Charentes-Poitou is one of the regions of the Atlantic coast of France. It was created during World War Two by joining a series of areas that had no real cultural unity to fill the gap between the Loire valley and the Gironde estuary.
We mostly expored the coastal part of the region, the area around Saintes called Saintonge.
Charentes
Fontdouce Abbey
This abbey is located in a nice vale between Saintes and Cognac and has a rich history. It was founded 900 years ago. It suffered damages during the french wars of religion and stopped being used...
Rochefort
The current town of Rochefort was designed by Colbert in 1666. The city was created in a marshy area, but close to the sea, in order to make it a military harbour. It still contains remnants of...
Aix Island
The island of Aix is rather small: just a bit more than 300 acres. It is located a bit off the coast and reachable with a ferry. There are very few cars on the island and tourists are proposed...
Beaulon castle
The Beaulon castle is located near the village of Saint Dizan du Gua. It was built in the late 15th century and has gothic and renaissance influence. It is located in the bordeaux vineyard area...
Oléron island
Loacated off the coast of Charentes, the island is linked to mainland France by a large bridge starting near le Chapus. It is expensive, crowded and touristic in Summer, but has nice landscapes...
Talmont en Gironde
As its name indicates, Talmont is located on the Garonne estuary, the Gironde. It is already quite wide in this area. The village is built atop cliffs overlooking the estuary. It dates back from...
Brouage
Hiers Brouage was once an active salt trading harbor. The town was fortified in the 17th century by Richelieu in order to resist attacks coming from nearby La Rochelle. It later fell to ruins...
La Rochelle
The history of La Rochelle spans over 1000 years. The city was founded in the 10th century and became an important port in the 12th. It was an important place for the trade of wine and salt and...
