Property Poitou-Charentes - Buy, Rent & Stay in Poitou-Charentes

Poitou-Charentes France

The Poitou-Charentes region is made up of four Départements, which are the French equivalents of English counties. Charente (16), Charente-Maritime (17), Vienne (86), Deux-Sevres (79)

The Poitou-Charentes Region:

The regional capital is Poitiers - a picturesque town whose streets are interesting for the remains of ancient architecture, especially of the Romanesque period, and the memories of great historical events.

Access to Poitou-Charentes

Each of the four departments departments is within quick and easy reach of an airport offering low-cost flights to and from the UK - Tours, La Rochelle, Nantes and Poitiers. If you'd rather travel by land then the TGV train service will take you to Poitiers, La Rochelle or Angoulême.

Poitou-Charentes Climate

Due to its local microclimate, the Poitou-Charentes enjoys over 2250 sunshine hours/year, and is second only in France to the Cote D'Azur. Summers are long and hot (but not unbearably so). Winter is mild, although frosty periods can occur in its more inland areas.

History of Poitou-Charentes

The region's first known inhabitants, the Pictavi, a Gallic tribe, were conquered in 56 BC by the Romans who incorporated the area into Gaul as part of the province of Aquitania. The Visigoths seized the region in AD 418, but it passed to the Franks in 507.

In 732 or 733, Charles Martel brought the Muslim invasion of Western Europe to a standstill by his victory in the Battle of Poitiers. From the 10th to the mid-12th century, the counts of Poitou were also the dukes of Aquitaine, and the city of Poitiers grew in importance.

In 1152, Poitou came under English control through the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II (later king of England). The region was reunited with the French crown in 1416 and was a province of France until the Revolution (1789-95), when it was divided into three departments, Vienne, Deux-Sevres, and Vendee.

Economy of Poitou-Charentes

Farming plays an important part in the economy of this region - wheat, corn, and cattle are raised. Industries produce machinery, chemicals, and dairy products.

Most famously Charente is home to Cognac whose town gives its name to one of the world's best-known types of brandy or eau de vie. Drinks that bear this name must be made in certain areas around the town of Cognac and must be made according to strictly-defined regulations in order to be granted the name Cognac. The region of Cognac is divided up into six growth areas and covers the department of Charente-Maritime, a large part of the Charente and a few areas in Deux-Sèvres and the Dordogne. The six "crus" are, in order of decreasing appreciation of the cognacs coming from them: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires.

Additionally the area is noted for Pineau des Charentes (Pineau Charentais, or simply Pineau) - an alcoholic aperitif drink, made from a blend of unfermented grape must and Cognac brandy. Made in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime, Pineau is also found as a home-made product in the neighbouring Deux-Sèvres department, but not for sale.

Gites, Hotels and Tourist Accommodation in Poitou-Charentes

This increase in tourism, especially since it is fuelled to some degree by the increase in low cost air fares, opens opportunities for those wishing to start or run a business in France.

Many people find converting an old barn or outhouse to a gite enables them to earn a useful supplementary income from those looking for a French gite holiday. Rural gite holidays are increasingly popular and a 'gite to rent' or 'gite louer' could be how you enjoy life without working in the rat race.

House & Property Prices in Poitou-Charentes

Prices in many areas of the Poitou-Charentes are rising fast and all of the region's four departments - Charente, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, and Charente-Maritime - have something to offer British purchasers. Each department has its own regional identity, largely as a result of its geographical location.

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