The Region

A visit to the Poitou-Charentes gives you the chance to share a lifestyle in an area drenched with sunshine. This region boasts over 2,200 hours of sunshine a year, second only in France to the Côte d’Azur, and it is so easily accessible you may even want to consider it for out of season short breaks or long weekends, in addtion to that well earned family vacation.

The Poitou-Charentes certainly provides something for everyone to enjoy, set in a contrasting landscape of country greens to ocean blues, it also offers some of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture. You can experience the gentler pace of life here, enjoy the pleasures of nature and yet also experience the high tech park Futuroscope should you wish - and there is so much inbetween....

La Châtaigneraie is 5 minutes stroll from the tiny village of Caunay, where you will find an impressive Romanesque church, the Mairie & a phone box. A short drive will bring you to Mairie-Levescault, where you will find an English run Bar/Restaurant, but the local destinations with the best choice of shops and restaurants are Lézay and Sauzé-Vaussais, both about 8 km away.

Caunay is equidistant from two major towns of historic importance, Poitiers and Angoulême. (50km) Both of these towns boast some of the most amazing architecture and heritage together with fantastic restaurants and bars, local specialities and cosmopolitan shops in pedestrian zones. The TGV to Paris runs from Poitiers and takes a mere 1 hour 35 minutes. Just 7 km outside Poitiers is the fabulous Futuroscope, a theme park of the moving image with dynamic cinemas, giant screens, video games and evening laser shows. Angoulême is host to the Nautilis water park with new ice-skating rink, indoor and outdoor pools with water chutes and whirlpools. (N.B. You need to wear trunks, gents, as no shorts are allowed in the pools.)

In the direction of Niort there is a more leisurely experience with water. A visit to the Marais Poitevin, the ‘Green Venice’ is a must - enjoy a gentle punt in this maze of waterways and luxuriant vegetation. You can hire a punt or a rowing boat(together with a map!) or let a local do all the hard work while you drift effortlessly along. This area can also be explored by bike or on foot, cycles are available to hire at many of the villages en route.

One and a half hours drive west by car will take you to La Rochelle - the harbour port offers a superb selection of shops bars and restaurants, numerous museums and award winning gardens. Just a short distance from the towers in the Old Harbour, is the aquarium - its unusual layout provides an interesting and surprising insight into aquatic life. Boat trips are easily available for a visit to Fort Boyard or the beautiful islands of Ile de Ré and Ile de Oléron.

For a truly magnificent beach and one of the safest on the coast, Châtelaillon sur Plage is south of La Rochelle, a bustling seaside resort with a vast 3 km beach of fine sand, a water complex, sailing schools and clubs.

Nearer to home you can enjoy the man-made beach at the Lac du Lambon, a small entry fee gives you the delights of watersports, fishing or just sun-worshipping.

The surrounding areas provide a rich combination of wine growing regions to be explored and the products sampled, such as Cognac, Loire and Bordeaux. The regional apéritif Pineau de Charentes, is not to be missed. The local markets are wonderful, selling everything from goats to garlic! Regional specialites such as oysters, cheese, honey and cured hams are plentiful and do not be afraid to request a dégustation

(sample).

There are golf courses, fishing lakes, exhibitions, music festivals, wildlife parks, nature reserves and bird sanctuaries ...as far as things to do and places to see are concerned, we could go on for hours, it really is such an interesting and varied region. All of the tourst information (in English!) will be available to you in your gîte, so you will have plenty of opportunity to plan your itinerary. The Office de Tourism in Sauzé - Vaussais will have details of current, local events and is well worth a visit. Of course, you may just want to sit by the pool and enjoy an aperitif and a good book!