Sightseeing day trips near the Chaniers campsite

Tourism Côté terroir : Saintes and Cognac

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The town of Saintes, once a prosperous and radiant Gallo-Roman city, is just a stone's throw from the Belle Rivière campsite (less than a quarter of an hour by car), and has preserved a number of buildings from that era, including the Arch of Germanicus, dismantled and rebuilt on the other bank of the Charente, and the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre, built under Tiberius in the first century AD. The less Gallo-Roman among us will also appreciate the atmosphere of its town center, while the more medieval will visit the Abbaye aux Dames or the Romanesque basilica of Saint-Eutrope.

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Less than half an hour from the campsite at Chaniers, the town of Cognac, a more recent arrival (it only took off in the ^12th century), boasts a medieval center well worth a visit. In the ^18th century, the town was as famous for its eponymous spirit as it was for its hemp crops. Whether you're visiting the royal château, a distillery or a vineyard, your stay in Cognac will be one for good taste and good food.

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Ocean side tourism: Royan and Oléron

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Connected to the mainland by a bridge spanning the Moêze-Oléron marine reserve, you should take the time to visit the island of Oléron. A paradise for birds and fishermen, criss-crossed by marshes and dunes, ringed by fine sandy beaches, Oléron is one of the most beautiful spots on the Charente Maritime coast for walkers and seafood-lovers alike. If you want to get closer to Fort Boyard, it's also in Oléron!

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Located at the mouth of the Gironde estuary, Royan is famous for its beaches, but also for the famous Cordouan lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in France still in operation, dating back to the ^16th century! Lovers of sea air will love strolling along its beaches, while the architect in you will appreciate the unusual urban landscape: A seaside resort with architecture typical of the late ^19th century, the town was almost entirely razed to the ground by the British air force - without, for once, attributing the feat to the beautiful Eleanor... - and rebuilt in a style inspired by the concrete version of Bauhaus, prolonging, if we're being facetious, the influence of Germanic architecture, of which the blockhouses of the Atlantic Wall, still visible here and there, must have seemed the obvious jewel. Royan is also a very "trendy" town, reminiscent of the centers of major metropolises, with its thematic bars and restaurants.

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