No need to travel to the other side of the world for a change of scenery. During your holiday in Vendée, visit the Maulévrier Oriental Park, the biggest Japanese garden in Europe !
A Japanese garden in the French bocage
If you want to visit this outstanding natural spot, head for Maulévrier, near Cholet and not far from our holiday residence at the meeting point of Vendée, Anjou and Les Deux-Sèvres. Here in the beautiful park of a château dating from the 17th century, the famous Orientalist architect Alexandre Marcel created a surprising Japanese garden in the early 1900s. The Maulévrier Oriental Park now has the French Culture Ministry's "Remarkable Garden" label. It is the biggest Japanese garden in Europe, with some 400 different plant species and covering 29 hectares. In 1987, the Maulévrier Oriental Park was certified by three experts as the park most closely resembling the great Japanese parks from the Edo period (from the 17th to the 19th century). An incredible accolade!
Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun
30 km away from your holiday residence (30 minutes by car), the Maulévrier Japanese garden is a relaxing place to get away from it all. Here it's easy to lose all track of time. Featuring a pagoda and waterfalls, a red Japanese wooden bridge and Khmer statues, the Maulévrier park brings an immediate sensation of serenity and well-being. The park surprises visitors with its rich vegetation, combining cloud-pruned maple and cherry trees from Japan, Ginkgos biloba, azaleas, rhododendrons, magnolias and bamboo forests. The pond is the heart of the garden, built around two main islands: the stork island and the turtle island. Further on, you can see the greenhouse and the space dedicated to the art of growing bonsais. The perfect opportunity to bring back a couple of rare plants from Asia and a lantern to decorate your garden or balcony!
In spring and summer, there are guided tours in the company of the head gardener, a chance for you to explore the history and symbolism of the park, as well as the hidden work of the gardeners. And afterwards, you can head for the tea room and the terrace at the edge of the koi carp pond. A Zen atmosphere guaranteed! Don't miss : from May to September, see the garden at night during an evening visit inspired by Japanese traditional tales with paper lanterns and lamps to light your way. Pure magic!
Useful informations :
- Location : route de Mauléon, 49360 Maulévrier (30 km from our holiday residence Olydea les Epesses)
- Tel. : 02 41 55 50 14
- Open from mid-March to mid-November
- Website : www.parc-oriental.com
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