The Marais Poitevin is an exceptional natural park stretching between Niort in the east and Aiguillon Bay in the west. A nature destination par excellence, it is the second largest wetland in France. Partly classified as a Grand Site de France, the Marais Poitevin was awarded RAMSAR certification in December 2023, an international recognition for all the actions implemented to preserve natural environments and biodiversity.
Through a multitude of landscapes and colors, the marshland unfolds around the Sèvre Niortaise river, which rises in Sepvret in the Deux-Sèvres department. Composed of several types of marshland that depend on one another for their coexistence, it is a sensitive natural area that must be preserved. To the east lies the iconic wet marsh, formed by a multitude of canals, also known as the Green Venice . It is here that the emblematic European otter and the longhorn beetle live in symbiosis. To the west, the vast expanses of the drained marsh and the salt meadows of the Bay of Aiguillon offer a prime refuge for the many bird species that live or nest there, such as the Montagu's harrier and the black-winged stilt.
This vibrant and unusual region welcomes you to enjoy its wide open spaces and the simple things it contains. Here, you can meet up with your loved ones and connect with what matters most, for a weekend or even longer.
Zoom : Where is the Marais Poitevin?
Located across three departments – Deux-Sèvres, Vendée and Charente-Maritime – the Marais Poitevin covers more than 100,000 hectares. The second largest wetland in France after the Camargue, you will need to travel 60 km from its easternmost point in Niort to its westernmost point, at the Bay of Aiguillon and the Atlantic Ocean.
The wet marsh, called “Green Venice”
The Green Venice is the most iconic part of the Marais Poitevin, thanks to its spectacular landscapes where canals, dotted with duckweed and lined with strangely shaped trees, carry travelers' boats. Here, without a doubt, GREEN reigns supreme. From the protective branches to the emerald reflections of the water, nature seems untouched by humankind. And yet, for centuries, the marsh dwellers have adapted to these ever-changing lands. A trip on a plate , the traditional boat of the marsh, by canoe, on horseback, by bicycle, or on foot along the paths will allow you to discover its mysteries…
The opinion of the Local Counter
Our top 5 in the Marais Poitevin:
- In the early morning, when nature wakes up
- When you catch a heron take flight above the misty canals
- The “wow” effect of fire on water produced by our boatman guide
- Watch the weeping willows dance, lying in the grass at siesta time
- Observe the elegance of a dragonfly resting on a leaf, the controlled swimming of a coypu between two banks
And you ?
Did you say “wet”?
The marsh is called "wet" because the water regularly overflows. In winter, during heavy rains, the Sèvre Niortaise, the Vendée, and the Autize, Lay, and Mignon rivers flow into the wet marsh before reaching the sea. It must be said that the clay soil of the marsh, due to deposits left by water several centuries ago, is almost impermeable and very flat (half of the marsh is less than two meters above sea level). The water therefore infiltrates very little and flows slowly towards the sea. It can then rise up to 1 meter above the land. An atypical landscape thus opens up before us: the land transforms into vast lakes dotted with pollarded ash trees emerging from the water. The wet marsh is the best-known part of the Marais Poitevin.
The wet marsh is criss-crossed by a multitude of canals bordered by rows of trees which prevent the banks from collapsing by fixing the earth with their roots. If canals were originally the only means of communication, today they are some boat trip places particularly appreciated by visitors.
Discover the Green Venice by boat
The Green Venice boasts 8.000 kilometers of waterways (350 km of which are marked) in a verdant cathedral: an ideal place for a boat trip in the shade of ash trees. Here, the traditional flat-bottomed boat is called a "plate," and you can rent one from one of the many landing stages in the marsh. You can then choose to explore on your own, following the marked routes, or with a boatman and his pole . Numerous landing stages offer this adventure.
1 Pigouille: wooden pole used to propel flat-bottomed boats, an alternative to rowing.
The parched swamp
The one we call "dried up" is nevertheless verdant. It stretches between the Bay of Aiguillon and the wet marsh. Water is omnipresent there, but it is not prone to flooding, unlike its neighbor, the wet marsh. A vast hydraulic network (dykes, flood gates, locks, etc.) allows it to be protected from flooding and tides.
This area of the marshland is characterized by open landscapes made up of straight canals separating vast meadows . Farms are very common, and the drained marshland is particularly renowned for producing high-quality wheat. In the past, limestone islands emerged from the Gulf of Pictons; it was on these islands that towns and villages like Marans and Chaillé-les-Marais developed .
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Find maps of cycling and hiking routes to do in the Marais poitevin in our Local Shops!
Discover the Marais Poitevin by bike or on foot
The Marais Poitevin also offers fantastic opportunities for walking and cycling. Numerous cycle routes exist, and the Vélo Francette , a national cycle route, further enhances these wonderful possibilities. The flat, shaded paths of the marsh are also perfect for walking, ideal for observing the flora and fauna, including rare and protected species that are sure to amaze you. Discover canals, waterways, hydraulic structures, hedged landscapes, and typical villages that dot the routes. You can also explore them on guided cycling tours with Original Vélo Tour.
A bit of history….
Around 10 years ago, the ocean covered a large part of the Poitevin Marsh. Ocean currents deposited a large amount of sediment in this vast basin, filling the basin, which then formed the Gulf of Pictones, with alluvium from the land. Until the Middle Ages, local populations used the marsh only for fishing and hunting, and exploited the higher lands for livestock farming.
Marsh development
From the XNUMXth century begins the draining of the marshes. It is the monks who are the first to embark on this titanic work. Drainage thus makes it possible to cultivate rich soils thanks to the sediments left by water and the decomposition of plants. They build ditches for this purpose, making it possible to isolate the land from flooding.
Conquering the wet marsh
In the XNUMXth century, the marsh underwent a new turn. To deal with famines, a program to drain the marshes was launched. Dykes were then developed to protect the land from the ocean and rainwater. The wet marsh therefore has a function of protecting the dry marsh, by receiving rainwater there. In the XNUMXth century, the maraîchins dug a multitude of ditches in order to raise the ground and allow a faster flow of water. To prevent the banks from collapsing, they plant ash trees along the ditches and move “flat” through this maze of canals.
