Beyond the seaside resorts that make it famous, Royan Atlantique is rich in villages. Also rich in heritage, from the hillsides of the Gironde to the marshes of the Seudre, across fields or on the edge of forests. Often discreet, sometimes secret, these villages of character reveal themselves to those who deserve it, to those who take the step aside.
The Most Beautiful Villages of France®, a duo of character with Talmont and Mornac
Two villages of character on two estuaries, on two shores: Talmont-sur-Gironde et Mornac-sur-Seudre. Like the two lungs of a peninsula-shaped country: the Royan region. Thus, along the water and along the narrow streets, we set off to meet two cities where the authentic meets the picturesque. The remains of the old stones reveal a history that has been enriched from century to century. The two human-sized villages do not give themselves over to people in a hurry. They can be visited on foot to better understand them.
The past has notably shaped the shape of the towns of these characterful villages. A right-angled grid for the military fortified town of Talmont-sur-Gironde, a spiral for the old fishing district of Mornac-sur-Seudre. Each of the two communes is above all dominated by its roman church which has a part in the identity of the village. The alleys are made up of side-by-side dwellings whose shutter colors follow one another and alternate as desired. Talmont's coastline is made up of squares, that of Mornac, of oyster huts. The natural environment of Talmont is made of cliffs and vineyards. Mornac is surrounded by marshes and refining beds for oysters.
The two villages live, in particular, by the presence ofartists andcraftsmen : painting, sculpture, pottery, glassware, leather… Each sign, each window invites you to push open the door of their workshops and stalls. Also, at the bend of a street, we meet the inhabitant who willingly shares the little stories and anecdotes that are transmitted by word of mouth, from generation to generation. They are today the salt of our guided tours.
Top 5 unmissable places in Talmont-sur-Gironde
- The Sainte-Radegonde church on the side of a cliff
- The ruins of the White Tower, former watchtower of the estuary
- Le centenary lime tree on the town hall square (priauty square)
- The marine cemetery and its cenotaphs
- On squares of the Caillaud cliff
Top 5 unmissable places in Mornac-sur-Seudre
- St. Peter's Church and his bedside
- On halls Medieval
- Le harbor channel and its colorful cabins
- Le medieval fire
- La saunier's hut on cut (dikes)
Mortagne-sur-Gironde and the "Villages of Stones and Water"
In the far south of the Royan region, the village of Mortagne is divided between the upper town and the lower town. The port is dominated by limestone cliffs. A belvedere offers one of the most beautiful views of the estuary. The old flour mills bear witness to the importance of trade in the past. The former monolithic hermitage notably gives a spiritual atmosphere to the place. THE postcard museum allows you to go back in time and learn the history of the village.
Mortagne is one of the main ports of the Gironde estuary for meager and pibale fishing. At the end of the port channel, an almost secret path, in the middle of the reeds, leads to the edge of the Gironde for a unique panorama of the largest estuary in Europe. Stage of Canal of the 2 seas by bike®, Mortagne is a village where you take the time to stop for the pleasure of simple things.
The oyster ports of the Seudre
Between the bridge of LNeedle and the Seudre bridge, the small oyster ports one after the other. They are found on the left bank of the Seudre estuary. From the towns of L'Éguille, Mornac, Chaillevette, Étaules, Arvert, La Tremblade, ports multiply along the inlets that feed them: Chatressac, Orivol, Coux, La Grève...
At the rhythm of the tides, these channels, often dug by the hand of man, give life to ports. The barges leave the pontoons at rising tide to reach the oyster beds at the mouth of the Seudre. The egret and the heron take advantage of the low tide to come and peck in the mud. The colored huts become a pretext for walking, on foot or by bike on the Paths of the Seudre. All around, the maturing beds, where the oyster becomes “La Verte Marennes-Oléron”, reflect the light coming from the sky, like water mirrors. This mosaic landscape gives relief to our "flat country".
Along the way, you will discover local flora: samphire (the green sea bean, which can be tasted "natural" freshly picked). As well as santonine, with its powerful scent and which was used in local absinthe recipes. People also come here for local tastings with the simple opening of a dozen oysters. Or the eclade : mussels placed by hand, one by one, and covered with pine needles that are set alight. Here, each cabin has its own story, its own identity. They reflect their owners. Women and men who have adapted their business to the times: from salt trafficking to green tourism.
