Jonzac, Pons & Mirambeau

A bubble bursting away from the coast.

If you look at our map of the region of Poitou-Charentes this area - although not delineated on that map - looks quite clearly like the big toe of Charente-Maritime sticking out below Charente. That doesn't seem quite so obvious on the specific map of Charente Maritime. There it looks like an unlikely balloon (a truffle perhaps?) bulging to the south and east and away from the oceanic influence. Borders are strange things that have generally been defined to suit administrators in modern times and the aspirations of the aristocracy in times gone by. Decisions made on those criteria often flout geographic, economic and cultural divisions.

A fiefdom and a corridor for pilgrims.

Its mostly the topography that's disregarded by our Area which also roughly corresponds to the French district of Haute Saintonge. That probably gives us the clue that the Lords of Saintes held sway here and linked it to their city although it seems to have more in common with the lands of Cognac and Barbezieux than with the beaches of the Beautiful Coast. Vineyards dominate much of the north but as one goes south the land becomes more pastoral and eventually quite heavily afforested. The mediaeval pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela passed through this area and near Pons you can see the remains of one of the very few surviving examples of the hospices where the devout could find shelter.

Therapeutic waters and a trio of towns.

Jonzac suffered ruinous times historically but its fortuned have revived since it became a Sub-Prefecture town in 1800. It has its chateau while you'll find many charming corners in the town that covers the slopes below. Nearby in ancient quarries they've found a source of warm mineralised waters with claimed therapeutic qualities. You can seek a cure for rheumatism and arthritis but perhaps the local temperate atmosphere will do that without the expense of visiting the spa. Pons too is set on a hill overlooking lush rolling countryside. These names of Jonzac and Pons feature frequently in Francophile literature giving testimony to the popularity of the area. Mirambeau, too, is often seen suggesting that this small and seemingly rather ordinary centre keeps some delightful secrets around its skirts.

A maison on the forest.

In the far south east people refer to the three Monts. Montendre, Montlieu and Montguyon are three settlements strung along the D730 which runs through the afforested part of the area. Near Montlieu there's a Maison de la Forêt de Haute-Saintonge. Its open in the summer and on winter Sundays and will provide information about forest walks and leisure activities as well as exhibitions about the flora and fauna of the forest, its husbandry and the uses of timber.