To say that Poitou-Charentes is one of France’s best kept secrets is an understatement, because it doesn’t actually exist as an official region anymore. Instead, it is part of the largest region in France, known as Nouvelle Aquitaine. For us, Poitou-Charentes is still very much on the map, however; a historically rich area with the city of Poitiers as its inland hub and the glitter and glam of La Rochelle as its coastal crown. But it’s the inland rolling hills, ancient woodland trails, medieval or Roman villages that are the truly sumptuous secrets in this region.
![]()
Poitou-Charentes is peaceful and charming. For many it is now upstaged by the coast of Nouvelle Aquitaine, but they are missing out. This is rural France at its most pure.
![]()
This is the France so many of us dream of, cycling in lanes where you hardly see another car or even person. Bird watching from the minute you open the bedroom shutters of a traditional maison d’hôte, or walking through orchid filled woodland which opens up to a village with a glorious medieval church or a country market. Nothing fancy, just fantastically French. Read more in our Poitou-Charentes travel guide.
protection
