270 Properties for sale in Deux-Sèvres, Nouvelle Aquitaine (formerly Poitou-Charentes, Aquitaine and Limousin), France
Deux-Sèvres
The name of the department literally means ‘two Sèvres' as the sources of both the Sèvre Nantaise and Sèvre Niortaise rivers can be found here. Popular places to visit in this corner of Poitou-Charentes include Parthenay, Bressuire, Thouars and Coulon. To the west of Niort is a vast expanse of marshland called the Marais Poitevin; referred to as La Venise Verte, it is criss-crossed by a network of canals which can be explored by boat in a traditional barque.
CAPITAL: NIORT - Niort boasts a rich architectural heritage with buildings spanning the Renaissance and medieval eras. The city is home to a castle with an impressive donjon (castle keep), which dates from the 12th century. Textiles, leather tanning and flour milling were once the traditional industries of Niort, but today it is an important centre in France for insurance and banking companies.
Access from UK
By air: Poitiers and La Rochelle
By train: Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Poitiers then local services to Niort
By road: Niort is 650km from Calais
Climate
Average annual temperature: (Niort): 7.8ºC/17.2ºC
Average annual rainfall: 867.2mm
Average annual sunshine hours: 1,980.3
Highlights
The fortified town of Parthenay hosts the Festival Ludique International, which brings the town's streets alive with its many different types of games, while the town of Villiers-en-Bois is home to Zoodysée, a 25-hectare wildlife park at the heart of a national forest with more than 500 animals and 60 different species.