First pick
Forêt du Parc Soubise
Wood or forest
715 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
6.4 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Gilles Guillamot · CC BY-SA 3.06.5%woodland
Outdoors in Les Herbiers · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Almost every home in Les Herbiers is within 800 m of a park or wood
No protected area reaches Les Herbiers; the nearest, Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park, is 37 km from the town center. Footpaths add up to 100 km across Les Herbiers (1.1 km per km²). 6.5% of Les Herbiers is mapped woodland. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park, 37 km
Woodland
6.5%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
100 km
1.1 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
48 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
10
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Forêt du Parc Soubise
Throughout this page, the Vendée median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
Against French towns
How Les Herbiers compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas0%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
22out of 100
Woodland6.5%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
28out of 100
Footpaths1.1 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
35out of 100
Hiking routes0.5 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
64out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Les Herbiers has the 8th fewest footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (15,925 to 17,064 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Vauréal (12.3 km per km²) to Gaillac (0.2 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauréal Val-d'Oise | 12.3 | 19% | 0% | 121 km |
| 2 | Noisiel Seine-et-Marne | 9.5 | 32% | 0.1% | 162 km |
| 3 | Saint-Leu-la-Forêt Val-d'Oise | 8.5 | 36% | 0.5% | 131 km |
| 4 | Marly-le-Roi Yvelines | 7.6 | 37% | 0% | 138 km |
| 5 | Bois-d'Arcy Yvelines | 7.4 | 38% | 0% | 140 km |
| 6 | Orsay Essonne | 7.3 | 27% | 0% | 157 km |
| 7 | Le Pecq Yvelines | 7.1 | 2.7% | 0% | 136 km |
| 8 | Les Clayes-sous-Bois Yvelines | 6.3 | 35% | 0% | 137 km |
| 9 | Le Pré-Saint-Gervais Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.8 | 0% | 0% | 149 km |
| 10 | Verneuil-sur-Seine Yvelines | 5.4 | 24% | 0% | 123 km |
| 11 | Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire Indre-et-Loire | 5 | 9.4% | 1.9% | 184 km |
| 12 | Lons-le-Saunier Jura | 4.9 | 8.8% | 1.8% | 356 km |
| 13 | Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire Loire-Atlantique | 4.7 | 12% | 11% | 45 km |
| 14 | Le Bourget Seine-Saint-Denis | 4.5 | 2.2% | 0% | 145 km |
| 15 | Domont Val-d'Oise | 4.5 | 28% | 0% | 133 km |
| 16 | Landerneau Finistère | 4.4 | 18% | 1.2% | On it |
| 17 | Trélazé Maine-et-Loire | 3.9 | 13% | 0% | 122 km |
| 18 | Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle Loiret | 3.5 | 4.9% | 3% | 203 km |
| 19 | Mennecy Essonne | 3.3 | 19% | 8.2% | 180 km |
| 20 | Ambérieu-en-Bugey Ain | 3.3 | 49% | 0% | 281 km |
| 21 | Saint-Julien-en-Genevois Haute-Savoie | 3.2 | 13% | 0% | 286 km |
| 22 | Firminy Loire | 3 | 25% | 0% | 204 km |
| 23 | Sin-le-Noble Nord | 2.7 | 12% | 0.1% | 90 km |
| 24 | Rumilly Haute-Savoie | 2.3 | 18% | 0.7% | 262 km |
| 25 | Coulommiers Seine-et-Marne | 2 | 16% | 0% | 183 km |
| 26 | Sedan Ardennes | 2 | 17% | 0% | 222 km |
| 27 | Saint-Amand-les-Eaux Nord | 1.9 | 43% | 100% | 93 km |
| 28 | Montceau-les-Mines Saône-et-Loire | 1.8 | 6.6% | 0% | 347 km |
| 29 | La Baule-Escoublac Loire-Atlantique | 1.7 | 9.6% | 37% | 0.8 km |
| 30 | Valserhône Ain | 1.7 | 59% | 19% | 292 km |
| 31 | Guérande Loire-Atlantique | 1.5 | 7.1% | 76% | On it |
| 32 | Verdun Meuse | 1.4 | 21% | 3.6% | 290 km |
| 33 | Montbrison Loire | 1.3 | 5.7% | 4.8% | 227 km |
| 34 | Les Herbiers Vendée | 1.1 | 6.5% | 0% | 62 km |
| 35 | Cestas Gironde | 1 | 58% | 0% | 28 km |
| 36 | Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne Mayenne | 0.9 | 3.1% | 0% | 102 km |
| 37 | Châteaurenard Bouches-du-Rhône | 0.8 | 2.1% | 8.3% | 47 km |
| 38 | Mauguio Hérault | 0.8 | 1.4% | 49% | On it |
| 39 | Pamiers Ariège | 0.6 | 16% | 1.1% | 118 km |
| 40 | Loire-Authion Maine-et-Loire | 0.4 | 10% | 100% | 130 km |
| 41 | Gaillac Tarn | 0.2 | 4.9% | 0% | 132 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Les Herbiers
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt du Parc Soubise leads, at 715 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Parc municipal du Landreau
Park or garden
