Rows of cheerful yellow sunflowers nodding gently in the breeze. Vast expanses of golden sandy beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, with wes rolling in from the Atlantic and crashing spectacularly on the shore. The stuff of picture-perfect postcard scenes, the Vendée department in Pays-de-la-Loire has something for everyone to enjoy. When it comes to sunshine, the Vendée is almost on a par with the south of France with up to 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, and with some 70 miles of sandy beaches there's no shortage of opportunities to soak it up.
CAPITAL: LA ROCHE-SUR-YONNE - Originally burnt down by the Republicans in the wars of the Vendée, La Roche-sur-Yonne was selected by Napoleon I in 1804 to replace Fontenay-le-Comte as the préfecture. Today the large and grand Place Napoleon serves as the centre of the town's grid-like structure.