Surgères is one of the gateways to the Marais Poitevin. Located in the north-west of the Charente-Maritime department, Aunis is a region with natural landscapes, bordered to the north by the Marais Poitevin, to the east by the Saintonge and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
An exceptional cultural heritage
In the historic centre of Surgères, you can discover the mediaeval walls, the Notre-Dame church and the remains of the great castle of the 12th century. The buildings form an architectural ensemble, steeped in history, located in a large park with hundred-year-old trees.
Discover the Beauregard windmill in Marans, the last working windmill in the region. Find out how it works and how organic wheat flour - which you can try and buy - is made.
A working brickyard allows you to you discover one of the major economic activities of times gone by. A unique site, located in the heart of the Marais Poitevin, at Grève-sur-le-Mignon.
La Rochelle, capital of the former province of Aunis
This province was the smallest in France and its capital city was La Rochelle. Rochefort, Surgères and Marans completed the list of towns in this historical and cultural region. Aunis disappeared along with all the old provinces in 1790, during the creation of the départements.
The islands were always, and remain an integral part of the region's heritage. Visit the lle de Ré!
