The House of the Marais poitevin Bay and the fortified church in Esnandes

02 October 2018

Located on the far west of the Marais poitevin, just a few kilometres away from La Rochelle, the village of Esnandes in Charente-Maritime concentrates several tourist sights. Grouped under the direction of the House of the Marais poitevin Bay, the museum of mussel farming shares the place with the fortified church of Saint-Martin.

The house of the Marais poitevin bay 

If the name seems to be incongruous, the mussel of mussel farming is dedicated to mussel aquaculture in the Aiguillon Bay. This activity has been present on the shore of Charente-Maritime for centuries and is explained in a very didactic and playful way. You can find numerous touchscreen devices allowing you to learn more on the life of mussels, from their implementation to their arrival in our plates. You also learn about the typical culture of Bouchot mussel (on wooden stakes). This museum is delightful because it has a scenography available to everyone, including young ones. We learn and discover in a fun and interactive way. There are lots of illustrations, pictures and videos that help turning into images the explanations we can find here. Everybody will appreciate! The work of mussel grower will not be a mystery for you.

Museographic space of the House of Marais poitevin bay.

The coastal area of the Marais poitevin, also known as the Aiguillon Bay, is an exceptional environmental treasury thanks to the abundance of its biodiversity. As an important migratory area, you can fin numerous bird species. The 20-minute-long film projected on a giant screen inside the House talks about the migratory activity and the ecosystem of the mudflat, suitable for mussel farming.

The fortified church of Saint-Martin

The second attraction of this village of Charente-Maritime is its fortified church. As both a place of worship where services still take place and a fortress, it stands over 15 metres high and dominates the Aiguillon Bay, formerly known as the Gulf of Picts. A dozen of metres away from the House of the Bay, its guided tour can be coupled with the visit of the museum of mussel farming. Under the direction of Gaël, our guide, we discovered this quite impressive building, listed as a Historical Monument since 1840. Built in the 12^th century, this church has been fortified two centuries later, avoiding the building of a fort next to it. Inside the church, the furniture has also been classified, including a 1775 pulpit that only exists in triplicate in France. 

Fortified Church Saint Martin of Esnandes.

The highlight of the visit will be the visit of the covered way by the guide a few metres higher. At 15 metres high, the panorama of the Bay, the dry marsh and its surroundings are incredible and worth the trip. We are amazed by the strength of the wind too! Impressive and perfectly preserved, the covered way of the fortified church of Saint-Martin d’Esnandes is undoubtedly a must-see if you are visiting the Marais poitevin!

Aiguillon Bay – Marais poitevin Regional Natural Park from the sky from Parc Marais poitevin on Vimeo.

You can also go to other visitation sites (natural reserve, castles, museums, etc.), each presenting other aspects of the heritage of the Marais poitevin!