POITOU CHARENTES REGIONAL GUIDE

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Poitou Charentes is a joy to visit in any season with over 2,250 hours of sunshine every year.

Discover a coastline rich with powder fine beaches backed by fragrant pine forests and lively resorts.

For peace, escape to the islands of Oleron and Aix or visit Isle de Re if you prefer jet-setting.

Absorb Poitou Charentes’ inland tranquillity with a cruise through Cognac Country or take to the miles of cycle trails including France’s ‘Green Venice’.

For excitement, head to Futuroscope theme park near Poitiers.

POITOU CHARENTES PLACES OF INTEREST

Ile de Re

Exclusive and beautiful, Ile de Re is accessible via a 3km toll bridge from La Rochelle and makes a great venue for a day trip. Discover this epitome of traditional, laid-back France, with pretty villages of green shuttered white cottages, yacht-filled harbours and long beaches of fine sand. Watch flat-bottomed oyster boats set out from St Martin’s harbour. Rent bikes and enjoy 90km of cycle paths winding their way through pine forests, vineyards, nature reserves and salt marshes. Ile de Re’s great climate and fresh clean air make it ideal for outdoor activities and watersports; horse riding, walking and bird-watching are all popular here too.

Futuroscope

Hi-tech theme park north of Poitiers devoted to cinema and the moving image that attracts millions of visitors annually. Get involved in the action, dance with robots or let giant screen images play havoc with your senses on a turbulent journey down the Nile. Fun and mind-boggling excitement for all the family.

La Rochelle

One of the best natural harbours along the Atlantic coast, La Rochelle has long been a favourite holiday base and is a major sailing centre. The port is host to the largest floating annual boat show in Europe - the ‘Grande Pavois’. Take a stroll around La Rochelle’s ancient walled town ending at the old port still guarded by 3 medieval towers. The marina has moorings for 3,500 yachts alongside traditional fishing boats, and the waterfront is vibrant with seafood restaurants, serving everything from oysters and clams to turbot and sea bass. Do as the locals and take a glass of Pineau des Charentes as an aperitif. Children will love La Rochelle’s hi-tech Aquarium with over 10,000 marine animals and the town’s museums of automated puppets and models. Adults can enjoy picturesque shopping in the pedestrianised old town.

Angouleme

Situated on a hilltop with a superb view of the valley between the Charente and Anguienne rivers, Angouleme is surrounded by 3km of medieval ramparts. Visit the Romanesque St-Pierre Cathedral with its inspiring twelfth century façade. Once famous for papermaking, Angouleme now has a centre - Centre National de la Bande Dessinee - showing the development of French print and film cartoons. The town holds an annual international comic strip festival - 24 - 27 January in 2008 - attracting visitors from all over the world. Look for the great Sunday market in place Victor-Hugo.

Royan

Royan was ‘the’ stylish resort in the nineteenth century and is credited with launching the fashion for sunbathing on its 5 sheltered sandy beaches. Safe bathing has made Royan attractive to families and its excellent restaurants, large marina and 2 casinos ensure there is plenty too for just adults to enjoy. Take a cruise between April and September to France’s oldest functioning lighthouse, the Cordouan lighthouse at the mouth of the Gironde River which was built in 1584. Make an excursion to the ‘Zoo de la Palmyre’ at Les Mathes, the second largest zoo in France, to see exotic animals such as snow leopards and red pandas. Open all year, with free parking, wheelchair accessibility and sealion and parrot shows from April to the end of October.

St-Savin-sur-Gartempe

The main reason to visit St Savin-sur-Gartempe is for its Abbey-church built in the eleventh century which contains the finest set of Romanesque murals in France, if not the western world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walls are covered with life-sized paintings depicting biblical scenes.

POITOU CHARENTES GEOGRAPHY AND NATURAL BEAUTY

Green Venice

Now a French regional park, this 900 square miles of shady meadows and waterways, built originally by eleventh century monks around the Sevres Niortaise, is known officially as the Marais Poitevin, but referred to locally as ‘La Venise Vert’ – Green Venice - because of its system of canals, dykes and slow flowing rivers amongst green pastures and poplar trees.

Traditionally, farmers would travel between fields in flat bottomed punts, sometimes carrying livestock.

