Charente Holiday Homes.
Regional information - tourist information
- The Charente, Charente-Maritime and Poitou-Charentes.
For a selection of holiday properties in
the Poitou-Charentes, more regional and tourist
information, Bed & Breakfast in this region of France, activity
holidays and long term lets, click here.
Regional information about the Charente
and Charente-Maritime départements.
No less than 370 kilometers of coastline wend
their way down the Charente seashore. Between high and low seas,
the long sandy beaches bordered by pine trees alternate with
chalky cliffs and wild sites. The Atlantic seaboard of the Poitou-Charentes
region is protected by four islands, of which the two largest,
Oléron (175 km2) and Ré (85 Km2) are connected
to the continent by bridges. The mild climate and the beautifully
preserved environment render these arpents of earth near the
land mass akin to paradise.
The land of legends ... and Eleanor. More than
a simple touristic region, Poitou-Charentes is a land of traditions
in which History conserves a place of choice in the hearts of
the inhabitants. In the town centers or near the fortifications,
each monument bears the indelible trace of Roman art. For countless
generations, the women and men of Poitou-Charentes have conserved
and also transmitted a discreet and inexhaustible treasure:
myths and legends. For the curious, this is a true invitation
to time travel...
Savour the fleeting single moment. At the crossroads
between the North and the South, between slate and tile, the
"oc" and the oïl" languages, Poitou-Charentes
is a land of mixing, of passageways, of opening up. Its astonishing
diversity is expressed in terms of a genuine art of living harmonizing
conviviality and authenticity. It is here that all generations,
creations and sensibilities cohabit, between pleasure and emotion.
The color mix - Marais poitevin, Charente valley,
Atlantic coast. Poitou-Charentes is a land of contrasts. From
country green to ocean blue, the region showers lovers of nature
with a multitude of colors. Whether they be canoe trip amateurs
or seasoned hikers, the new "explorers" of Poitou-Charentes
will venture from one surprise to the next.
...and now for some Poitou-Charentes gastronomy!
Cognac
The grapefields given over to "Cognac" cultivation
stretch out over Charente, Charente Maritime and Deux Sèvres.
There are six growth area : Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne,
the Borderies, the Fins Bois, the Bons Bois, the Bois Ordinaires
(fine, good, ordinary ).
Marennes-Oléron oysters
An alliance of sweet and salty waters along with a sunny climate
renders the basin of Marennes-Oléron the leading French
site in oyster production.
Pineau des Charentes
White, red or rosé, composed of a mixture of the fine
grape juice of the Charentes, and the venerable Cognac
Goat cheeses (chèvre)
With highly original names : Chabis, Chabichou, often related
to the places where they are produced : Lezay, Bougon, Saint-Loup...
Poitou-Charentes lamb
Poitou-Charentes lamb originates in a long tradition of breeding
for its meat, whose quality and flavour are unanimously praised.
Cultivated mussel beds
Kept near Fouras, Brouage, Charron, on the islands of Ré,
Oléron and in the Bay of the Aiguillon.
The Poitou-Charentes butter
Protected Designation of Origin (the French « AOC »),
manufactured on the sole and exclusive basis of pasteurized
milk cream.
Cows of the Limousine and Parthenaise
breeds.
Limousine and Parthenaise cows result from a long tradition
of breeding for their meat, whose quality and savor are unanimously
praised.
Information supplied courtesy
of Comité Régional du Tourisme Poitiers.
