The valleys of Poitou-Charentes

In Poitou-Charentes, countryside holidays will yield unsuspected treasures; whether strolling or hiking, you will savor your sojourn! 

On bicycle across small peaceable roads punctuated with Roman churches, you may wend your way through vines and poplars.

On foot you may follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims heading towards Santiago de Compostela or trod on footpaths suffused with the luminosity of golden sunflowers and ripened wheat.

On horseback (or in a chariot) in the event that you favor a sure-footed animal clopping along the small country roads, the prairies and the underbrush of the odoriferous seaside forests.

In the north between Poitiers and Loudun, the Haut-Poitou plains comprise stretches of farmland; in the west, not far from Parthenay, the Gâtine prairies are striated with brooks, sunken lanes, hedges and enclosed farmland; near the Atlantic sprawls the mild and luminous landscape of the Poitou marshlands.

The Thouet Valley, famous for its historic buildings and varied scenery, is dotted with old wash-houses and watermills such as the one in Gourgé that has maintained its waterwheel.

Located in northern Deux-Sèvres on a minor road to Santiago de Compostela, the valley is blessed with numerous architectural gems, such as the Château de St Loup, the abbeys in Airvault and St Jouin de Marne, and the castle overlooking the town of Thouars, which was once the seat of the Trémoille dukes.

Poitou-Charentes and its 7 valleys

As you traverse Charente and Charente-Maritime from east to west, the Charente Valley will be your point of departure for river cruises to Angoulême, Jarnac, Cognac, Saintes, Sireuil, Fléac, Rochefort, etc. It also boasts architectural gems such as Bassac Abbey and the abbey in Saint-Amant-de-Boixe, which is the second largest church in Charente (after Angoulême Cathedral).

Meanwhile, in the Tardoire Valley in eastern Charente, the Château de La Rochefoucauld, Montbron and the Château de Balzac are all well worth a visit.

The Boutonne Valley in the heart of Charente-Maritime is dotted with numerous villages such as Tonnay-Boutonne, Saint-Jean-d’Angély and Dampierre-sur-Boutonne located on the historic Saintonge Treasure Trail. The main pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela likewise runs through this valley.

South of Saintes, the Seugne Valley features towns such as Pons, where the ancient pilgrim infirmary has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, and is just one of the many delights to be found on the road to Santiago de Compostela. South of Pons, at the “Castle of Enigmas” you can set off on a treasure hunt featuring no less than 20 different games; it, too, is well worth a visit.

As for areas close to Lusignan, Civray and Ruffec, they constitute a realm of red soils in which chestnut trees flourish. In Angoumois and in Saintonge, around Angoulême and Saintes, hills filled with vineyards or cereal plantations present a moderate relief sporadically punctuated with grottos and rock shelters; as the Gironde estuary draws near, hillsides overlook the impassible river.

The habitat likewise displays pronounced variety: hedged farms with their granite walls; Poitou abodes crowned with roofs in slate; the Saintonge and south Charente houses with their chiseled stone and red roof tiles that prefigure Mediterranean France…

Numerous historic buildings may be seen here - Saint-Savin Abbey which has been officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, the “valley of frescoes” and its buildings decorated with murals dating from the 11th to the 19th centuries, the village of Angles-sur-l'Anglin recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France, Villesalem Priory in Journet, and the spa town of La Roche-Posay.