What do you visit in the Keep of Secrets?

A former medieval keep dating from 1380, it was once a fortress and seigneurial residence. Today, you can explore all the furnished floors, right up to the 30-metre-high parapet walk. The visit continues in the medieval-inspired garden (3,000 m²) and in the museum of popular arts and traditions.

What is a medieval garden?

Created in the 1990s, this 3,000 m² garden recreates the plant world of the Middle Ages: medicinal plants, herbs, vegetables and flowers. A place where science, nature and ancient knowledge meet.

How long will the tour take?

Self-guided tour: approx. 1h to 1h30 Guided tour: approx. 45 minutes Flash visit in costume: approx. 20 minutes

Yes, you can explore the site on your own. There are kakemonos in each room and a visitor’s booklet for the garden. Booklets are available in French, English and Dutch. Large-print booklets in French are also available.

Why choose a guided tour?

Find out more about the history of the site, daily life, the use of plants in the Middle Ages… Visits are offered according to calendar.

Is the site suitable for children?

Yes. Mobile application, games handed out at reception, geocaching, workshops with the fairy Morgane… Young explorers also have their own quest.

Animals are not allowed inside the dungeon (except assistance dogs). Dogs on leads are allowed in the outdoor areas, particularly the medieval garden.

Donjon des Secrets – Bazoges-en-Pareds | Pays de Fontenay-Vendée Tourist Office

A place where history meets the imaginary

The Donjon des Secrets in Bazoges-en-Pareds invites you to experience much more than just a visit. Climb the 83 steps of the master tower, reach the 30-metre-high parapet walk, explore the medieval garden… and let magic, alchemy and ancient knowledge reveal what the stones have been whispering for centuries. Each room here hides a secret. It’s up to you to explore.

About your adventure…

Rendezvous at the Donjon des Secrets in Bazoges-en-Pareds

Admission to the keep, the inspiration garden and the museum.

Open from 04 April to 31 October 2026

See details of opening days and times (ticket office closes 1 hour before closing time).

Accessible to all

All minors must be accompanied

No reservation required

Individuals do not need to book in advance to visit the dungeon, garden and museum.
Booking is compulsory for events, workshops, etc., as well as for group visits to the Donjon!

Free public car park 50 metres from the foot of the dungeon

Partially accessible to people with reduced mobility

Because of its medieval structure and its spiral staircase (83 irregular steps), the keep can be difficult for people with reduced mobility (inaccessible to wheelchair users).
The medieval garden, on the other hand, is accessible to all!

3 heroic reasons to take the plunge!

Discover an authentic medieval castle

Put yourself in the shoes of a lord of the Great Hall in the page dormitories.

Gain height… and change your perspective

Admire the panoramic view of the bocage from the keep’s sentry walk, perched 30 metres high!

Become an alchemist’s apprentice

In the medieval-inspired garden and Morgana’s workshops, you can work with symbols, plants and talismans. History becomes experience.

Your adventure in detail

The climb: 83 steps to secrets

It all begins in the courtyard. The massive silhouette of the keep rises up in front of you. 83 steps await you.

At each level, the Middle Ages take centre stage: the armoury, the Great Hall, the lordly flats and the dormitory. The wood, stone and volumes tell the story of daily life in a 14thᵉ century fortress.

But in 2026, something has changed. The themed guided tours breathe a new atmosphere. Ancient knowledge, mysteries and forgotten tales of the land are evoked. The walls are no longer just historical witnesses. They become guardians of secrets.

30 metres above the world

At the top, the walkway awaits you.

At a height of over 30 metres, the view opens out over the village and the surrounding countryside. This is where the strategic power of the site becomes clear. To observe. Anticipating. Defend.

The medieval-inspired garden: between science and magic

On the way back down, head for the medieval-inspired garden.

Its ordered squares, its medicinal, vegetable and symbolic plants, its sundial… Everything here evokes ancient knowledge. Historically documented, it remains faithful to the codes of medieval gardens.

But in the world of the Keep of Secrets, these plants take on a whole new dimension. The 2026 season focuses on magic and alchemy. And the garden naturally becomes the setting for these explorations.

Morgana the fairy

Big news: Morgana the fairy is making her appearance in the Dungeon of Secrets!

She’s offering workshops for young and old alike:

All these activities invite you to experience the thrill of living. The Keep of Secrets becomes a place of learning, curiosity and creativity.

Your guide, your ally

Without her, the magic won’t happen!

La Fée Morgane - Hostess at the Donjon des Secrets

Expert in plants and alchemy

Guardian of ancient knowledge, the fairy Morgane reveals the secrets of plants and alchemy. In the garden and in the heart of the dungeon, she guides apprentice magicians and transforms every visit into an enchanted experience.

Your mission starts here

Meet at 12 cour du Château 85390 Bazoges-en-Pareds. Free public car park 50 metres from the foot of the Keep.

Calculate my route

Good advice from the Tourist Office!

Take a guided tour (according to schedule)

To discover the true secrets of the keep, opt for a guided tour. Learn about the history of the site, daily life and the use of plants in the Middle Ages… You’ll see the monument in a whole new light.

Meet the fairy Morgane

Take part in one of her workshops for an even more magical experience. Potions, talismans and ancient knowledge: here, you don’t just watch magic, you practise it.

Extend your quest in the village

After the keep, explore Bazoges-en-Pareds and go back even further in time to the Neolithic site of Ciste des Cous. From the Middle Ages to prehistory, your adventure is just beginning.

Prepare your mission!

What do you visit in the Keep of Secrets?
A former medieval keep dating from 1380, it was once a fortress and seigneurial residence.
Today, you can explore all the furnished floors, right up to the 30-metre-high parapet walk. The visit continues in the medieval-inspired garden (3,000 m²) and in the museum of popular arts and traditions.
What is a medieval garden?
Created in the 1990s, this 3,000 m² garden recreates the plant world of the Middle Ages: medicinal plants, herbs, vegetables and flowers.
A place where science, nature and ancient knowledge meet.
How long will the tour take?
- Self-guided tour: approx. 1h to 1h30
- Guided tour: approx. 45 minutes
- Flash visit in costume: approx. 20 minutes
Can we visit freely?
Yes, you can explore the site on your own.
There are kakemonos in each room and a visitor’s booklet for the garden.
Booklets are available in French, English and Dutch.
Large-print booklets in French are also available.
Why choose a guided tour?
Find out more about the history of the site, daily life, the use of plants in the Middle Ages…
Visits are offered according to calendar.
Is the site suitable for children?
Yes.
Mobile application, games handed out at reception, geocaching, workshops with the fairy Morgane… Young explorers also have their own quest.
Are pets allowed?
Animals are not allowed inside the dungeon (except assistance dogs).
Dogs on leads are allowed in the outdoor areas, particularly the medieval garden.