Top 10 Things to do in La Roche-sur-Yon

Top 10 Things to do in La Roche-sur-Yon

La Roche-sur-Yon is a region in western France. The story of La Roche-sur-Yon began on May 24, 1804. When an Imperial decree issued by Napoleon transferring regional power to a whole new town. The result is a town organized around a stunning central Plaza, Place Napoléon built in just a few decades.

Let’s explore the top 10 things to do in La Roche-sur-Yon:

1.Take in the Place Napoléon

Place Napoléon is a gigantic plaza located in La Roche-sur-Yon , in Vendée , named after Napoleon I , founder of the city in 1804. Exactly the place to begin your visit to La Roche-sur-Yon, it is one of the largest public boulevards in France.

Adorned with avenues and water gardens around an equestrian statue of the emperor, it is the central point of the city. The boulevard is also the main place of life in Yonnais, evidenced by the passage of all transport lines of the Impulsyon network.

2. Have fun with the mechanical animals at Les Animaux de la Place

Animaux_de_la_place_Napoléon,_La_Roche-sur-Yon,_hippopotame by William Chevillon – Own work Wikimedia Commons

La Roche-sur-Yon has found a brilliant use for the water gardens on Place Napoleon. The ponds are stimulated machines designed by François Delarozière.

An owl, a heron, flamingos, an otter and frogs all controlled by a set of buttons and levers. The engineering behind each animal is dumbfounding as you witness the pistons going up and down. The levers help in the animal’s bodily functions like spreading of the wings, opening of the eyes, lifting of the legs, etc.

Control the levers to see the otter stand on its hind legs or the crocodile reveal its sharp teeth. Explanatory plates will indicate the movements that the animal can carry out: Each animal is set in a pond filled with koi and Lily pads and they really are quite pretty.

3. Go to Choco Town in Musée du Chocolat Gelencser

Musée du chocolat Gelencser, situé à la Roche sur Yon. by Chocolat56 – Own work Wikimedia Commons

The Maison Gelencser has been a museum presenting the world of chocolate and the history of this local brand since 1956. It opened in 2014.

A marvelous museum on the history and evolution of chocolate covering an area of over 300m² The Chocolate Museum is an expedition littered by various tastings and entertainment for chocolate enthusiasts.

A well of information about the discovery of cacao, it’s sweep into Europe and worldwide and its current consumption patterns.

4. Say a Prayer at Église Saint-Louis

eglise_saint-louis_des_chartrons_bordeaux byGzen92 – Own work Wikimedia Commons

The flamboyant monument on Place Napoléon is the Église Saint-Louis a historic Roman Catholic, church designed by Jean-Louis Sourdeau in the Bauhaus architectural style, with supplementary sculptures designed by Carlo Sarrabezoles.

The portico fronting the square possesses six smooth, Tuscan-style columns, while the colossal columns supporting the cavernous interior are Corinthian.

During the course of the 1800s the building dealt with financial difficulties, and trompe l’oeil murals in place of real ornaments were one of the ways it overcame its hardships.

These images embellish the ceilings and walls in the nave, choir and aisles, embodying medallions and even architectural details like stone carvings and balustrades. Truly breathtaking it’s a lovely way to spend an hour.

5. Horseback Riding at Haras de la Vendée

Façade_Nord_Haras_de_la_Vendée
HVdep – Own work Wikimedia Commons

This place is ultimately a stud farm that would make any equestrian fan happy.

It is an esteemed facility, sitting on 4.5 hectares of foliage, which happens to tell you all kinds of things about the region’s culture, the history of the town’s horse regiment, find out about Vendée’s traditional horse breeds, witness the traditional proficiency of saddlers and farriers, and make comrades with the horses themselves.

Haras de la Vendée is also a functioning training center for horse riding and racing and puts on extraordinary presentations on Thursday evenings in spring and summer. This is where to go if you’d like a horse-drawn tour of the town.

6. Take a Selfie in Musée Municipal

Musée_de_La_Roche-sur-Yon by Musée85000 – Own work Wikimedia commons

For your daily dose of culture, the town’s museum deals mainly with photography and art from 1600-1900. It has compiled a first-rate photography exhibition through donations and purchases by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Thomas Ruff to name a few.

They have close to 500 small-format photographic plates from the 20s and 30s. With 3,000 pieces, from the 1800s including watercolors by the legendary Eugène Boudin the graphic art galleries here are most impressive. Not to forget sculpture, there’s a sculpture by Auguste Rodin, and a depiction of Napoleon by Antoine-Denis Chaudet just so you know what they have.

7. Experience the Maison Renaissance

Maison_Renaissance by Ludo33 –  Wikimedia Commons

As the name suggests, this house is the finest example of Renaissance Langoise civil architecture built between 1540 and 1550. It consists of two buildings, the first on the street, the second on the garden, connected by a side corridor.

The house has a magnificent spiral stairway built from granite, and marvelous stone fireplaces in its rooms. Innumerable elements of the house are listed as historic monuments by decree of October 9, 1979.

It also happens to be the place to catch up on the transformations that happened in the town after 1804, defining this exploit of urban planning.

8. Be One with Nature at Centre Beautour

September 2016 Filed under centre beautourGeorges DurandLa Roche-sur-YonéquipementGuinée et Potin (2,019 views)

On the elegant country estate of the Vendée naturalist Georges Durand is a center that lets you uncover the biodiversity around La Roche-sur-Yon.

The birds, insects and herbs accessible here will tell you all about what naturalism was both in the 20th century and present day.

Invented as a place of meetings and exchanges, the Center Beautour offers exhibitions, events and conferences and summonses you to see the sights of the 8 hectares of the estate: warren of willows, enclosure of insects, educational pools. It is the epitome of settings for understanding the functioning and the challenges of preserving the environment. 

9. Watch a Show at Puy du Fou

Image sourced from their website

Unlike other parks that have roller coasters, this park has historical shows, with production values and choreography to make your head spin.

There are six main shows, which are updated every few years, as well as a program of smaller but no less exciting marvels.

The Cinéscénie is the park’s very first show and still the main event in summer, and is set on the largest stage in the world possessing a cast of more than a thousand actors depicting the history of the region.

10.Beach life on Sables d’Olonne

Sables-d’Olonne : La plage à marée haute. Carte postale du début des années 1930. Éditions R. Pétis, la Roche sur Yon. Wikimedia Commons

Founded in 1218 from Havre d’Olonne by Savary I de Mauléon, the Lord of Mauléon, Sénéchal of Poitou and prince of Talmont. Les Sables-d’Olonne translates to “the sands of Olonne”.  As the name suggests, its history is tied to the ocean for which it has served as a port and point of maritime commerce.

The resort took shape in the 1800s with the arrival of the railway, and amalgams modern apartment towers with compelling 19th-century mansions and amenities like a casino.

Along with the titanic sandy beach there are tons of family activities and attractions, including a zoo, various museums and a sophisticated solar-powered water taxi that runs between the resort and the Chaume neighborhood on the opposite side of the harbor.

It’s all an interesting tale, told by La Roche-sur-Yon’s dominating Neoclassical buildings. As you stroll through its streets, you will find its culture and historical abundance with a touch of scenery is simply excuisite.so there’s no lack of inspiration for days out for things to do but a top ten list is a good place to start and enjoy La Roche-sur-Yon in all her glory.