La Rochelle, the prefecture of Charente-Maritime, has made the most of its many attractions to charm visitors. The Vieux-Port quarter, the city's most emblematic district, has inspired many painters and photographers. Its three towers, listed as Historic Monuments since 1879, are remains of the medieval fortifications. The Lantern Tower, also town as the "Four Sergeants Tower", dating from the 15th century, served as a lighthouse before becoming a prison, into whose stone walls Huguenots, corsairs and foreign sailors etched around 600 graffiti. At the very top, you can enjoy a lovely view of the city and the harbour!

The other two towers, built at the end of the 14th century, were used to defend the port for five centuries. The tallest, the St. Nicholas Tower, is 42 metres tall and offers an impressive view from its wall walk. The Chain Tower, which closed the channel to boats, is connected to the Lantern Tower by a curtain wall. The Great Clock Gate (Porte de la Grosse Horloge), topped by a belfry, was added in the 15th century to the city wall.

La Rochelle has many more architectural treasures, which you can discover on a stroll along the streets of its old town. Mansions, beautiful Renaissance homes and half-timbered houses enchant visitors with their refinement and elegance. In the pedestrianised area of the city centre, the arcaded streets feature many shops whose charm is undeniable.

La Rochelle City Hall is one of the city's architectural gems and is a listed Historic Monument. Its Renaissance main building, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, has a Flamboyant Gothic surrounding wall. Its ornaments are numerous: Corinthian columns, gargoyles, faience, crenellated tower...

There are many museums dotted about the city, offering something for everyone! The Maritime Museum invites you to visit a ship once owned by the French national meteorological service (Météorologie nationale) and a fishing trawler. The lively Museum of Automata and Scale Models exhibits a unique collection of more than 300 moving automata, an astonishing reconstruction of a Montmartre neighbourhood in 1900, and a large number of scale models. In the prestigious setting of an 18th-century mansion, the New World Museum tells the story of relations between France and the Americas, while the superb Natural History Museum is dedicated to lovers of nature, ethnology, science and travel. You can also discover the Fine Arts Museum or the Orbigny-Bernon Museum, exhibiting collections of faience, engravings and paintings.

Not far from the Vieux-Port, La Rochelle Aquarium, one of the most popular aquariums in France, invites sea life enthusiasts to discover the fauna and flora of all the world's oceans. You can also stroll along Les Minimes marina, which attracts sailors from all over the world, or enjoy the fine sand on one of the three beaches: La Concurrence, Les Minimes or L'Houmeau.

Culture is also a strong point of La Rochelle, with a wide range of events: International Sailing Week in May-June, La Rochelle International Film Festival in June-July, the Grand Pavois international boat show in September-October, or La Rochelle Jazz Festival in October. As for the Francofolies music festival in July, it's been an unmissable gathering for fans of French popular song since 1985!

Opposite the Old Harbour in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, one of the largest private aquariums in Europe invites lovers of the undersea world to get to know its 12,000 residents, who live in some 3 million litres of sea water in an area covering 8,000 m².

Audioguide in hand, for two hours you will experience a real journey under the sea, discovering the diversity of the world's oceans. You can admire many fascinating species, from clownfish to sharks, not forgetting turtles, the star attraction. You will be fascinated by the fabulous defensive powers of all this mysterious wildlife, such as camouflage, armour or poison. You can admire the wonderful ballet of the jellyfish, and wander in the exotic tropical forest where piranhas and carnivorous plants thrive.

La Rochelle Aquarium's mission is to help people discover and understand the undersea environment, but it is also a place of scientific research with its own sea turtle observation and care programme. It is committed to training and raising public awareness for the protection of the ocean environment.

Known as "Re the White", Ré Island offers a mosaic of landscapes whose charm is magnetic. This beautiful island of the Charente archipelago has everything to please, with its natural salt marsh areas, vineyards, pine forests or golden sandy beaches, and its small streets lined with typical white houses, featuring shutters in shades of green or blue, decorated with hollyhocks. On the island, the bike is king, and you can admire its beautiful natural areas on 110 km of safe cycle paths.

Its ten villages, each one a gem, are located within a territory 30 km long and 5 km wide, off the coast of La Rochelle. After crossing the majestic bridge of nearly 3 km, you reach Rivedoux-Plage, before heading towards Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, one of the oldest villages on the island.

Then comes Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré with its long beach, vines and pine forests. Next, you reach the centre of the island, at La Couarde-sur-Mer, one of its leading seaside resorts. To the north, Le Martray, the narrowest passage, leads to the Fier d'Ars, a bay of 800 hectares that is home to many bird populations at the heart of the Lilleau des Niges Nature Reserve. La Maison du Fier, a museum managed by the French League for the Protection of Birds, presents the natural heritage of Ré Island.

