Ranked among the most beautiful villages in France, Vouvant has a splendid Romanesque church with a richly carved portal.

The ramparts, the postern, the old bridge spanning the river and the Mélusine tower - a remnant of the old castle that, according to legend, was built in one night by the fairy Mélusine - contribute to the charm of this small city of character.

From the top of the tower Mélusine, a beautiful view of the surrounding landscapes, including the forest Mervent-Vouvant, waiting for walkers.

The story of the fairy Mélusine is related to the Maison de Mélusine.

A nice walk awaits you, without forgetting the passage by the nice tray to cross the river the sea.

The forest of Mervent-Vouvant, composed mainly of oaks, extends on 5000 hectares. In the heart of the forest, the dam of Mervent forms a beautiful and vast expanse of water.

The forest of Mervent-Vouvant allows the practice of many sports activities, such as hiking, horse riding, mountain biking and water sports.

Capital of the Vendée until the early nineteenth century, the city of Art and History Fontenay-le-Comte invites walkers to discover its banks full of charm and its architectural wealth as evidenced by the Place Belliard and its arcaded houses, the Renaissance buildings and mansions, the half-timbered houses on rue des Loges and the Notre-Dame church of Flamboyant Gothic style.

Cultural Site of the Department of Vendée

Founded at the beginning of the eleventh century, the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Maillezais, necropolis of the Dukes of Aquitaine, is located in the heart of the Marais Poitevin. This Benedictine abbey has the particularity of having welcomed the writer François Rabelais in the sixteenth century.

The majestic ruins of the abbey church, as well as the convent buildings that house the refectories, kitchen, cellar and salt cellar, are open to visitors.

Near the abbey is a pier, the starting point for peaceful boat trips on the conches of the Green Venice.

In May and June, the Abbey of Maillezais, but also the Abbey of Nieul-sur-l'Autise and the priory of Grammont, host the Festival des Abbayes, an event dedicated to classical music.

Straddling Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime and Vendée, the Poitevin Marsh, which covers 111,200 hectares, is France's second largest wetland area after the Camargue. The area is full of diverse natural habitats and exceptional biodiversity, and is a stopping place for many migrant birds…

The landscape mosaic of the Poitevin Marsh Regional Natural Park is unique, with the coastal area alternating between sandy beaches, dunes and forests, but also cliffs and mudflats on the Bay of Aiguillon side; the wet marsh and its famous Green Venice, a listed Great Site of France, where countless conches (narrow canals) and wider tree-lined canals can be seen; the dried marsh, with vast expanses of crops and meadows; and the edges of the marsh, with plains covered in cultivated fields.

A favourite destination for nature-lovers, the Poitevin Marsh is home to incredible wildlife ranging from the European otter to the European tree frog through the purple heron and the greater horseshoe bat. No fewer than 250 species of birds, 38 species of fish, 60 species of dragonflies and 80 species of butterflies are listed there!

To discover the charms of the wet marsh, a destination in the Poitevin Marsh that's highly prized by lovers of romantic getaways, nothing beats a boat trip in the heart of the mysterious Green Venice, on peaceful canals interwoven with greenery: you are guaranteed a change of scene, where trees and other plants form a kind of vault between water and sky! Many visitors to the Park choose to explore it on foot or by bicycle, to take the time to savour the beauty of the wild, unspoilt countryside at their own pace.

The Poitevin Marsh Park also boasts a rich water industry heritage, and invites you to discover its harbours, locks, hydraulic works, footbridges, fountains and washhouses. For more urban sightseeing, you have the choice between its charming, characterful little towns, such as Arçais, Coulon or Nieul-sur-l'Autise, and gateway cities like Fontenay-le-Comte, Niort, Luçon and Marans. Religious architecture enthusiasts, meanwhile, won't want to miss a chance to visit Maillezais Abbey and see its remarkable relics, a listed Historic Monument.

During your stay in the Poitevin Marsh, you should also make the most of the local gastronomy. Authentic and flavoursome, it gives pride of place to the products of fishing and shellfish farming, not to mention specialities such as farci poitevin, a delicious terrine of green vegetables, frogs' legs, snails, coypu and ham with mogette beans!

The headquarters of the main French mutual insurance companies are based in the capital of the Deux-Sèvres, a city with a welcoming and pleasant historic centre, where you can enjoy a stroll along the pedestrian shopping streets.

