Holidays in Charente-Maritime: visit four eco-museums, guardians of heritage

Created thirty years ago, the Port des Salines, located in Grand-Village on the island of Oléron, showcases Oléron's salt production. This site aims to explain how a salt marsh works. On site, tourists can learn about the work of salt workers. They can take a boat ride, walk the interpretive trail, participate in workshops, and, of course, wander through the ecomuseum. By the end of the visit, tourists will know everything about salt. Evaporation, decantation, saturation, and salinity of salt will no longer hold any secrets for them. In these basins containing varying water depths, the fauna and flora are not the same. Highly dependent on weather conditions, salt harvesting takes place from June to September. The general public's interest in this facility is constant. You will also be an expert on fleur de sel (which is found on the surface of the salt marsh and benefits from the sun's rays) and salt (which is found on the clay under the water of the salt marsh).

Port des Salines Ecomuseum , 34C, rue des Anciennes-Salines in Grand-Village-Plage. Tel. 05 46 70 62 83. Admission: €4.50

This is the editor's favorite. The fourth generation of the Tesseron family manages this eco-museum, which opened in 1989. Over the past ten years, this site, located among the vineyards, has undergone significant renovations. The museum section was designed by Jean-Louis Tesseron. The exhibits, the objects on display, and the documents are all of great value. Nothing has been forgotten, from grape harvesting to bottling.

As for the museography, also designed by the owners, it is just as successful. The ecomuseum highlights the cognac industry but is distinguished by the presence of atypical elements. "My brother, who passed away in 2019, was passionate about Cuba, so we created a room on the links between this country and cognac," announces Jean-Louis Tesseron, also a collector of vintage vehicles. A small garage is also open to the public: you can admire a London taxi, a Jaguar, as well as vintage tractors and mopeds. While admission to the ecomuseum is paid, a generous tasting of local products is offered to visitors.

Cognac Ecomuseum at Domaine des Bessons , 35, route des Bessons, in Migron. Tel. 05 46 94 91 16. Admission: €10, €7 for over 65s, free for under 16s

Located in the Saintonge hinterland, the Maison de la vigne et des saveurs d'Archiac showcases local food products. They are presented in a bright setting, and of course, cognac takes pride of place. But there are also quality appetizers and plenty of other pleasant surprises to delight your palate. Located on a small hill, this establishment also offers a beautiful panorama of the Saintonge vineyards... Throughout the summer, entertainment and culinary workshops are offered to visitors.

House of vines and flavors . La Pierre-Brune, 17 520 Archiac. Such. 05 46 49 57 11. Free entry

Here again, the hinterland is in the spotlight. In Montguyon, the Kaolin House is astonishing. Kaolin mining (white clay used in many industries) ceased here in 2014. The Kaolin House offers a discovery of these white clays, which were once a major economic activity in Haute Saintonge. The quarries were redeveloped after their exploitation ended. You can now even swim in the Beauvallon quarry in Montguyon.