Origin of the forest
The first pine seedlings were planted under Louis XV, followed in 1837 by large-scale plantations on the dunes to protect the marshes.
The Olonne state forest stretches for 11 km between Brétignolles in the north and La Chaume in the south, with a number of open and signposted footpaths to help you discover its varied species (acacias, holm oaks, maritime pines) and its surface area of 1120 ha.
Over the last 160 years, the patient work of man has created a forest with a natural appearance that is pleasing to the eye and ecologically balanced, ensuring the survival of species and a varied landscape. The fixed dunes are reputed to be among the most remarkable in Europe. However, they are still very fragile, and any failure in the plant cover would mean a rapid return to square one.
At the place known as "Mireille", young, green pine trees have been planted in tight, parallel rows.
Further north, irregular old-growth forest: groves of holm oak, medlar, wild corm, blackthorn, hawthorn, tamarisk, willow, acacia, etc.
In the centre of the forest: large acacias, alders, ashes, poplars, beeches, birches, elder trees, maples, etc.
Firebreaks form unexpectedly wide, straight trenches.
You might spot roe deer, wild boar or squirrels; and among the birds: crows or magpies, wood pigeons, jays, blackbirds, passerines, etc. green or grey lizards, etc.
Watch out for vipers.
The Ski Hill
You may have noticed the name of a surprising locality in the Olonne forest: the ski hill. There was a time when people imagined skiing in the Olonne forest!
At the end of the 1930s, this sport was already being practised on the dunes in Arcachon and Bayonne, as a small group of people from Sables had studied the development of "needle skiing".
At a time when the resort of Les Sables was experiencing a new boom with the introduction of paid holidays, a few Sablais had an original idea to set themselves apart from rival seaside resorts: skiing on sand by sliding on pine needles. The idea was to develop a ski slope 150 m long and 20 m wide in the middle of the Olonne forest!
It is located near the Menhir de la Conche Verte, where the dune rises to 34m. It is still known as the "ski hill". This spot had the advantage of being accessible all year round for practice and seemed particularly suitable with the swimming accessible on foot and the shady comfort of the forest.
The "Ski-club-Sablais et amis de la Montagne" was founded in June 1939. At the time, an inaugural sports festival was scheduled for 27 August 1939, followed by a gala evening at the Grand Casino on the Remblai.
Unfortunately, the political situation in Europe at the end of August 1939 prevented the event from going ahead, and with France's entry into the war, the Ski-Club-Sablais piste project was shelved and never saw the light of day.
Take advantage of the signposted trails to discover the state-owned forest, on foot or by bike!
Born in Les Sables-d'Olonne, she developed a passion for history and heritage at an early age.
Passionate about architecture, she has set up a number of guided tours designed to showcase the local heritage, always seeking to link the built and the human.
