Charente-Maritime has a rare, rich regional heritage.
Towns and villages assert the fecund history of the département.
Discover the towns and the villages !
Regional heritage for all
Both located along the Charente, Rochefort and Saintes are part of the network ‘Villes et Pays d’art et d’histoire’ (Towns and regions of Art and History). An adherence that guarantees an exceptional heritage and architecture, and consequently constant research for the promotion and animation of these sites, and a wide educational approach lauding a history in movement, accessible to all.
Charming villages
Along the Charentes coastline or further inland nestle small communes of exceptional beauty, which blend both authenticity and quality. The Charente-Maritime thus has ten villages of character or classed among the ‘Plus beaux villages de France’ (Most beautiful villages of France). This is the case notably for Brouage, a ‘Grand Site National', Saint-Sornin, a medieval village in the Marennes basin, and Ars-en-Ré with its typical narrow streets edged with green-shuttered white houses.
The Major national sites
The quality label ‘Grand site’, is a symbol of national recognition and is attributed by the Environment ministry. It responds to a desire to restore and emphasise the landscape qualities of the sites selected, which are of an incontestable cultural value. In Charente-Maritime, there are two sites, Brouage et le Marais Poitevin, that correspond perfectly to these criteria.
