Deux-Sèvres: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Deux-Sèvres features a varied landscape between the Marais poitevin, historic towns, signposted trails and regional specialities. The département is described as being less than two hours from Paris and Bordeaux, and 30 minutes from La Rochelle. Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Deux-Sèvres can then continue their accommodation search.

Nature and landscape

In the département, the classified site of Marais mouillé poitevin encompasses eleven municipalities. The Marais poitevin Regional Nature Park extends across 88 municipalities in Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vendée. The Marais mouillé poitevin is a landscape shaped by people, consisting of waterways, rows of trees and meadows. The wetlands of the Marais poitevin cover 28,000 hectares and include canals, wooded plots and natural meadows.

The Marais poitevin is designated as a Regional Nature Park, a Grand Site de France and a Ramsar wetland. In the drained marshes, straight canals run between reed beds; cycling and plant observation are supported there. Coulon is a starting point for discovering the Marais poitevin.

Cycling and trails

For hiking, Deux-Sèvres has 288 signposted circular routes totalling 4,713 kilometres. In addition, there are 2,500 kilometres of specially signposted and maintained routes for cycling, hiking and horse riding. The Vélo Francette crosses Deux-Sèvres for more than 150 kilometres from Thouars to the Marais poitevin. The Parthenay–Bressuire Greenway is 31 kilometres long.

As a complete route, La Vélo Francette is a 608-kilometre trail from Ouistreham to La Rochelle that crosses the Marais Poitevin. The Musée des Tumulus de Bougon is located less than 150 metres from Véloroute 94.

Culture and history

The Musée des Tumulus de Bougon presents human history from its origins to the Neolithic period. It offers family workshops for practising prehistoric techniques. Zoodyssée’s Odyssée des Forêts is a ten-hectare immersive woodland area featuring European forest species.

Zoodyssée’s Graine d’Odyssée includes a mini-farm, animal areas and sensory play areas for young children. The Maison du Marais Poitevin museum presents the Maraiscope, boatbuilding, a traditional marsh house, the life of eels and fishing techniques. A walking trail is dedicated to the historic residences of Cherveux.

Regional specialities

Chabichou du Poitou AOP is a raw-milk cheese made from whole goat’s milk. The area where it is produced, made and matured mainly covers Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. Mothais sur feuille is a flat cylindrical cheese made from raw whole goat’s milk that matures on a chestnut leaf. Its production area extends across 237 municipalities in five départements, including Deux-Sèvres.

Chabichou, Mothais sur feuille, Logs and Pyramids are described as emblematic goat’s cheeses of Deux-Sèvres. Parthenaise beef is a meat speciality from Deux-Sèvres.

Places overview

The places overview includes Chef-Boutonne, Les Forges, Moncoutant, Pressigny, Arçais, Vire, Saint-Maixent-Lʼécole, Parthenay, Niort, La Guérinière, Chauray, Bressuire, Argentière, Bouin, Mauléon, Celles-Sur-Belle, Hanc, Argenton-L'eglise, Lezay, Sainte-Gemme, Champdeniers-Saint-Denis, Coulon, Brion-Près-Thouet, Souvigné, Vouillé, La Crèche, Villiers-En-Plaine, Granzay-Gript, Thouars, La Ferrière-En-Parthenay, Frontenay-Rohan-Rohan, La Mothe-Saint-Héray, Sainte-Soline, Melle, Clussais-La-Pommeraie, Chenay, Messé, Surin, Saint-Loup-Lamairé, Coulonges-Sur-L'autize, Cerizay, La Chapelle-Thireuil, Pierrefitte, Saint-Pardoux, Airvault, Saint-Hilaire-La-Palud, Le Beugnon, L'absie, Vasles, Boussais, Le Busseau, Pioussay, Sauzé-Vaussais, Maisonnay, Vallans, Saint-Vincent-La-Châtre, Ardilleux, La Chapelle-Gaudin, Neuvy-Bouin, Marigny, Saint-Coutant, La Boissière-En-Gâtine, Saint-Aubin-Du-Plain, Les Alleuds, Périgné, Nueil-Les-Aubiers, Villiers-En-Bois, Bessines, Usseau, Germond-Rouvre, Paizay-Le-Chapt, Combrand, Châtillon-Sur-Thouet, Pers, Sepvret, Faye-L'abbesse, Saint-Georges-De-Rex, Irais, Chizé, Ménigoute, Oiron, Scillé, Pouffonds, Clavé, Le Pin, Paizay-Le-Tort, La Chapelle-Saint-Laurent, Genneton, Fors, Secondigny, La Forêt-Sur-Sèvre, Pamproux, Moutiers-Sous-Chantemerle, Saivres, Massais, Échiré, Pas-de-Jeu, Caunay, Gourgé, La Peyratte, Pompaire, Saint-Maxire, Cherveux, Le Bourdet, Fressines, Bouillé-Loretz, La Chapelle-Pouilloux, Fontenille-Saint-Martin-d'Entraigues, Crézières, Étusson, Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes, Sainte-Néomaye, Les Groseillers, Fénery, Limalonges, Le Breuil-sous-Argenton, Augé, Saint-Aubin-le-Cloud, Saint-Pierre-des-Échaubrognes, Mazières-en-Gâtine, Beaulieu-sous-Parthenay, Chiché, Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay, La Coudre, Xaintray, Exoudun, Coulonges-Thouarsais, Cersay, Le Retail, Le Tallud, Saint-Maixent-de-Beugné, Azay-le-Brûlé, Saint-Martin-de-Saint-Maixent, Saint-Georges-de-Noisné, Saint-Germain-de-Longue-Chaume, Rom, Puihardy and Chantecorps.

To the overarching travel overview: Poitou Charentes.