Travel Guide Challans

The origins of Challans go back to prehistoric times as evidenced by certain megaliths such as the menhir of La Vérie or the menhir of La Pierre Levée and the hiding place of a Bronze Age founder on the road to Saint-Jean-de-Monts. Although Challans was never an island in the true sense of the word, it was once located on the gulf of the island of Monts. During the Middle Ages, the city was under the control of the barony of Commequiers. It was during this period that the village began to develop by hosting its first fairs. After the dismantling of the castle of Commequiers in the 17th century, Challans became the administrative center of the region. The Revolution made it the capital of the district. In the 19th century, the city's economy took off thanks to the development of traffic routes and the Nantes-Saint-Gilles railroad. The prosperity of the city is then shown by its new church, grandiose, in 1897 and the town hall in 1913. This church is an unusual curiosity since it presents a separation of the church and the bell tower. In fact, in the Middle Ages, a church was built on the current Place des Marronniers and a brand new bell tower was built between 1862 and 1865. In 1893, it was decided to build a new church opposite the old one. It was completed in 1897, but because of lack of funds, the new bell tower of the old church was kept. Challans is famous for its poultry farming: the famous duck of Challans was served at the Tour d'Argent. But in Challans not only duck is king, the black chicken of Challans is also famous!