Our Experience

Fifteen minutes or so from where we are staying is this awesome chateau ruin. Called Château de l'Ebaupinay, it's not one of the famous ones. In fact, right now, you can't even tour it as it's under a massive restoration effort. But when we passed it on the road, we had to follow the sign and grab some pictures. Luckily enough, the man who currently owns the property was kind enough to let us take some pictures (but only from outside the property fence). Judging from the condition, I can only guess it's not currently safe enough to explore, but, oh, I would so love to. 

The Story

Château de l'Ebaupinay was originally a medieval mansion in the 14th and 15th centuries that was later made a stronghold in 1458 by King Charles VII. It originally had both a moat and a courtyard, although it is difficult to see those features now as it remains fenced off. The chateau was inhabited until the beginning of the French Revolution and later burnt out during the Vendee Civil War (1793-1796). 

These ruins are all that currently remain, although there is an effort by both the current owners and local communities to restore this piece of history. I'll return if they do. It truly was fantastic.

We didn't spend more than ten minutes taking pictures from a distance, and I can't tell you how much I wish I could have walked around inside and explore what remains of what must have been a beautiful building at one time. Plus, exploring ruins is just cool. I also would've loved to know more about it's past and more of the stories that must have taken place inside those walls, but it was still very much worth stopping by on our way to explore other sites. 

At the start of your bookish travel planning? Read my full guide here. 

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