Holidaymakers can explore this natural paradise by punt. Take a guide to point out wildlife from eels to egrets. Cycle via miles of well marked trails, stopping at pretty marsh villages such as Arcais or Le Vanneau, which hosts a traditional floating market in summer. Find information on the customs and traditions of marsh life at the visitor centre in Coulon.

POITOU CHARENTES CUISINE

Oysters Seafood is an import part of the cuisine of Poitou Charentes as a look at the quayside restaurants of La Rochelle with their menus of sea bass and turbot and Oleron oysters will confirm. Try a local favourite, ‘moules au Pineau’ - mussels cooked with tomatoes, Pineau, garlic and parsley.

Perhaps not so much to a visitor’s taste are ‘les petits gris’, the famous snails so popular with the Charentais.

From the Marais come melons, Parthenay beef, eels, white mojhettes beans and red onions from Niort along with small creamy Chabichou goats cheese and desserts flavoured with angelica. Poitou is known for its leeks and yellow onions, goose and Poitou-Charentes lamb. Even Poitou Charentes butter is classified to an AOC standard. ‘Broye du Poitou’ is an interesting dessert (literally crushed of Poitou) as it is broken instead of cut to be served.

Whatever your menu, a glass of Cognac, the amber nectar of Poitou Charentes will end it in style.

POITOU CHARENTES ACTIVITIES

Golfing

Set between the valleys of the Loire and the Dordogne, the delightful unspoilt countryside of Poitou Charentes offers the setting for some challenging courses proving popular with holidaymakers. There are over 20 reputable courses to choose from around the region, such as Golf de la Pree (18 hole) at La Rochelle-Marsilly - a typical Scottish links course 8km from La Rochelle and overlooking the Ile de Re. Probably the best course in the region is Golf de Royan (18 hole) at St Palais sur Mer, in the heart of the Foret de la Coubre, which has a newly extended clubhouse to relax in. There are also several interesting courses around Poitiers, one of France’s oldest cities, such as Golf du Manoir de Beauvoir and Golf du Petit Chene - both with trolley and equipment hire and restaurants.

Canoeing and white water rafting

Canoeing and rafting are great ways to work off energy in the racing waters of Poitou Charente’s rivers. Radelage (like rafting) on the River Vienne needs fitness and skill. Parents and children can have a go at kayaking and canoeing on the River Tardoire at Montbron or at Aubeterre on the Dronne. The Rivers Anglin and Gartempe flowing north towards the Loire are both popular for canoeing and white water rafting. ‘Club Canoe Kayak de Saint Jean Louay’ near St Jean d’Angely and ‘Aire de Rejallant’ near Ruffec offer opportunities to enjoy the meandering River Charente through beautiful countryside. Contact Comite Departmentale de Canoe Kayak de la Charente (ditto Charente-Maritime) for information on rivers and guides.

Fishing, Moncoutant

‘Pescalis’ at Montcoutant is an international nature and fishing centre for fishermen, their families and friends. The 150 hectare estate includes 100 hectares of lakes set amongst woodland, fields and hedgerows with separate fishing areas for adults and children. Beginners and advanced lessons, new techniques and night fishing are all available, plus rental or purchase of equipment if required.

Cognac-tasting

The town of Cognac lives and breathes its world famous product - 80% of which is exported - and many producers offer free tastings. The Hennessy Cognac Company has been in the same family for 7 generations and makes a good starting point for a visit. Their tour begins with a film explaining where cognac can be produced and the various factors affecting its quality. Visit Distillerie Otard based in the medieval chateau where Francois I was born. 18km northwest of Cognac, between Migron and Authon, the ‘Ecomusee du Cognac’ gives a history of the double distilled brandy, including tastings of cognacs, liqueurs and cocktails. Try Pineau des Charentes -an aperitif made from brandy and sweet, unfermented grape juice. Notice the black fungus growing on warehouse roofs caused by evaporation as the spirit ages.

POITOU CHARENTES EVENTS

Ronde de Nuit, La Rochelle, June – mid Sept 2008

Two hour guided night tour of monuments and houses not normally open to the public. Commentary in French, Contact Tourist Office for information.

Coup de Chauffre, Cognac, Sept 2008

Annual street event which takes over the city of Cognac. Everything free - laughs guaranteed. Jugglers, clowns, musicians, dancers, acrobats and puppeteers.