Gîtes and Minoteries near Rocheservière

By the Boulogne, the water slips under the wheel of an old mill. In Rocheservière, you hear the water before you see the village. In the morning, the mist clings to the hedgerows, and the sunken lanes head off in every direction.

It is a corner of the Vendée off the main roads: between Montaigu and Clisson, under an hour from Puy du Fou and the coast. A place people come to for the quiet, the river, and the mills that once ground the flour.

Photo: Etienne Baudon — Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

The bocage, a landscape to walk

The Vendée bocage is recognised by its hedgerows and sunken lanes. Around Rocheservière, the Boulogne draws meanders where people fish, canoe and walk. The village centre, with its shops, is a few minutes away by car or bike.

Mills that became houses

Like much of the Vendée, the area has kept its watermills and former flour mills. Several have been converted into large-capacity gîtes, by hosts who kept the millstone and the beams. It is the common thread of this site: buildings that once ground wheat, and now welcome families and groups — from millstone to table.

Staying near Rocheservière

Count about fifty kilometres to Puy du Fou, and under an hour to the coast. On the spot, hiking and canoeing fill the days; the markets and local producers, the late afternoons. To choose a group gîte in the region, read our guide Gîtes and Minoteries: group gîtes in the Vendée and, for pools and spas, the page Gîtes and Minoteries: gîte with pool and spa in the Vendée. For a list of specific gîtes in the West, with their capacity, see our Our selection of 10 large gîtes in western France page.

Sources

• Vendée Bocage tourist office
• Commune of Rocheservière