Can this visit be combined with another activity?

Of course you can. Our sales department can create a tailor-made half or full day for you: another guided tour, a heritage site, an outdoor activity, a gourmet break, a meeting with an artisan… Just tell us what you’d like to do: we’ll put together the best experiences in the area and take care of all the organisation.

Is this tour suitable for children?

This tour is aimed primarily at adults or mixed groups (adults and children). Children are welcome in adult groups, but the tour is not specially designed for them. To find out more about Fontenay-le-Comte for groups of children, see Groups for young visitors.

Is there free parking close to the start of the tour?

Yes, you can park on the Place de Verdun free of charge and for an unlimited time. The tour starts directly from the Tourist Office, located on the same square.

Can I get to the start of the tour by bus? Is there authorised parking for buses?

Yes, the bus can drop you off directly in front of the Tourist Office, where the tour starts. It can then park free of charge and with no time limit on the Place de Verdun, where the Tourist Office is also located.

Are there toilets close to the starting point?

Toilets are available at the Tourist Office, depending on opening hours. Public toilets are also available just behind the Tourist Office, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Does the guide use a microphone?

The use of a microphone depends on the size of the group and the habits of each guide. If you absolutely must have a microphone, please let us know at the time of booking so that we can plan ahead.

Guided group tour of Fontenay-le-Comte | Pays de Fontenay-Vendée Tourist Office

Unlock the secrets of the historic capital of the Vendée

A Town of Art and History, Fontenay-le-Comte boasts a remarkable heritage inherited from the Renaissance. Accompanied by a guide, your group will explore the narrow streets, squares and town houses that have made the town famous. With its refined architecture, anecdotes and famous local figures, this tour offers a lively insight into one of the most elegant historic centres in the Vendée.

About your visit

1 h 30

Minimum 10 people, maximum 150 people

One guide accompanies up to 50 people.
For larger groups, several guides may be available.

Monday to Sunday, all year round

By reservation only and subject to guide availability.
Departure from 9 am.
The tour is partly outdoors, ideally from March to October. In winter, indoor areas are preferred.
A supplement is applied on Sundays and public holidays.

Departure from the Tourist Office

Place de Verdun 85200 Fontenay-le-Comte

About 2 km to walk

Adaptable tour for people with reduced mobility

Our guides adapt the route to the needs of the group (walking difficulties, wheelchairs). Shortened route and different starting point.

In French or English

Magic moments

Walk along the river Vendée and admire the elegant facades that line it

Photographing the Fontaine des Quatre-Tias, a local architectural icon

Look up and discover unsuspected treasures within easy reach

Let yourself be carried away by your guide’s fascinating anecdotes and stories

Scroll through the gallery

On the programme

An open-air Renaissance city

Your guide will take you back in time to the heart of the historic centre. Squares, alleyways, town houses and sculpted facades tell the story of how the city was built in the Middle Ages, and then its golden age during the Renaissance. Every architectural detail becomes a key to the story. History takes shape along the streets.

Emblematic monuments

From the 600-year-oldchurch of Notre-Dame to the Fontaine des Quatre-Tias, now the town’s emblem, take a closer look at the key buildings along the way. Discover the former market square, Place Belliard, as well as the houses of nobles such as Maison Billaud, the Lespinay de Beaumont town house, and the monumental gateway to Château Gaillard topped by the Laocoon. The stones reveal the major role played by the town in the history of the Vendée.

And who knows, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to push open the door of a private mansion, to which only your guide has access…

Anecdotes and great figures

Humanists, writers, notables… Fontenay-le-Comte has seen some outstanding personalities pass through its doors. Your guide will share stories and surprising facts to make your visit even more interesting. Find out why Fontenay-le-Comte was named the “capital of fine spirits”, and who was behind the name.

A lively discovery, adapted to the pace of an adult group.

Each visit is unique and is conducted according to the choices of each guide. The items listed above are therefore just a sample of what can be observed during a visit.

The price includes

The services of professional tour guides
Access to certain private areas, reserved for visits organised with a guide
Loan of walking sticks (on request)

The price does not include

Transport
Access to all other private sites except for privileged access to guides
Personal expenses

We'll take care of everything!

Our sales department will advise you and book all the visits and activities of your choice for your group.
Contact us for more information.

Léa Blanchard

Marketing Manager

[email protected]02.51.69.44.81 06.70.72.86.16

Always on the lookout for the perfect holiday, I combine creativity and precision to tailor-make your getaway to suit you. With me, your holiday can't be improvised... it has to be dreamt, prepared and experienced.

Ludovic Géron

Marketing manager

[email protected]02.51.69.44.81 06.70.72.86.16

Proud of Vouvant, the village of my birth, I talk about it with the passion of a storyteller and the smile of a neighbour you meet at the market. With me, heritage never sleeps... it's told, it comes alive.

Ask us for a personalised quote

Prepare your visit

Calculate my route

Can this visit be combined with another activity?
Of course you can. Our sales department can create a tailor-made half or full day for you: another guided tour, a heritage site, an outdoor activity, a gourmet break, a meeting with an artisan…
Just tell us what you’d like to do: we’ll put together the best experiences in the area and take care of all the organisation.
Is this tour suitable for children?
This tour is aimed primarily at adults or mixed groups (adults and children).
Children are welcome in adult groups, but the tour is not specially designed for them.
To find out more about Fontenay-le-Comte for groups of children, see Groups for young visitors.
Is there free parking close to the start of the tour?
Yes, you can park on the Place de Verdun free of charge and for an unlimited time.
The tour starts directly from the Tourist Office, located on the same square.
Can I get to the start of the tour by bus? Is there authorised parking for buses?
Yes, the bus can drop you off directly in front of the Tourist Office, where the tour starts.
It can then park free of charge and with no time limit on the Place de Verdun, where the Tourist Office is also located.
Are there toilets close to the starting point?
Toilets are available at the Tourist Office, depending on opening hours.
Public toilets are also available just behind the Tourist Office, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Does the guide use a microphone?
The use of a microphone depends on the size of the group and the habits of each guide.
If you absolutely must have a microphone, please let us know at the time of booking so that we can plan ahead.