Coulonges-sur-l'Autize: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

In Coulonges-sur-l’Autize, Renaissance art, historic monuments, digital cultural attractions, as well as routes and tours, come together. Anyone looking to find a holiday apartment in Coulonges-sur-l’Autize can tailor their selection to their own travel plans.

Culture and History

The Renaissance Château is listed as a historic monument and is an example of Renaissance art in Bas-Poitou. Among the monument’s outstanding features are the kitchens, with their remarkable, world-unique diamond-shaped ribbed vaults. Self-guided and audio-guided tours are available at the Renaissance Château. The Église Saint-Étienne has medieval origins: it was built in the 12th century and extended during the Renaissance.

The Halles de style Baltard have been listed as historic monuments since 1996. The Musée du charronnage et de la tonnellerie opened in 1991 in the former fish market hall and is accessible exclusively as part of a guided tour.

Digital Culture

The Micro-Folie in Coulonges-sur-l’Autize is a digital art gallery in the former baths and the House of Water and Ozone. It digitally presents several hundred masterpieces from 12 national institutions and museums. For visitors aged 13 and over, the Micro-Folie can offer immersive virtual reality content with 360-degree footage.

Routes and Tours

The free educational game “Découvre Coulonges-sur-l’Autize avec ‘Tissac’” takes children aged 6 to 12 on a route with 17 questions through the town centre and past the museum and château. The “Patrimoine d’exception” tour traces the history of Coulonges-sur-l’Autize from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the 19th century along a 2 km route.

The “Patrimoine d’exception autour de l’eau” route explores the water-related heritage of Coulonges-sur-l’Autize and is recommended by bicycle over a distance of approximately 10 km. The 42 km cycling loop “La vallée de l’Autize” starts at the Place du château in Coulonges-sur-l’Autize.

Market and Orientation

The Saturday market under the market halls and in the shops in the town centre offers cheese, fruit and vegetables, fish, oysters, meat, organic products, bread and pastries. The Val de Gâtine tourist office at the entrance to the Renaissance Château provides tourist maps, travel guides, and information on hiking and cycling routes, accommodation and dining.

Other destinations: Bressuire, Melle, Marigny, Crézières, Bessines, Saint-Vincent-La-Châtre, Souvigné, Champdeniers-Saint-Denis

For the overview of the wider travel region: Deux-Sèvres.