Haute Saintonge and its Vines

Haute-Saintonge, a hinterland, a former historical province, invites visitors to discover its rich heritage, its many churches, treasures of Romanesque art, and its towns full of art and history. It is a land of plains and hillsides, but also a wine-growing and agricultural region. You can also see proud windmills at the bend in the road, on a small windy hill.

Pons, medieval city

On a rocky promontory, overlooking the Seugne, the medieval city of Pons, with its picturesque alleys, bears witness to a rich past. Of the 12th century fortress, the keep, 30 m high, still remains today. It offers an exceptional panorama of the city and the valley.

A stately home was built on the castle dismantled during the Wars of Religion, today the town hall.

Pons is a stopover town on the routes to Santiago de Compostela.

The new hospital, hospice of Pons, located 1 km from the city, has an exceptional architecture with its vaulted passage. It is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. A medicinal garden of more than a hundred plants has been created.

In Charente, the custom is not to offer lily of the valley on May 1st but garlic (new garlic) which brings happiness and luck to its purchaser for a year. The May garlic festival takes place every year in Pons, a town of tradition and sharing.

The geographical location of Pons is ideal for all visitors wishing to discover several small villages of Charente-Maritime as well as their architectural treasures. Several tourist circuits are available in the tourist offices in order to crisscross the surroundings and come across several sites that are both typical and atypical.

Jonzac, spa town

The town of Jonzac is the southernmost in the department. It has developed since the 1980s thanks to its spring water drawn from the depths of the earth. This water has made it possible to create thermal baths located in a troglodyte site, a former cathedral stone quarry, but also an aquatic and recreational complex, the Antilles, and allows urban heating.

The benefits of the waters of the Soenna Spring are proven and are prescribed to treat respiratory conditions, osteoarthritis and joint problems. These therapeutic treatments treat several thousand spa guests per year.

A casino has also opened its doors. The town, surrounded by hills, is crossed by the Seugne. Built on a rocky spur, the castle is the emblem of the town. The original building experienced the assaults of the Hundred Years' War. Then, it was transformed in the 15th century. Today, it houses the town hall and the sub-prefecture.

In the historic centre, the Romanesque church of Saint-Gervais, whose scenic forecourt evokes the Merovingian necropolis discovered in 2009, adjoins Baltard-style market halls. The former Carmelite convent, to the west of the town, is home to the cultural centre.

In the summer, a leisure centre with a fine sandy beach is a delight for young and old alike. It is heated by the excess heat from the thermal power station.

The Energy House explains the history of geothermal energy. Fully restored and working mills allow you to understand with the millers how flour or walnut oil is made.

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THE VINEYARDS OF HAUTE-SAINTONGE

Haute-Saintonge is also characterized by its oenological heritage. You can therefore set off on the wine route to discover the region's vineyards and chat with passionate winegrowers who will not hesitate to let you taste their products. This wine route takes your senses on a journey following the sweet aromas of Cognac and Pineau des Charentes, without forgetting that of Charente wines.

Land of flavors, Haute-Saintonge offers its visitors quality local products and many circuits combining gastronomy and oenology. Do not hesitate to make this gourmet stop and benefit from the know-how of all these producers whose thirst for learning will make you spend excellent moments in Charente-Maritime !