Poitou-Charentes Tourism


			Château de Nieuil	La Charente Angoulême : The international comic strips exhibition gave to Angoulême a second youth. But Angoulême is firstful a historical city with a rich past. You should see its ramparts (and its promenade), the Saint-Pierre cathedrale (12th century), the town hall and the Saint-Simon’s house. In its outskirts, the city of La Couronne is famous for its paper manufacturing. Paper manufacuring and comic strips, may be a connection ! Another notorious town is Cognac. Its name is associated to a worldwide famous brandy. Cognac is also specialized in glassworks.You could visit the castle of King François Ist and its museum. Do not miss La Rochefoucault for its castle and its cathedrale, Ruffec (Saint-André church), Jarnac, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (monolithic great church) or Chassenon (Gallo-Roman ruins). In this undulating country, the vineyards with great wines as Grande and Petite Champagne, Cognac-Segonzac or Les Fins Bois are an invitation to travel.
				La Charente-Maritime La Rochelle : Fortified city, La Rochelle was one of the kingdom’s first commerce port, defended from the Middle-Age by the Chain and Saint-Nicolas towers (14th century). You could notice its houses with arcades, the house of king Henri II (also named house of Diane of Poitiers, built up in 1555), the Saint-Louis cathedrale, the IV-Sergeants tower, the Grosse-Horloge (Big-Clock) gate and its town hall. The city houses the New World museum, which could let think that before Christopher Colombus, former navigators sailed from La Rochelle to conquer new lands over the ocean. Jonzac produces sparkling wines and brandy. Marennes is the oysters culture capital. Many islands protect the coast from tempests as Ré, Aix, Madame (with its priest cimetary who were deported in 1792, Galtes Cross) and Oléron (linked to continent since 1966 with a viaduct).
			Le Clos de la Ribeaudière	Les Deux-Sèvres Niort : At Niort, Pilori’s museum presents a collection of numismatics, prehistorical objects and lapidary. In its area, Airvault houses Abbey museum. Melle, the ancient Franc money maker center, Châtillon-sur -Thouêt (crockery museum) or Parthenay (famous food market) should not to be missed as the Poitevin marshland, a true "Green Venice", the city of Argenton (rocks of Grifférus), and the Missé circus (near Thouars).
				La Vienne Poitiers : With the Futuroscope, Poitiers entered in the 3d millenium. It is not so amazing while we consider that the town houses an ancient university and the National Engineers School. Poitiers has also a glorious past vestiges still carved in the present time : the Saint-Pierre cathedrale (12th -13th centuries), the Notre-Dame-la-Grande church (ancient collegiale of the 11th century), the court house including the great hall and the dungeon of the ancient ducal palace of the 14th century, and the Henri-IV’s bridge. Among your stages, your steps will lead you from Chauvigny (castle and crockery works), Loudun, Lusignan, Montmorilon (Notre-Dame 12th century church with its fresco of the 13th century) or Saint-Savin (medieval churches). Do not miss the Merovingian necropolis of Civaux (16,000 sarcophagus), the abbeys of Nouaillé-Maupertuis, Ligugé and La Réau, the churches of Charroux (11th century romanesque tower) or Civray, the castles of Montcontour (12th century dungeon), Dissay (15th -18th centuries), Larcher (Deads’ lantern - 12thcentury), and the Order of Malta’s museum at La Roche’s castle in Gençay.