Poitou-Charentes Property
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Whether you're looking for a town house, apartment, farmhouse, castle or cottage in Poitou-Charentes, we hope you'll enjoy browsing our regional property pages.
If you are hoping to invest in buy-to-let, or would like a holiday or full time home in Poitou-Charentes, look no further than our wide range of listings.
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Guide to Poitou-Charentes
Départements: Charente (16), Charente-Maritime (17), Deux-Sèvres (79) Vienne (86)
Cities and towns:
Poitiers, Angouleme, La Rochelle, Cognac, Saintes
There was a time when tourists heading South from the channel ports would only glimpse the rolling landscapes of this region from a car-window as they headed South for the Dordogne or Biarritz. Not any more. Take the time to get off that autoroute and get to know this tranquil part of France and you will be well-rewarded. Popular with French holiday-makers for many years it is now becoming a firm favourite for holiday-home buyers and permanent movers seeking “la France profonde”.
The enduring image of Poitou-Charentes is a field of sunflowers set against terracotta roofs beneath a vast turquoise sky – perhaps it’s not surprising that artists love this region for the quality of the light. Now, with the advent of budget flights to local airports, the region is opening up for exploration – estate agents report over 50% of enquiries are from permanent movers. The area is served by airports at Poitiers and La Rochelle to the North, Limoges further inland and with the choice of Bergerac or Bordeaux on it’s Southern borders. The TGV takes 2hrs 30mins to Paris from Angouleme or via Lille for Eurostar connections.
The region has much to offer: reasonably priced properties (perhaps you will fall in love with a typical Charentaise house with its’ creamy limestone frontage, pale green shutters and roman tiled roof), some beautiful atlantic beaches (e.g. near Royan) and popular sea-side resorts (e.g. La Rochelle), picturesque countryside inland, some grand unspoiled cities (e.g. Poitiers, Angouleme) the amazing Marais Poitevin inland waterways and, last but not least, the highest sunshine hours after the Mediterranean.
The cuisine is a mix of traditional French country food with fine Atlantic sea-food and famous oysters and mussels – preferably washed down with a glass of the local Pineau or Cognac. Spring comes early to this region and autumn stays later than further North but the seasons remain clearly defined. For a milder climate head for the Charente-Maritime but expect the landscape to be flatter. Head inland for rolling hills and peaceful unspoilt valleys but expect to see the temperatures drop a few degrees in winter.