Vendée Medieval Garden

One of the highlights of our visit to the Bazoges-en-Pareds donjon was sitting in the medieval garden which is adjacent to the donjon.

We were fortunate in that it was near the end of the tourist season, with only a few people around. The sun was shining and as we sat under a canopy of vines by a water fountain, the only sounds we could hear were those of the trickling water and the hum of bees as they busied themselves amonst the still flowering herbs and plants.

The glorious colours and smells of that place in that moment of time, along with the sense of tranquility that pervaded the garden, will stay with me for a long, long time. A truly beautiful place, well tended and much loved .... a place I can highly recommend.

In my next Vendée blog posts I intend to share with you more of the photographs taken.

Donjon and Medieval Garden in the Vendée

One of the things about the Vendée is its wonderful history. There are medieval castles, churches, priories and cathedrals at what seems like every turn. The architecture of some of these buildings is still remarkably intact and well worth a closer inspection.

We heard about a medieval castle in Bazoges-en-Pareds and when we arrived we were not disappointed. The magnificent donjon is still there, towering above the village. With the interior renovated it is open to the public during certain times of year and you can go inside. Climbing the old, medieval stone steps to the top is a thrill and the view once you get there is nothing short of breathtaking.

Down below we watched a gardener tending the herbs in the medieval garden and decided that would be our next port of call ... but that's a story for another day!

Here is a video clip of the donjon which I filmed.