BED AND BREAKFAST & SELF CATERING HOLIDAYS IN SOUTH-WEST FRANCE

POITEAU-CHARENTES REGION

La Sauvagère is situated approximately 12km south west of Parthenay, 35km north of Niort and 45km west of Poitiers, ideally placed for whatever you desire from this beautiful region.

Allonne - within strolling distance of La Sauvagère, Allonne is a typical sleepy French village with a medieval church and an English friendly bar. Secondigny (just 5 minutes away) boasts a good sized supermarket, shops, bars, banks and a petrol station. It has a beautiful lake with activities such as walking, fishing or picnicking under the trees, and a lido centre with swimming pool, pedalos etc. A bar/restaurant overlooks the lake and is the ideal place for the parents to chill with a glass of wine while the children play.

Parthenay - rich in medieval and romanesque architecture, Parthenay offers all the qualities expected of a market town. Wander through the narrow pedestrianised shopping streets, take in a coffee at one of the typical French cafes or something stronger in a bar of your choice. And don't miss the opportunity to dine in the wide choice of restaurants offering excellent cuisine to suit all tastes and budgets. Take the opportunity to visit the weekly market and sample the local produce and maybe buy some cheese and wine for a picnic on the banks of the river Thouet.

Niort - a great town for shopping with its daily market filled with wonderfully fresh seafood and patisseries. If you meander around the beautiful shops you will find all the French designer labels at prices much lower than on the boulevards of Paris. While you are here, why not stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants.

The Marais Poitevin - a strange, lazy landscape of meadows and fens and crisscrossed by an elaborate system of canals, dykes and slow-flowing rivers. It is known as "La Venise Verte" - the Green Venice - and it is possible to see the local farmers travel through the marshes in flat-bottomed punts. The best way to really experience the Wet Marsh is on a boat trip. Alternatively you can explore by miniature train which leaves from Coulon.

La Rochelle - on the coast with its old fortified port and hidden streets lined with arcades, La Rochelle is a town popular with painters. It is often described as the most attractive and unspoilt seaside town in France. Nearby La Tranche and Les Sables-d'Olonne - are beautiful seaside resorts with miles of sandy beaches.

Cognac - If you're a lover of fine brandy what better place to explore. You can take a tour round one of the great distilleries of Hennessy, Martell or maybe Rémy Martin. Or you can tour the town itself taking the small tourist train.