The Poitou-Charentes & The Vendee
The Poitou-Charentes region is situated on the
Western coast of France between Nantes and Bordeaux. It is made up of the Deux-Sèvres, Charente Maritime,
Charente and Vienne departments.
Climate
Our region is blessed with an exceptional number of
sunshine hours per year (>2250). It is the sunniest region in
Western France. Winter is mild and the mimosas flower as early as January;
Spring comes early (and is beautiful) and,
whilst Summer naturally sees most tourist activity, Autumn is still warm enough
for the calmer main holiday.
The Coast
The coast of the Poitou
Charentes is one of the most popular with French holidaymakers, known
for its long stretches of fine sand and good
weather. The famous coastal town of La Rochelle is located in the
Charente Maritime department. The old harbour and three medieval towers
symbolise the port's rich history; there are lively quayside
markets, trendy bars and excellent restaurants a-plenty Take a
guided tour in a horse-drawn carriage, a boat trip to
Fort Boyard or visit the fascinating
aquarium The idyllic beaches of the
Ile de Re (some 30km worth) are also within easy reach and the island
is well worth a day's visit in its own right.
The Countryside
The area is perfect for walking, riding and
cycling The countryside is made up of rolling
hills divided up into a patchwork quilt of sunflower
and corn fields interspersed with fields containing cows and goats.
The marais poitevin (or Green
Venice) is a fascinating maze of rivers, dykes and tree-shaded canals which
thread between meadows and fields. They cover an area of 230,000 acres from
Niort and Fontenay-Le-Compte to the Atlantic ocean. The best way to
explore is by boat, either with or without a guide. Visit, also, the
Poitou donkey park at
Dampierre-sur-Boutonne and marvel at this special breed of
dreadlocked donkey!
Theme Parks
Futuroscope, in Poitiers, is a
collection of simulated visual spectacles,
ranging from a white knuckle ride to journeys of dicovery in 3D to a magic
carpet to a ride in a Formula 1 car. Puy du Fou is
a huge medieval theme park with fascinating
displays during both the day and the night. Marvel at the beautiful birds of
prey, gasp at the stunt riders and take a step back in time in the vast roman
stadium.
History
The region's history could have been lifted from an adventure
story book: visit medieval fortresses, roman churches, Renaissance
chateaus, protestant temples, grand abbeys, ramparts, fortifications and
dungeons. Accross the region stand some 600 beautiful examples of the
Romanesque sanctuary, a heritage which began around the 10th century with
techniques born of the Christian Roman Empire.
Food & Drink
The food of the region is simple and rustic, the food of peasants, but created
from the wonderful local vegeatbles, fruits, dairy produce and fish.
Seafood has pride of place with mussels in white wine and oysters
wrapped in bacon and grilled with garlic butter as two of the more famous
examples. Eels flourish in the marshes of the Poitou and are eaten grilled on
coals or stewed with onions, muhrooms, butter and white wine. Other favourites
from the marshes are fricassed frogs legs or garlic-stuffed snails. The
markets of the region are colourful and extremely interesting, there
is no better place to buy your provisions; lamb, beef or seafood, melons from
Haut-Poitou or vegetables from the coast. There are 50 or so goat's cheeses or
how about a torteau fromager, a delicate cake made from goat's cheese with a
crispy blackened top. Those with a sweet tooth can buy some candied angelica in
Niort or taste a multitude of flavoured honeys in
Coulonges market.