A tale of two Sèvres

Never mind nature trails, how could you fail to love a place with its own cheese trail? Joanna Leggett explores delightful Deux-Sèvres

- Joanna Leggett

Each time I head south and cross the River Loire the weather seems to change. The sunshine seems stronger, warmer. I always think of this as the gateway to the warm Mediterranean climate which blesses so much of France.

Leaving the beautiful Pays de Loire you enter the department of Deux-Sèvres, so named for two rivers – the Sèvre Nantaise, which flows south to north to join the River Loire, and Sèvre Niortaise, which rises north of Melle before flowing westward to the Atlantic.

Deux-Sèvres is the most rural of four departments which once made up the historic region of Poitou-Charente and lie to the north of what is now Nouvelle-Aquitaine. With its lovely rolling countryside and abundance of fabulous produce, accompanied by a great climate with plenty of sunshine, Deux-Sèvres offers much to those lucky enough to live here, as well as being an enticingly tranquil place to spend holidays.

In spite of feeling relatively secluded, it remains incredibly well-connected thanks to airports at nearby La Rochelle, Nantes and Poitiers, as well as great TGV links.

LIE OF THE LAND

This largely rural landscape may not offer as many high-profile tourist attractions as surrounding areas, but it does offer, by the truck-load, authentic French charm with luscious countryside, glorious Romanesque churches, delightful towns, pretty villages with lively markets and of course the magical Marais Poitevin regional park.