Arçais, village typique du Marais Poitevin

Arçais, typical village of the Marais Poitevin

DARRI

Share on …

Arçais, labeled “Small Cities of Character” is a typical village of the Marais Poitevin

Route details

ARCAIS

pedestrian

Cultural

Description

This quick little walk, accessible to all, will allow you to wander around the village of Arçais. Typical of the Marais Poitevin, this market garden village has many treasures but above all it is the ideal place for a peaceful stroll along the Sèvre which we also call "The Green Venice".

Have a good walk and don't forget that you are not alone on the trails you are going to follow. We therefore invite you to respect nature: avoid picking flowers and plants, do not leave any trash behind, respect inhabited places, stay on the trails, keep dogs on a leash.

-> Unmarked route

DifficultyVery easyDuration30h00Distance2,5 km

To download

GPX KML

See the itinerary

Arçais, typical village of the Marais Poitevin

Distance:2,5 km

Your itinerary

Getting to the starting point to report a problem

Step 1

The Saint-Cyr church is relatively recent construction. In 1620, René Goulard, lord of Arçais, donated the site on which this church was built, at the top of the highest point in the village (5 m.).
Unusual are the hooks on the northern exterior cladding of Saint-Cyr, located high up and which were once used to dry the firefighters' leather hoses, without twisting them.

Step 2

The Grand Port of Arçais was, from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century, one of the main places of trade between the plain and the Sèvre Niortaise valley. Its paved slipway is located in the bend of a conch and the two wooden cranes remind us that in the past the poplar trunks, transported by water, were hoisted onto the bank.

Step 3

This Grand Logis was enlarged in the 1960th century (private residence visible from the street). Its first owner was responsible for planting the first poplar in the Marais Poitevin. The eleven stores on the ground floor were used for the storage of goods (wine, wood, fish) in transit to Niort and Marans, then rented until around XNUMX to farmers who stored their equipment necessary for exploiting the marsh there.

Step 4

You can observe the numerous houses which overlook the reach of the Garenne. Houses with typically market garden characteristics. Rural architecture is linked to local geology (limestone stones of the hillside, poplar framework, so-called boot stem tiles, etc.).

Step 5

The two-chain boat is a system that has been put in place to simply and quickly cross the canals of the Marais Poitevin. Pull on the chain, it is the latter which, with the strength of your arms, will take you to the other side of the bank.

See the itinerary

Was this content useful to you?

This content was useful to you
This content was not useful to you
Save

Share this content