Poitou-Charentes (Poitou-Charentes) - one of the sunniest regions on the western French coast. A mild climate and access to the Atlantic Ocean make this place a welcome destination for tourists, at least from early spring until late autumn. A good location, between the Loire castles and the vineyards of Bordeaux, allows you to enjoy the best that France gives.
This is, above all, a unique cultural heritage. The ancient churches, some of which are included in the "pilgrim route" to the tomb of St. James in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela and protected by UNESCO; a variety of museums - from the Cognac Museum in Cognac and the museum of bees in Châtellerault to the Museum of Saint-Croix in Poitiers; ancient castles, in particular, the castle of La Rochefoucauld, owned by its owners for more than a thousand years, and much more - all this can be found in Poitou Charentes.
Local attractions include other aspects of French life. High-class gastronomy, based on the highest quality products and regional traditions, carefully protected nature, giving the opportunity to see almost simultaneously oceanic beaches, both on the mainland (Royan, La Rochelle) and on the Re, Oleron islands, and crossed by numerous rivers and the canals "Bolot Poitou" park with bird sanctuaries. Another, unofficial, name of the park is "green Venice".
| Harbor Saint-Martin-de-Re |
| Lighthouse on the island of Oleron |
| St. Peter's Cathedral in Poitiers |
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Regions
Poitou-Charente consists of two parts, as the name says. The most ancient is the province of Poitou, the center of which is a city with a centuries-old history - Poitiers. No less interesting are its surroundings with the old medieval towns of Chauvin, Châtellerault, etc.
The second part of the region is Charente. Here are the famous resorts of La Rochelle and Royan. The city of Cognac offers its visitors to get acquainted with all the advantages of world-famous brands: Hennessey, Remy Marten, Camus, Martell, and the island of Oleron - to taste the best oysters in France.
The structure of Poit-Charentes includes four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sevres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.
History and culture
Poitou-Charente is considered a kind of border between the north and the south and historically does not represent a single territorial whole. The first settlements belong to the Gallo-Roman times. In the Middle Ages, the region passed from the French to the English and back. Sometimes it happened in a peaceful way, as in the case of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine with Henry Plantagenet, sometimes with the help of military operations - one of the episodes in the Hundred Years War. Finally, this land became French in the 15th century.
How to get here
Getting to this region is easy for Russian citizens on an airplane through Paris. However, further will have to use either a train, or a bus, or rent a car. Unfortunately, direct flights from Paris to Poitiers are not served, you will have to fly with a transfer. But from Poitiers airport regular flights to Italy, England and some other cities of France are carried out.
But the airport of La Rochelle takes regular international flights from different European countries, including direct flights from Paris to Airline Airline (on the way 1 hour 15 minutes).
Search for tickets to Paris (the nearest airport to Poitou-Charentes)
By train
Most of the TGV trains in the direction of Poitou Charentes leave from the Gare Montparnasse station in Paris. The trip to Poitiers takes 1 hour 30 minutes. There are first and second class. The ticket can be ordered via the Internet on the SNCF website. The fare for the second class varies from 45-53 EUR. La Rochelle can also be reached from the Montparnasse station. The journey takes 2 hours and 50 minutes. Information on the timetable and cost of the ticket can be found on the website www.tgv-europe.com. From Paris to Angoulême, you can drive two hours, to Nyora - in 2 hours and 20 minutes.
By car
Autobahn A10 connects all the major cities of the region. In particular, the motorway is the right way to Poitiers, Nyor, Saint and La Rochelle.
Kitchen and restaurants
The diversity of the cuisine of Poitou-Charentes terrifies the imagination of any gourmet .Recipes with seafood harmoniously coexist with meat delicacies and cheeses .Especially popular are dishes with mussels and oysters: mussels in la rochelle (moules à la rochelaise), hot oysters in charente (huitres chaudes à la charentaise), a traditional dish from the island of Oleron - eclad (eclade), with the preparation of which add needles of pine .Numerous desserts contribute to the menu of the inhabitants of Poitou-Charentes .It is worth to try the Poisson cookies (casse-museaux), the plum cake from Charente (tarte aux prunes de Charente) and the cake from Sentosa (gâteau saintongeais) .
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Poitou-Charentes
The list of attractions in the region is truly huge, so it is better to choose the most capital cultural objects as a guide for the capital of the departments.
In Poitiers (department of Vienne) it is the Great Church of Our Lady of Poitiers, the cathedral of St. Peter, the palace of the Counts of Poitiers (palais des Comtes de Poitou) and the baptistery of St. John the Baptist (baptistère Saint -Jean). Be sure to visit the amusement park "Futuroscope" in the vicinity. Using the latest technology of cinematography, creators transfer visitors to the fantastic worlds of the future. The price for the whole day ticket is 36 EUR for adults, 27 EUR for children from 16 to 5 years. Children from 4 years and under are free of charge.
Angoulême (Angoulême) will enjoy the cathedral of St. Peter (cathédrale Saint-Pierre), dating from 11-12 century. In one with the Angouleme department is the city of Cognac, where you can taste the best varieties of expensive beverages and visit the chateau of Valois (château des Valois), and Saint with the miraculously preserved Germanicus arch (around 18 AD). The Center of Maritime Charente - La Rochelle will acquaint you with the Old Port. Photos of Poitou-Charentes (35)