As the city's flagship monument, the imposing outline of Niort Keep stands out against the landscape. A relic of the old fortress built in the 12th century by Henry II Plantagenet and Richard the Lionheart, this majestic ensemble, formed of two square towers joined by a main building from the 15th century, is one of the finest twin keeps of France! Its rooms house a museum with exhibitions about local archaeology (from the Bronze Age to the High Middle Ages), and popular arts and traditions (recreation of the inside of a Poitevin home, regional headdresses). After admiring the panoramic views over the town's roofs from the keep's terrace, head towards Niort's pedestrian streets, which are dotted with old façades such as the Governor's House, Rue Saint-Jean, and Estissac Mansion, Rue du Petit-Saint-Jean. At the heart of the historic quarter, the Pilori, an old town hall in the Renaissance style, built on the former site of the medieval pillory, has now been converted into a visual arts space that hosts exhibitions of contemporary works.

Based in an old secondary school for girls, on Avenue de Limoges, Bernard d'Agesci Museum has three collections to discover: Fine Arts (16th to 19th-century paintings, 19th and 20th-century sculptures, decorative arts), Natural History (ornithology, geology, osteology), and the Conservatory of Education (school objects and scientific devices illustrating a century-and-a-half of teaching).

Whether you are more into shopping or architecture and culture, enjoy a break at one of the café terraces in the old town! Then head to the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise, where you will have a lovely view of the spires of the Church of St. Andrew, Romanesque keep and market hall in the Baltard style. Near the old bridges lies a haven of greenery, the Coulée Verte, for a nice walk along the Sèvre Niortaise...

To stock up on fresh products, head to the market hall in Niort, where there is a market every morning from Tuesday to Sunday, as well as a big market on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

On Thursdays in July and August, the Thursdays in Niort festival takes place in the gardens of Le Roc windmill, a summer event for contemporary music.

Nestling at the heart of the Poitevin Marsh Inter-regional Park, between Niort and Aiguillon Bay, the Green Venice, or wet marsh, is a haven of peace to discover by foot, bicycle, boat or canoe. Located in France's second biggest humid zone, this protected natural area, full of peaceful, mysterious landscapes steeped in fairy-tales and legends, is a lovely place for daydreaming... Its mazes of secret canals, romantic narrow canals lined with duckweed, as well as its rows of ash trees, willows and poplars, give it a unique charm! An unmissable part of any stay in the Poitevin Marsh, Coulon, the capital of Green Venice, is a typical town with pretty houses, on the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise. It is the ideal starting point for a boat ride in Green Venice, and you will also find the House of the Poitevin Marsh there, an unmissable place for anyone who wants to get to know the history and secrets of this verdant territory.

You can also take a boat ride from the landing stages in the charming village of Arçais.

Two unmissable highlights: the traditional market on the water in Vanneau on the last Saturday in July, and the unusual rally in the marsh, the biggest nocturnal canoe-kayak event in France, departing from Coulon in the last weekend in June!

Built in the 13th century by the Lords of Parthenay, on an overhang above a meander of the Sèvre Niortaise, two kilometres from the town of Échiré near Niort, the imposing fortress of Coudray-Salbart, a listed Historic Monument, consists of six high towers, interconnected by small courtyards. Remarkably well preserved from the ravages of time, this castle fort, which was never seriously attacked during its history, is an amazing example of medieval military architecture!

The Puy du Fou, a locality of the town of Les Epesses, is famous for its Grand Amusement Park and its nocturnal sound and light show, Cinéscénie.

On Fridays and Saturdays, from June to mid-September, the fabulous Cinéscénie show brings together no less than 1,200 actors who bring the history of the Vendée back to life from the Middle Ages to the Second World War. Grandiose!

The Grand Parc Puy du Fou, which covers 45 hectares, is really something to delight young and old, with its historic villages such as the medieval city, the village of the eighteenth century and the town of 1900, and its shows such as the Secret of the Spear, the Gladiators, the Vikings, the Ball of Ghost Birds or the Musketeer of Richelieu. A wonderful trip in the past!

The capital of Gâtine, a town of Art and History and an old stopping place along the Way of St. James, the medieval town of Parthenay on the banks of the Thouet invites lovers of architecture to discover its ancient heritage. See relics of the old Castle of the Lords of Parthenay: ramparts dotted with towers, the bridge and the door of St. James, which form a picturesque scene with the peaceful river; Rue de la Vau Saint-Jacques, where the pilgrims used to stop, and its old half-timbered houses; the Romanesque gate of the Church of Our Lady of La Couldre; the gate to the Citadel, town as the Clock Tower, from the early 13th century...There are so many wonders to admire on a walk in the area!

The Georges Turpin Museum is all about the history and development of the town from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and is based in the House of Local Cultures on Rue Vau Saint-Jacques. It contains archaeological collections (coins, stones), Parthenay earthenware from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, paintings, prints and photographs, as well as temporary exhibitions.

Every Wednesday morning, one of the biggest livestock markets in France takes place at Bellevue fairground, with the cattle market at 8 am and the sheep market at 9.30 am.

In July, the Parthenay International Fun Festival or FLIP (Festival Ludique International de Parthenay) takes place. This festive event features all kinds of games!