4 good reasons to visit Saint-Jean-d'Angély during your stay in Charente-Maritime

It's the epitome of a "fifteen-minute" city. You can do everything in this city in less than fifteen minutes. To best appreciate it, it's best to leave your vehicle in a parking lot (those at the Hôtel-de-Ville or Champ-de-Foire are free) and wander around the Angers city. The heart of the city is small... but charming. Start from Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville to discover the superb covered market open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in summer.

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A little further on, look up to admire the impressive Clock Tower. Rue Grosse-Horloge will lead you to the small square of the Pilori fountain. With its many trees, bars, and restaurants, it's the meeting place and conviviality of Saint-Jean-d'Angély. A few more meters and Rue des Bancs will offer you a succession of pretty old boutiques. Rue Gambetta, dotted with shops, will then take you to the pretty Place André-Lemoyne.

Outside of the small, very mineral town center, nature is everywhere in Saint-Jean-d'Angély. The Bernouët leisure center is the green lung of the small town. You can rent a boat, play pétanque, play minigolf, or even doze in the shade… Be careful, swimming is not permitted. However, 100 meters away is Atlantys, an aquatic center with slides.

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Hiking enthusiasts can hike along a path along the Boutonne River and lose themselves in the allotment gardens. Surrounded by immense poplar groves, Saint-Jean-d'Angély perfectly illustrates the words of Alphonse Allais, who dreamed of creating towns in the countryside, "because the air is purer there"!

Between the half-timbered houses, the Pillory Fountain, and numerous Art Deco residences, history buffs and lovers of old stone will be delighted. The emblematic royal abbey impresses visitors. Inside, the virtual and interactive Micro-Folie museum offers a wide selection of artistic works ranging from Egyptian Antiquity to the conquest of space.

Still in the royal abbey, the municipal media library, inaugurated by President Mitterrand in 1988, is also worth a visit... The abbey towers, majestic but unfinished, are visible from very far away. You can visit them and, after climbing the stairs, contemplate, 30 meters above the ground, the verdant Angers countryside.

For the Cordeliers Museum, our favorite