What are the must-see attractions in the Thouarsais?
Between historical heritage, exceptional natural sites and must-see events, don't miss anything the Thouarsais has to offer!
Throughout the year, we invite you to explore our treasures through a wide range of activities and discoveries.
What are the upcoming events?
Discover and take part in festive, cultural and sporting events organised in the Thouarsais, according to your preferences and interests.
My favourites in the Thouarsais
Discover the towns of the area
Coulonges Thouarsais
The name Coulonges, Colungia, first appeared around 1080. It comes from the Latin colonia, meaning a rural property or a settler's tenure. Notre-Dame church is one of the last churches built under the Concordat of 1801, and before the 1905 law separating Church and State. By the end of the 19th century, the old Romanesque church was in a poor state of repair, and the steeple collapsed on 19 December 1885. Reconstruction was planned and the foundation stone laid on Sunday 14 June 1891. The church was built of granite on the outside and Poitiers stone on the inside.
Plaine-et-Vallées
A château, like a graceful ship stranded in the middle of vast cereal plains. Beside it stands its collegiate church—impressive and towering. In the background, the Parc forest, a wide wooded area crowning the sun-kissed slopes of the surrounding hills—perfectly suited for a creative and thriving vineyard.
Who once ruled over these enchanting lands? The Gouffier family—powerful lords, some of whom were contemporaries of King Francis I. For more than two centuries, they developed and brought prosperity to the estate. Later, Madame de Montespan left her mark on the village by founding a hospice, which has since become a large retirement home.
Proud of its prestigious past, this Petite Cité de Caractère is now writing its future—facing today’s challenges alongside many other small rural towns.
Brion-Près-Thouet
Brion-Près-Thouet is a commune in the northern Thouarsais region. Bordered on one side by the River Thouet and on the other by La Losse, it lies within the Saumur vineyards and the Thouars plain. Brion appears in documents dating from around 1120, but a decree dated 23 July 1919 authorised the commune to take the name Brion-près-Thouet. It was combined with Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay in 1972 and became independent again on 15 February 1983. The church of Saint-Germain, which is a little out of the centre of the village, still has its medieval apse. Shaken by a storm in 1876, the bell tower was rebuilt a few years later. Situated between Thouars and Montreuil-Bellay, the village is still served by the Saumur/Les Sables d'Olonnes railway line.
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