36 ha6.7 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.7 km of path
1.3 km north-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Forêt de la Maha
Wood or forest
113 ha7 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 7 km of path
3.8 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Les Bois Verts
Wood or forest
96 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
4.1 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois d'Ardelay
Wood or forest
92 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
3.4 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Domaine du Boistissandeau
Park or garden
17 ha0.3 km of path
4.2 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de la Gatière
Wood or forest · 90 m outside the commune
23 ha
6.9 km north-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Jardin de Coria
Park or garden
3.3 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Les Herbiers
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt du Parc SoubiseWood or forest · 715 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsParc municipal du LandreauPark or garden · 36 ha · 6.7 km of path
DirectionsForêt de la MahaWood or forest · 113 ha · 7 km of path
DirectionsLes Bois VertsWood or forest · 96 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsBois d'ArdelayWood or forest · 92 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsDomaine du BoistissandeauPark or garden · 17 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBois de la GatièreWood or forest · 23 ha · just outside
DirectionsJardin de CoriaPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsParc du Grand fiefPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBois de DardWood or forest · 5.1 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park is the nearest protected area, 37 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Regional nature park
Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park
37 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
100 km of footpaths and 48 km of hiking routes cross Les Herbiers
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
100 km
1.1 km per km²
Hiking routes
48 km
waymarked: 0.5 km per km²
Woodland
6.5%
about 5.7 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
Les HerbiersVendée medianFrance median
Footpaths1.1
Hiking routes0.5
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Les HerbiersVendée medianFrance median
Woodland6.5%
0%50%100%
That is less than in 65% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland less than in 72% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. 98% of Les Herbiers’ residents live within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, close to the typical town.
3 named hiking routes within 2 km
Other named walk
Boucle des Collines51 km
Boucle du Bocage29 km
Circuit pedestre de Chambretaud5.8 km
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Les Herbiers: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Cholet, 26 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 83 | 62 | 58 | 57 | 64 | 40 | 49 | 46 | 62 | 80 | 85 | 86 |
June is the driest month (40 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 25 °C). 86 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Les Herbiers →
Neighbors
Next to Les Herbiers
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
La GaubretièreLes EpessesMouchampsChanverrieLe BoupèreSaint-FulgentLes Herbiers
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les Herbiers | 0% | 6.5% | 1.1 |
| La Gaubretière 3,225 · 8.9 km | 0% | 2.3% | 0.3 |
| Les Epesses 2,983 · 9 km | 0% | 6.6% | 1.7 |
| Mouchamps 3,015 · 9.7 km | 0% | 12% | 0.3 |
| Chanverrie 5,653 · 9.7 km | 0% | 5.5% | 0.7 |
| Le Boupère 3,151 · 11 km | 0% | 5.6% | 0.2 |
| Saint-Fulgent 3,994 · 12 km | 0% | 5.8% | 0.5 |
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Les Herbiers
Is Les Herbiers in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Marais Poitevin Regional Nature Park, 37 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Les Herbiers?
OpenStreetMap maps 100 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 1.1 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 48 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Les Herbiers is woodland?
6.5% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Les Herbiers near the sea?
No: the coast is 62 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Les Herbiers?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 8, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.