In Ars-en-Ré, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France, the famous black and white bell tower is the star of the place. The Phare des Baleines lighthouse, in the municipality of Saint-Clément-des-Baleines, is one of the most powerful on the Atlantic coast. From the top of its 257 steps, at a height of 57 metres, you can enjoy an exceptional view! You then cross Les Portes-en-Ré, where you will find some beautiful beaches and the Trousse-Chemise wood made famous by a Charles Aznavour song, before reaching Loix, at the heart of the salt marshes.

The historic capital of the island, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, has a citadel and 14 km of ramparts, built by Vauban in the 17th century and now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lining its scenic harbour are shops and boutiques, as well as the Ernest-Cognacq Museum telling the story of the island. La Flotte en Ré, an old fishing village full of authentic charm, is also very characterful. Its harbour, winding streets and medieval market are lovely places for a leisurely stroll.

The former capital of Aunis on the Atlantic coast, a few kilometres south of La Rochelle, Châtelaillon-Plage is one of the most famous seaside resorts in Charente-Maritime, offering holidaymakers a wide range of activities and leisure facilities.

On a walk around its streets you can see its many Belle Époque villas, typical of the resort architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The fine sand, which runs for three kilometres, and the promenade along the sea front, make it an ideal place for a stroll or a swim in the sea. Its casino and thalassotherapy centre are also part of its heritage.

To the south of the town, you can visit the village of Les Boucholeurs, an authentic oyster port, and sit on one of the magnificent mosaic benches to admire the view of the coast. Steeped in sailors' culture, the oyster and mussel festival takes place in the month of August. Kite-lovers, meanwhile, can attend the international kite and wind festival during the Easter weekend, and be amazed by the sight of the sky filled with pieces of fabric in every colour of the rainbow!

On the banks of the Charente, Rochefort has kept many reminders of its glorious maritime past. This prestigious city, created by Colbert on the initiative of Louis XIV, owes its fame primarily to its military Arsenal, which produced 550 ships over two-and-a-half centuries.

It is here that the Hermione, the legendary frigate that carried the Marquis de La Fayette, was built. Its amazing replica, built thanks to a community project using the materials and techniques of the time, was completed in 2015 after 18 years of work. Today, it's a fascinating attraction for children and adults to visit.

Housed in a superb 17th-century building measuring 374 metres in length, the Royal Rope Works is an important part of Rochefort's maritime history. This factory, which manufactured ropes for the French Royal Navy, now houses the International Sea Centre.

The National Navy Museum is located in the Hôtel de Cheusses mansion, one of the oldest buildings in the city. It has a hundred or so scale models and collections about the Arsenal's history to discover. The former School of Naval Medicine, founded in 1722, was the first in the world to train surgeons to serve on warships.

The unusual house where Pierre Loti was born is now a museum exhibiting objects and exotic memorabilia that belonged to the famous writer and naval officer from Rochefort. The Museum of Old-time Businesses, with reconstructions of workshops and shops from 1900 to 1945, is also worth a visit, as is the Museum of Art and History, housed in the Hôtel Hèbre, a beautiful 18th-century mansion.

In Rochefort, you can also admire the built heritage, which has earned it the label of Town of Art and History, its marina and natural areas, including the Garden of Returns, the banks of the Charente and the Begonia Conservatory.

Aix Island is a delightful territory of 129 hectares, 3 km long and 600 m wide. On this miniature island known as "the little Corsica of the Atlantic", you feel like you're in another world, full of peace and serenity, where time seems to have stood still...

Visitors can enjoy a 360° panorama including a breathtaking view of Fort Boyard. You can also see Oléron Island, Ré Island and Madame Island. The island's harbour was defended by Fort Liédot, reputedly indestructible and impregnable, and built by Napoleon on the island's highest point. It had room for 600 men and served as a detention centre.

A walk or bike ride around the island on its 7-kilometre customs officers' path, among oyster beds, sandy beaches, coves and woodland areas, is an enchanting experience! Another must-see is the collection of Napoleon I memorabilia on display in the Napoleonic Museum, a house where the emperor stayed from 12 to 15 July 1815, before his exile in Saint Helena. Guided walks are offered by the Tourist Office.

Built at the beginning of the 11th century, the Saint -Pierre abbey of Maillezais, burial place of the Dukes of Aquitaine, is situated in the heart of the Poitou marshes. This Benedictine abbey is noteworthy for having welcomed the French writer François Rabelais as a monk in the 16th century.

The majestic ruins of the abbey church and the convent buildings, which comprise refectories, a kitchen, cellar and salt store, are open to the public.

A jetty near the abbey is the departure point for peaceful boat trips along the Green Venice canals.

In May and June, Maillezais abbey, Nieul-sur-l'Autise abbey and Grammont priory host the Festival des Abbayes classical music festival.

