SAINT-PÈRE-EN-RETZ

Situated equidistant (10 km) between the Loire and the Atlantic Ocean, Saint-Père-en-Retz offers you the peace and charm of the countryside. Saint-Père-en-Retz combines a number of assets: 6,300 hectares of open space and a dynamic economy, with strong economic potential thanks to its industrial, craft, commercial and agricultural businesses. Its associations organise a wide range of events: a garage sale and funfair at Easter, the gourmet walk in May, the music festival in June, the municipal picnic in July, the summer festival and its art and gastronomy market in July and August, the bread festival and horse races in August, the Heritage Days in September, the friendship soup in December, etc. Its green heritage: hiking, cycling and horse-riding trails (two circuits of 17 and 19 km), its marshes, its lake with its collection of trees, its fitness trail, its picnic areas, it is open to fishing… Take a stroll through the village and you’ll discover a number of menhirs in hamlets such as la Riverais, du Port, de Landreau, des Noues and de la Pargère. Its historical heritage: don’t hesitate to come and discover its renovated wash-house with its museum, and its conservatory of old trades, unique in the Pays de Retz, the butte Sainte-Opportune (description below), its renovated fountains, its bourgeois houses and private châteaux, The church of Saint-Père-en-Retz dates from the 19th century, is Romanesque in style and has the unusual feature of not having a bell tower. A warm welcome: its campsites, self-catering cottages, hotel and guest rooms are a delight for holidaymakers. In ancient times, Saint-Père-en-Retz was an important road junction and had a port. The village was an important Gallo-Roman “vicus” (ancient Roman settlement). In the past, there were two parishes in the commune of Sain-Père-en-Retz (Sainte-Opportune and Saint-Père). In the 8th century, the parish of Sainte-Opportune was attached to that of Saint-Père-en-Retz and during the Revolution, one of the two was abolished: Sainte Opportune. The mound of Sainte-Opportune is located in the rue du Prieuré. It is the site of the former church of Sainte-Opportune and its cemetery. It was rebuilt and then destroyed in the early 19th century. Further information at: https://www.saintpereenretz.fr/vivre/decouvrir/histoire.html Saint-Père-en-Retz, a great place to live!