The green Venice

The Marais Poitevin (Poitevin Marsh) is a large area of marshland in Western France, a remnant of the former Gulf of Poitou (the name meaning "Poitou's Marsh", "Marsh of Poitou region"). It consists for two thirds of a western zone near the sea called the "dry marsh" (or "dried marsh"), used for farming and breeding, and for one third of an eastern zone called the "wet marsh", a maze of islets criss-crossed by picturesque canals now used for touristic rowboating and nicknamed The Green Venice (la Venise Verte).

Futuroscope - Theme park

Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futorscope and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D cinemas along with other attractions and shows, some of which are the only examples in the world.

It is located in the department of Vienne, 10 kilometres north of Poitiers.

Royan

Royan is a seaside resort situated in the southwest of the department of Charente-Maritime, in the former province of Saintonge. It occupies a site on the mouth of the Gironde Estuary, on the right, near the Atlantic coast.

On the coast limestone cliffs and beaches, locally called conches, alternate.
There are five of these, varying in size from the smallest, measuring only some hundreds of metres (conche of the pigeonnier ) to the largest ( the grande conche ), which spreads across about 2600 metres between the marina and the cliffs of Vallière in the nearby commune of Saint-Georges-de-Didonne.

All are covered with extremely fine sand.

Oradour-sur-Glane

Oradour-sur-Glane is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in west-central France.

The original village was destroyed on 10 June 1944, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a German Waffen-SS company. A new village was built after the war on a nearby site and the original has been maintained as a memorial.

oleron

Île d'Oléron (English: Island of Oleron) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France (due west of Rochefort), on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. It is the second largest French island after Corsica (not counting French overseas collectivities).

The island has an area of about 175 km². It is a fertile and well cultivated island on the Atlantic coast of France, that is on the Bay of Biscay.

The climate is generally mild (maritime temperate) with sufficient but not excessive rainfall, but with probably from 3 to 15 days of intense heat in the summer months of July and August, mostly grouped

Saintes

Saintes is located on the banks of the Charente River, between La Rochelle and Bordeaux

The Arch of Germanicus, a triumphal arch, was built at the entrance to a bridge, where the main Roman road crossed the Charente River.
The bridge was demolished in 1843 but the Arch was saved by Prosper Mérimée and rebuilt at its present location on the bank of the river.
Ruins of the Roman amphitheatre can be found on the left bank of the Charente, near the summit of the hill upon which the town was built. It is notable in that its tiers (the cavea) are built against the hill and an embankment.
Some remnants of the thermae of Saint-Saloine (First century) are also visible, in particular an aqueduct.
Fragments of the 3rd century rampart can be seen in the Place des Récollets. It was built with stones taken from the Roman buildings.
The Abbaye-aux-Dames, Madame de Montespan was educated here.
Saintes is also known for its other churches: the Basilique Saint-Eutrope and the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. Saintes Cathedral: [1] Basilique Saint-Eutrope: [2],[3]
The main museums include:
the Musée archéologique, which owns a Roman cart of the 1st century amongst a collection of sculptures and inscriptions.
the Musée du Présidial, which has a mannerist architecture and a collection of regional ceramics and paintings of the 15th to 18th century.
the Musée de l'Échevinage, which exhibits porcelain of Sèvres and paintings of the 19th and 20th century

Cognac

Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes.
The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right bank area known as the Saint Jacques district.
The town is situated on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella.
The town is also home to the French Air Force training base 709.

Unknown prior to the 9th century, the town was subsequently fortified. During the Hundred Years' War, the town changed sides on several occasions as the result of fighting and treaties in the region.

Francis I granted the town the right to trade salt along the river, guaranteeing strong commercial success, which in turn led to the town's development as a centre of wine and later brandy.

La Rochelle

The city has beautifully maintained its past architecture, making it one of the most picturesque and historically rich cities on the Atlantic coast. This helped develop a strong tourism industry.

La Rochelle's main feature is the "Vieux Port" ("Old Harbour"), which is at the heart of the city, picturesque and lined with seafood restaurants. The city walls are open to an evening promenade. The old town has been well-preserved. From the harbour, boating trips can be taken to the Île d'Aix and Fort Boyard (home to the internationally famous tv show of the same name). Nearby Île de Ré is a short drive to the North. The countryside of the surrounding Charente-Maritime is very rural and full of history (Saintes). To the North is Venise Verte, a marshy area of country, criss-crossed with tiny canals and a popular resort for inland boating. Inland is the country of Cognac and Pineau. The attractive Île de Ré is accessible via a bridge from La Rochelle.

La Rochelle and its region are served by the international La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport, which has undergone a steady progress on the last 5 years. Currently, it is the biggest airport in the Poitou-Charentes region.

Climate

Although at the same latitude as Montreal in Canada or the Kuril islands in Russia, the area is quite warm throughout the year due to the influence of the Gulf Stream waters, and insolation is remarkably high, on a par with the French Riviera on the Mediterranean Southern coast of France.

Wikipedia