Published: 8th May 18 1st edition 256 pages Pays de Loire: The Vendée and
Surrounding Area: with Nantes and Pornic, plus La Rochelle and the Île de Ré
This new title from Bradt is the only English-language guide to focus on this
part of the Pays de Loire: The Vendée and surrounding area including Pornic, La
Rochelle, Île de Ré and Nantes, an increasingly popular part of France. Written
by award-winning travel writer Murray Stewart and Angela Bird, who for almost 50
years has owned a home in the region, it offers comprehensive coverage of this
beguiling area, with details on everything from family holidays to walks,
cycling, local cuisine and history. Thanks to the author's long history with the
area, the guide also reveals the quirks and themes which give the Vendée its own
distinct character, as well as straying just beyond the area's boundaries to
incorporate La Rochelle and Nantes, both entry points for those arriving by air
and both offering urban distractions for the occasional rainy day. The Vendée
offers all the benefits of a well-established destination, both with French and
British visitors, with easy access times from the UK by ferry adding to its
appeal. Popular with campers and self-caterers, its sunny climate and 140km of
sandy beaches, combined with tree-lined canals and open marshland, make for a
diverse outdoor playground. Bradt's The Vendée and surrounding area includes
information on suggested walks and cycleways, and also summarizes the best
places for bird-watching. The region has no true cities, or even large towns,
but the guide includes details of the many local museums which provide easily
accessible insight into the bloody history of an area which has, at times, been
central to the evolution of modern-day France.