · 85

Hiking in Vendée

332

routes

8.8 km

median distance

62 m

median elevation gain

The Vendée here is not the seaside one: it plays out around Mervent-Vouvant, in the department's high bocage. The Mervent-Vouvant state forest, the largest here, overlooks the Mère and Vendée gorges.

Vouvant, listed among the most beautiful villages in France, adds its Mélusine tower and ramparts to the start of several loops. The relief is real: steep slopes drop to the reservoirs.

Fontenay-le-Comte, Pissotte and L'Orbrie round it out with valley paths, washhouses and cool passages under the canopy.

When to go — All year; spring is especially fine in the Mervent forest, and winter stays walkable despite occasionally heavy going.

OpenRando lists 332 hiking routes in Vendée. The median distance is 8.8 km, and most routes fall between 4.0 and 16.0 km — from an afternoon loop to a full day out.

The terrain stays gentle: median elevation gain is 62 m, and even the hilliest routes rarely exceed 178 m. Good ground for long outings without the climbing.

The most common starting points cluster around: Vouvant, Mervent, Pissotte, L'Orbrie, Fontenay-le-Comte, Tiffauges. Every route comes with its GPX track, elevation profile and interactive map.

Longest routes in Vendée

  • Boucle Château de Montaigu – Maison de la Rivière au départ de Montaigu Vendée27.2 km
  • Boucle Pont du Déluge – Forêt de Mervent au départ de Vouvant25.9 km
  • Boucle Barrage de Mervent – Vue sur La Mère au départ de Saint-Michel-le-Cloucq23.8 km

All routes in Vendée