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 magnificent La Roche-Courbon Castle, in Saint-Porchaire, Charente-Maritime, located on the Saintonge Historical Treasures Route, was built in the 15th century on a rocky spur. It was first a fortress, then became an elegant Renaissance residence in the 17th century.

A listed Historic Monument since 1946, its interiors are refined and full of contrasts. If features a traditional Saintonge kitchen and a rustic bedroom alongside the superb cabinet of paintings, the 18th-century grand drawing room, the Louis XIII drawing room with its painted beams, a hallway with a remarkable staircase and a bathroom sumptuously decorated with paintings on wood.

The setting is enchanting, with splendid French formal gardens that have earned the Remarkable Garden certification label, featuring arrangements of flowers and statues, and a water feature in which the castle is reflected.

On the property, a short distance from the castle, caves inhabited during the Palaeolithic period add to the charm of the place.

Activities, old games, workshops, an escape game and a PréhistoZen trail, along with a Prehistory Museum in the keep, offer a fun and educational experience for all ages.

The Marennes-Oléron basin, made up of six municipalities, is internationally famous for the quality of its oysters, which are bred in beds at sea and then matured in sea water-filled basins called "claires". The marsh, which covers a large part of the basin, forms a mosaic of unique and surprising landscapes, home to many migratory birds such as herons, egrets, swans and storks.

The channel of the Port of La Cayenne offers a renewed spectacle, with its unusual, brightly coloured huts that enchant visitors, painters and photographers. The port is home to the Cité de l'huître, a museum about oyster farming. Visitors can discover a wealth of information about how the famous shellfish is farmed and the skills involved. It consists of four show-huts on different themes. The Chemin des Claires is a path of 3.5 kilometres with information signs, running alongside the channel through marshes and oyster farms.

Architectural heritage also has a place in this exceptional environment. If you climb the 289 steps of the Church of St. Peter of Sales (Saint-Pierre de Sales) in Marennes, you can admire a superb view of the basin and the oyster-farming landscapes from the top of the bell tower, whose spire rises to 85 metres! Brouage, labelled one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France, is a former stronghold in the middle of the marshes. It's well worth discovering for its ring of ramparts as well as its watchtowers, bastions and posterns which bear witness to its medieval past. The Château de La Gataudière, an 18th-century stately home and listed Historic Monument, was once owned by an engineer to the King, François Fresneau, who was also the inventor of rubber. Today, its superb grounds contain an adventure park with a treetop rope course, paintballing, karting and orienteering.

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!

The state forest of La Coubre, in Charente-Maritime, was planted in the 19th century to slow down the silting up of the Arvert peninsula, which was particularly exposed to the winds coming from the sea. Its 8,000 hectares of maritime pines and holm oaks unfold majestically and are highly biodiverse. The superb walk leads to the coastal dunes of the Arvert peninsula and with a bit of luck, you might spot a stag, a doe or a roe deer.

On the La Coubre headland, the two-coloured lighthouse built in 1904 in the municipality of La Tremblade marks the entrance to the Gironde estuary. It plays an important role as a sentinel on this tumultuous part of the coast. From the top of its 300 steps, at a height of 64 metres, you can admire a magnificent view of the forest and the wild coast. At the foot of the lighthouse is a museum dedicated to the history of lighthouses and their workings. A cycle path of 29 kilometres, from Ronce-les-Bains to Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, is a great way to enjoy this authentic setting, between forest and ocean!

The mild climate of Oléron Island, the southernmost island on the Atlantic coast, has earned it the moniker "mimosa island". Yet beyond its sunny natural environment, there is plenty more to enchant visitors on this piece of land off the Rochefort coast measuring 30 km long by 8 km wide!

The place is renowned for its oysters, farmed in special ponds called "claires" in the Marennes-Oléron basin. In an oyster hut in Saint-Trojan-les-Bains, the Oléron Oyster Centre (Maison de l'huître oléronaise) offers guided tours of the oyster beds and tastings.

Access to Oléron Island is via its famous bridge spanning over 3 km, opened in 1966 and now free to use. Between superb sandy beaches and beautiful pine forests, there are many places to visit. Must-sees include the picturesque and lively fishing port of La Cotinière; the island's former historic capital, Le Château-d'Oléron, with its citadel offering a stunning view of the ramparts; the colourful huts on the beach at Saint-Denis-d'Oléron; and the Chassiron lighthouse perched on its rocky cliff, offering a panoramic view from a height of 46 metres. You can also see the century-old oyster farming village of Fort-Royer, the oyster farming site of La Baudissière and the Port des Salines in Le Grand-Village-Plage.

Two beautiful beaches vie to be the star attraction: Saumonards beach, on the east coast, and the big beach of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains. The forest is also ever-present, covering some 3,000 hectares with many marked paths. In Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, the Oléron Island Museum presents the island's treasures to visitors. The island has many spots where you can enjoy water sports, and opportunities to approach the legendary Fort Boyard, its star attraction, by sea.