Two beautiful gîtes, two barns..in the Charente, France. Available from one day to forever stays, in this amazing & multi-faceted area of La Belle France. The climate of the Poitou-Charentes is one of the mildest in France, second only to the Mediterranean coast in hours of sunshine. Famous for sunflowers, miles of regimented vineyards and thousands of acres of wide, green spaces begging to be exp
lored. Gentle rivers and waterways wander throughout this region, and ancient towns straddle those river banks with offers of “une table avec une vue” while you linger over lunch or stop for a drink. Oysters are a big local speciality of the region, as is the Pineau Cognac aperitif. (Yummy!)
Our two gîtes are situated between the market towns of Sauzé-Vaussais and Chef-Boutonne in the department of the Deux-Sèvres. The area surrounding Sauzé-Vaussais was the backdrop of many wars and fights in ancient times and the town has a Romanesque church, a small hotel, bars, a supermarket, boulangeries (of course) and an English tea shop. Chef-Boutonne also has several bars and restaurants, and both towns host weekly markets where you can buy fresh, local produce. Sauzé-Vaussais has a lake with children's play area - a really great day out and there are other spots just like this. “Plan d’eaus” they are called, locally. The delightful Château Javarzay at Chef-Boutonne is well worth a visit, although ‘spoilt for choice’ as there are so many beautiful Châteaux in striking distance. If you like a bargain, why not wander around some of the many local brocantes (car boot sales - but with style!) which are held throughout the year. If you fancy nipping out for a quick drink to our "local", try the La Chat bar in Melleran- it's within cycling/walking distance and is run completely by volunteers. The bar is open Friday and Saturday evenings and offers good food, very reasonably priced drinks, and games etc for children. Just down the road, the ancient town of Melle has silver mines and three Romanesque churches to visit. With, of course more great little bars and restaurants including a lovely pizzeria. We are ideally placed for exploring the glorious Charentaise countryside which is bursting with sunflowers during the summer months. The area surrounding our gites is perfect for walking. We also have a selection of adult and children's bikes on site which you are welcome to borrow. There are some wonderful beaches less than 2 hours drive on the spectacular Côte Sauvage, but even closer still is the holiday resort of Châtellion Plage and the cosmopolitan seaside town of La Rochelle, one of the most picturesque and historically rich cities on the Atlantic coastline; with it’s huge marina, a very large aquarium and a botanical garden. Civray, Ruffec and Confolens are all lovely places to visit where you can picnic on the river or hire a boat at Marais Poitevin (Venice Vert or Green Venice) and spend the day meandering through the collection of sleepy water ways. Still with rivers in mind, why not spend the day kayaking on the Charente - great family fun! Even enjoy a little white water in places - but nothing too crazy...
There are numerous historical towns within an easy drive such as St-Jean-d'Angély, Chauvigny and Parthenay, all of them with their individual stories to tell. Why not ‘swing by’ La Vallée de Singes (valley of the monkeys) at Romagné, which is a wildlife park with no fences or cages! Visit the famous Poitou donkeys for guided visits and animal rides - just 30 minutes down the road... or La Planète des Crocodiles - an hour away in Civaux! If you want a full day of adventure we would recommend La Palmyre Zoo at Royan (one of the best in France, so I’m told), the Puy du Fou theme park, south of Cholet. Perhaps Futurescope at Poitiers, only an hours easy drive away. This is a great area where you can have the best of all worlds - peaceful countryside, seaside resorts, ancient towns and cities and numerous family attractions. Even without the glorious sunshine, (and as the 2nd sunniest spot in France, we have plenty of that) we think there is something for everyone! At Rustic France, we are at the heart of a thousand activities; but, when you are ‘back at base’, unwind and relax into Charentaise life. Of course, you could always just take a glass of cool Pineau and sit by the pool, on the terrace, or in the garden and relax in the French countryside outside the majestic Tobacco Barn or the romantic Stonemasons Barn...
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