a guide to the top tourist attractions in the poitou-charentes, france

8/7/2019 A guide to the top tourist attractions in the Poitou-Charentes, France

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2011

Top 25 Attractions in thePoitou-Charentes, France
http://www.discover-poitou-charentes.com/


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www.Discover-Poitou-Charentes.com

Tourist attractions, holidays and things to do and see in thePoitou-CharentesSo, why choose the Poitou-Charentes for a holiday? Well first of all, as well as lots of things to doand fabulous tourist attractions,theres the climate. The region is south of the Loire Valley and parts of thePoitou-Charentes are reckoned to havethe most sunshine hours a year in France outside of the

Mediterranean .

The summers are generally quite long, warm and sunny, though you can expect a few rainy days too, whilethe autumns are usually clear and bright. The winters can get cold the further inland you go, but they dontlast long, and you can often expect a warm spell in March or even February.

Another great reason is the food and wine in the Poitou-Charentes. Its not only home to cognac, but alsothe underrated aperitif pineau and some excellent local wine -especially from the Haut-Poitou area in the north of the region closeto the Loire Valley.

The region is equally and rightly noted for its great localdelicacies too for example cheese, honey, poultry, butter and snails as well as fine restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars.

Then there is the sheer variety of things to do and see in the Poitou-Charentes, such as leisure parks, golf and beautiful towns and villages. Its divided into four departments the Charente, Charente-

Maritime, Deux-Svres and the Vienne and each has its owncharms, character and tourist attractions.

The Top 25 attractions in the Poitou-Charentes!

The number one attraction in the Poitou-Charentes is, of course, the theme park Futuroscope but after that come a huge variety of things to see and do - from animalparks and zoos to cognac tours, Roman remains, nature reserves, unusual and fascinating museumsand historic sites that really tell of this areas turbulent past. So, if youre looking for a great d ayout, take your pick from our list of the top 25 attractions in the Poitou-Charentes

1. Futuroscope : the theme park near Poitiers thats amix of thrills and education with rides and 3D and now4D films

2. Aquarium: at La Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime, 12,000 marine animals, with 70 differentaquaria within the complex including a shark tank overthree levels.

3. Zoo de la Palymre : near Royan in the Charente-Maritime, see 1,600 species, from flamingos, monkeys,

Try shark watching at La Rochelle Aquarium

How to use this guide

Simply click on the title of the

attraction that interests you and

you will be taken to the relevant

page on our website where you

can find all the details you

require to make the most of your

visit.
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cheetahs, hippos and elephants to snow leopards, pandas, penguins, polar bears, ostriches, pythons and sealions. Among them are several endangered species, such as the White Rhinoceros, which the zoo is helpingto save with breeding programme.

4. Les Antilles Water Park : an indoor aquatic centre in Jonzac in the Charente-Maritime thats is one of the largest of its type in Europe, offering swimming plus slides, water toboggans, indoor beaches, beautyand fitness centres, tropical surroundings and great eating too.

5. LHermione : the replica, being built in Rochefort in the Charente-Maritime, of the famous ship thattook the Marquis de La Fayette to America in 1780 to fight in the War of Independence against the British.This year 2011 is the last you can see it in dry dock before it takes to the sea.

6. Valle des Singes: a 15 hectare monkeyand ape park near Civray in the Vienne wheremany of the 350 primates, from gorillas tochimpanzees and squirrel monkeys, travelfreely through the trees and along ropesstrung between them, or are enclosed onlarge islands which allows them to move asthey please.

7. Phare des Baleines : a working lighthouseon Ile de R, its 257-step spiral staircaseleading to stunning views.

8. Phare de Chassiron : on le d'Olron, itsdistinctive white and black-striped lighthouse offers impressive views of the Atlantic coast.

9. Centre International de la Mer : at the Corderie Royale (the Royal ropeworks) in Rochefort in theCharente-Maritime, houses both permanent and temporary exhibitions on the sea and seafaring.

10. Cit de l'crit : the town of Montmorillon in the Vienne, whose medieval centre is known as the Cityof Writing and Bookmaking or the Village of the Written Word. Here the town comes alive to the sights,sounds and smells of the book and writing trade.

11. Le Vigeant: in the Vienne, near LIsle Jourdain, theracing circuit of 2.341 mile (3.768km) track that regularlyhosts major race events.

12. Halles aux Vivres: museum in the Brouage citadel,not far from Rochefort in the Charente-Maritime, thatcovers the history of the Brouage citadel, as well asmilitary history with temporary exhibitions about thearea, its history and culture.

13. Les Jardins du Monde: the 7.5 hectare (18.5 acre) park in the Marais de Pousseau area of marshlandnear Royan in the Charente-Maritime, with plants as well as electric boats you can navigate through thewaterways and a butterfly house.

14. The towers of La Rochelle : the three 14th and 15th century towers that dominate the port area of La Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime.
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15. Maison du Cognac: visit one of the big names cognac houses in and around the town of Cognac inthe Charente

16. Plante des Crocodiles : at Civaux in the Vienne has a collection of around 200 reptiles from eightdifferent species of crocodile and alligator.

17. The P'tit Train de Saint-Trojan-les-Bains : onIle d'Olron in the Charente-Maritime, it combinesrailway history, tourism and environmental awarenessall in one little railway track.

18. Zoodysse: a 25-hectare nature park zoo andanimal park in the forest of Chiz in the Deux-Svreswhich has around 500 animals from 60 differentEuropean species.

19. Le Parc de l'estuaire : nature park in Europe'slargest estuary near Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, southof Royan in the Charente-Maritime.

20. Espace Mends France : in Poitiers, a centredesigned to popularise the worlds of science and technology with permanent and temporary exhibitionsand a planetarium.

21. Palosite : a 10-hectare park at Saint-Csaire in the Charente-Maritime, situated at the site of the1979 archaeological dig and which now takes look at Neanderthal (and Homo Sapiens) life.

22. CIBDI: the comic strip museum in Angoulme in theCharente thats the Louvre for comics, with a collection of morethan 8,000 original drawings and over 110,000 magazines and comicbooks.

23. The Chteau des nigmes : at Pons in the Charente-Maritime, this Renaissance chteau where adults and children solvethe final mystery of the chteau through a series of 21 games.

24. Chteau de la Gataudire : near the coast at Marennes inthe Charente-Maritime, have fun on the dirt (scramble) and quadbike circuit, the paintball and laser tag area and a treetop adventureobstacle course.

25. The Abbey of Saint-Savin sur-Gartempe : in the town of the same name in the Vienne, the abbey famed for its 11th centurypaintings that have made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Words AMM France

Le Vigeant photo / sunflowers Roger Moss
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a guide to the top tourist attractions in the poitou-charentes, france

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