La Pierre Tournisse

Follow in the footsteps of the Pierre Tournisse, a rock with many legends between Nantes, Cholet and Tiffauges.

Just a stone's throw from Clisson and the Vendée, at the top of a mound twenty metres above the Bon Débit stream, stands a mineral colossus as fascinating as it is mysterious: the Pierre Tournisse.
This impressive granite chaos, reminiscent of a "whale's back", has extraordinary dimensions. At 5 metres high and 30 metres in circumference, it is estimated to weigh between 350 and 390 tonnes... and yet it rests on a base measuring just 0.40 m². A breathtaking balance, reinforced by its unique shape.

But it's not just its stature that intrigues. For centuries, the legends surrounding the Tournisse Stone have fed the collective imagination. It is said that on Christmas Eve, when midnight strikes in the Torfou bell tower, if the sky is moonless and no prying eyes are watching, the stone spins around three times before bathing in the stream. Obviously, the conditions are so specific that no witness has been able to confirm this prodigy...

Another, more tender, story claims that the stone contains all the children to be born in Torfou during the year, and that it descends to the stream every day to water them. Myth or reality? The village mums are divided.

While popular legends are rich, historians also see it as a ritual site, probably the scene of druidic ceremonies. Archaeological finds such as flint axes and fragments of dolmens attest to a very ancient occupation of the site.

Today, La Pierre Tournisse is much more than a natural monument: it's a living place. With its picnic area, fishing pond, hiking trails and open-air theatre, it's a great place to relax. Every two years in July, it becomes the grand backdrop for the open-air show "Torfou la bataille".

Take the time to come and discover this unusual jewel... and don't forget to respect its natural setting: the stone could be watching you!