Cerizay

The closest airport is Nantes.
Bressuire (15km from Cerizay) can be reached by train from Paris Montparnasse within 3h30.
By car, from Paris, take the A6 motorway towards Orleans/Nantes, then A11 towards Chartres/Le Mans, A87 towards Cholet, exit 27. Then take the N249 road to Cerizay, via Mauléon.

In the Middle Ages, the village centre was located right next to the feudal castle. The last two towers and the chapel of the stronghold were demolished in 1890 to allow the construction of the current church. Just before the Revolution, 1,800 inhabitants lived in Cerizay, most of them were craftsmen, or shopkeepers. Cerizay suffered the Vendée wars with the Saint Louis rebellion in 1792, the attacks of General Westermann (1793) and General Grignon (1794). They spared the city but burnt the castles and villages.

Cerizay offers the visitor hiking activities from the village with its church and wash house, to the Château de la Roche, built at the end of the 19th century, with its park, lake and wash house.
15km from Cerizay, the “Château de Bressuire” is an 11th century monument with ditch and fortifications. Its Neo Gothic style residence was built in the 1800 years in the centre of the castle.
Thouars, located 45km from Cerizay, has a very rich heritage: The traveller will visit, among others, the “Château de Tremoille” with its chapel, orangery and stables, the neighbourhoods of the medieval city, its fortifications (Prince de Galles Tower, Porte aux Prevost Tower, Chouans Bridge), medieval houses (Hotel Tyndo, Hotel des Trois Rois, Cité Libre du Vieux Thouars) and its 11th, 12th and 19th century churches.

 

Food and Drink
Deux Sèvres produces a wide range of goat cheese, of which Chabichou, Bûche du Poitou and Mothais are good examples. Farci Poitevin is a traditional meal with cabbage, salad, leak, garlic, onion, parsley, chives and eggs, milk, bacon.
Cagouille is a type of snail, grilled, braised or prepared with pineau or white wine.
Le « cantaloup » charentais is a type of melon popular for its sweet and juicy flesh.
Finally, Poitou Charentes produces honey all year: rape honey at the beginning of the year, acacia honey in May, chestnut honey, sunflower honey, etc.