Mont des Alouettes et ses moulins

Les Herbiers

The emblematic high point of the upper bocage at 232 metres, the Mont des Alouettes carried eight windmills as early as the 16th century. During the War of the Vendée, in 1793, the millers turned them into veritable telegraphs: depending on the position given to the sails, four messages were passed to the insurgents — danger approaching, danger past, rally (sails in a cross) or rest. The Republican columns destroyed most of the mills in October 1793, in reprisal for this role in the uprising. Two mills survive today, one of them in working order, which still grinds and can be visited in summer. In 1823, the Duchess of Angoulême, visiting the hill, asked for a chapel to be built commemorating the Vendée epic; interrupted by the political upheavals of the 19th century, work on this neo-Gothic chapel was only finished very late: it was inaugurated on 28 April 1968 and given contemporary stained glass. A great place of remembrance of the Wars of the Vendée, the summit, freely accessible, offers one of the widest views in the département over the bocage; nature walks, hiking trails and guided tours of the mill bring the site to life in the summer months.

Getting there : Summit reached by road at Les Herbiers, Parking des Moulins at the top; site freely accessible all year round, guided tours of the working mill in summer (adults €5, children €3), walking trails and treasure trail.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound