How about a visit to Cognac, birth place of 16th century King François 1, accredited to be the initiator of the French Renaissance. The King's sprawling Chateau Valois which retained its ancient flavour is open to visitors.
But Cognac is more famous as the world's brandy producers. France has some 200 cognac producers and 90% of the global market is shared between four houses: Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin. Go on site and learn all about the distillation process. You will not want to miss the Cognathéque to see the world's largest collection of cognac.
Poitiers has a very old university tradition, established in 1431 and welcomed many famous thinkers (François Rabelais; René Descartes; Francis Bacon). It is the second oldest university in France. Poitiers is nowadays one of the biggest student cities in France; it has more students per inhabitant than any other city in France. Historic churches, in particular Romanesque, are the main attraction of Poitiers itself. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture.
Angouleme -
Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of the Charente River, the city is nicknamed the "balcony of the southwest".
Angoulême was a fortified town for a long time and was highly coveted due to its position at the centre of many roads important to
communication so therefore suffered many sieges.
From its tumultuous past the city, perched on a rocky spur, inherited a large historical, religious and urban heritage. It is also a commercial city with its own university of technology and a vibrant cultural life. This life is dominated by the famous Angoulême International Comics Festival that contributes substantially to the international renown of the city. Of equal importance, Angouleme also hosts a vintage car race known as Circuit des Ramparts. You can expect to see vintage cars working their way round the famous hairpins, cars like 1929 Bugatti`s, Frazer Nash's 1930 jags and even old Bentleys but you may also see Touring and GT cars power sliding round this tight Angoulême street circuit.
Limoges
is known for its medieval and Renaissance enamels (Limoges enamels) on copper, for its 19th-century porcelain (Limoges porcelain) and for its oak barrels which are used for Cognac production. More than 50% of all porcelain made in France comes from Limoges. In order to get an overview of the evolution of trends through the centuries, visit the Musée National de la Porcelaine Adrien Dubouché ( Museum of Porcelain Adrien Dubouché) In the City’s historic area, you have le Musée de l’Evéché, (The Bishop’s Museum) which houses enamel collections and painting by Renoir, who was born in Limoges. Not far from Limoges is Oradour sur Glane, a village whose inhabitants where massacred by the nazis on the 10th June 1944. The village has been left as a reminder to future generations. There is the regional airport Bellgarde International Airport which carries more than 5 millions passengers. Served by low-cost RYANAIR.
La Rochelle
A delightful historic port of La Rochelle with its harbour towers, art galleries, museums and its superb aquarium (which boasts 12,000 marine animals, with 70 different aquaria within the complex, including a shark tank over three levels). Or, simply relax and absorb the atmosphere in one of the many quayside cafés or restaurants or stretch out on the sandy beach, a mere stone's throw from town centre.
36 kilometres south of La Rochelle is the royal naval port of Rochefort. Witness the meticulous reconstruction
of the 16th century frigate, the Hermione. The rebuilding of this 18th century frigate provides France with a testimony of its naval
past as well as with a symbol of Franco-American fraternity through a ship whose name is related to that of a man, La Fayette,
a symbol of the support brought by the French to the insurgents in America.
During the Second World War, Germany established a submarine naval base at La Pallice (the main port of La Rochelle).
The submarine base became the setting for parts of the movie Das Boot.
The U-boat scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark were also shot in La Rochelle.
The base is also featured in the computer game Commandos 2: Men of Courage.