Supposing for your next family weekend in Charente-Maritime, you headed for Matha? There’s a range of activities and sites that parents and children alike will enjoy, to be found around this small town in the heart of the cognac vineyards.
Here are a few ideas to choose from, depending on the tastes of all the family! To get the most out of your stay, get your “Carte Famille Val’Idées” full of great ideas and special offers from any Tourist Office in Vals de Saintonge.
Day 1 – Getting away from it all …
Matha, known for its “Sève Fou de Joie” liqueur, is home to vineyards and the exotic presence of “La Bambouseraie”. A unique botanical garden with more than 60 species of bamboo, tropical plants and birds from many countries. Joan Brisson, winemaker and enthusiastic botanist, has organised a first-time visitor’s trail. Surrounded by aromas and perfumes, you’ll wander for a couple of hours through the plantation as if it were to the end of the world, discovering rare plants that you can touch, taste and smell.
And after you’ve ventured through the heavenly bamboos, try another fun experience: geocaching with Tèrra Aventura, a must-do in the Charentes! Don’t worry if it’s new to you, it’s very simple. Connect your smartphone to the free Tèrra Aventura app and, on foot with all the family, follow the itinerary shown, making sure to answer the different puzzles. The clues you acquire will enable you to discover the code that matches the GPS coordinates of the treasure. Accompanied by Zart’, enter this amazingly addictive universe in Matha!
It will then be time to recoup your strength by picnicking in the “Jardin de Paix”, which you’ll have come across during your walk. A public, tree-lined space that features sculptures, photoprints, frescoes and works created by artists from France and abroad whose mission is to illustrate the essential values of humanity as well as the fundamental rights of its peoples.
Continue with your gardens afternoon. Start with “Gabriel” at Nantillé, Chez Audebert, 14km distant. An astonishing array of more than 400 statues of people (famous or otherwise) in concrete that will particularly appeal to children. A games booklet to help them visit the sculptures created by Gabriel Albert is provided. A self-taught joiner-cabinet maker, he created this unusual universe around his house, now the property of Région Nouvelle Aquitaine. Visits are free of charge, guided or not, on Tuesdays and Thursdays in summer.
At the end of the day, travel to Saint-Hilaire de Villefranche for a last shady stroll around “La Table du Roy”. You’ll rapidly acquire an appetite! Choose to picnic or to dine in a restaurant at Saint-Hilaire de Villefranche.
Day 2 – Family visits
Your second day will take you to the south of Matha to discover unforgettable sites and meet enthusiasts for their territory.
« Le Cep enchanté » at Macqueville is a vineyard-based theme park where you will uncover the secrets of cognac and its production. A fun trail amongst the vines, dotted with scenography, visual and sound effects that young and old alike will enjoy and that will also appeal to your sense of observation by responding to a tablet based quiz. The legend of pineau des Charentes, professions of the vineyard and the magic of cognac will be revealed!
Feel up to a challenge? Book one of the two daily sessions of our XO Escape Game. The goal is to find the recipe for a prestigious XO cognac. The investigation requires, collaboration amongst the participants, deductive skills and a pinch of good humour! You have just one hour to get out of the wine cellar and unlock the mysteries of assembling this coveted spirit. A truffle treasure hunt is another activity to do as a family at the Cep Enchanté. Lastly, a 9 hole swin-golf for those of 4 years and above, is a perfect opportunity to test your putting skills. Great fun, excellent activities that will enable you spend happy times together. Picnic tables are also available.
And now for something completely different: the Château de Neuvicq, on the Route Historique des Trésors de Saintonge et d’Aunis and its elegant Renaissance silhouette. Using an auto-guide, visit the various rooms and get absorbed in the story of this historic monument, modified in the 17th century by the Marquis of Montespan. Rooted in its history, the château has regular art and craft exhibitions during the summer. Outdoors, the covered way and walks towards the medieval mound will bring home to you the essence of this beneficial land for the vine and more largely, for cognac.
The Ferme des Marronniers at Cressé is a new discovery under the sign of sustainable development. It’s both a farm and an educational garden where children can get close to the animal world: goats, chicken, geese, rabbits, sheep … The farm organises events and workshops with links to nature and features ecologically based games areas. In summer, you can enjoy dinner and themed events.
Otherwise, just drive back to Matha for dinner or bring the day to a close at Thors leisure base where you can either laze or refresh yourselves: swimming is supervised until 19:00 in summer. And you can dine in the restaurant with a view over the lake.
Enjoy your family weekend in Vals de Saintonge to the full!