With the ocean on the doorstep, this uniquely laid-back city has plenty to recommend it. La Rochelle is over one thousand years old and has a wealth of history and heritage to show for it.

From the ornate belle-époque residences and 1950s villas to the vibrant decorative panels and listed monuments, this seaside resort on the Côte de Beauté appeals to fans of architecture as well as visitors into swimming and water sports.

It’s hard not to love the Poitevin marshlands, with their canals lined with ash trees, willows and alders, the birds that migrate through it every year and the famous boat rides on carpets of duckweed.

Experience the unique charm of "Ré la Blanche" (or “white Ré”), which owes its nickname to its traditional houses’ distinctive colour. The fourth largest island in France, Ré has a wide array of landscapes, from sandy beaches to salt marches, vineyards to forests.

Perched on a promontory and bounded by ramparts, Angoulême dominates a meander of the Charente.

Here, you’re in the land of cognac, pineau des Charentes and Charente wines.