Chizé: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

History and Townscape

A motte remains at the site of the former feudal castle in Chizé. The motte offers views over the village of Chizé and the Boutonne Valley. The Château de Chizé had fortifications dating from the 12th to 13th centuries and played an important role in Poitou during the Hundred Years’ War. The Battle of Chizé took place on 21 March 1373 and ended with a victory for the French and Bretons over the English.

The traditional houses made of local natural stone are considered particularly noteworthy. Chizé village church can be reached via the village’s lanes.

For a stay in Chizé, you can rent a holiday apartment.

Waterways and Paths

The Boutonne runs through Chizé. The pedestrian route between Chizé and Availles includes two cable ferries for crossing the Boutonne. The GRP® de la Sylve d’Argenson is a 45 km-long trail between Beauvoir-sur-Niort and Saleignes and runs through the Deux-Sèvres and Charente-Maritime departments.

The municipal marshland of Chizé is ideal for a picnic or a leisurely walk. Information boards have been installed there since summer 2015; the municipal marshland of Chizé also has a children’s playground.

Nature

The former American military camp in the Forêt domaniale de Chizé is now a 2,600-hectare integral biological reserve. Forestry objectives for the northern half of the Forêt domaniale de Chizé include welcoming the public, protecting habitats and providing timber.

The GR36 and the GR de Pays de la Sylve d’Argenson run through the Chizé Forest. The Chizé Forest is designated as a Natura 2000 site. The Chizé Forest is home to 31 mammal species, 6 reptile species, 8 amphibian species, 78 bird species and more than 530 butterfly species.

Excursions

Zoodyssée is a wildlife park in the Forêt de Chizé. Zoodyssée offers one-hour carriage rides accompanied by and with explanations from an animal keeper.

Other places: Pompaire, Moncoutant, Saint-Vincent-La-Châtre, Hanc, Melle, Le Busseau, Champdeniers-Saint-Denis, Le Retail.

To the main travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.