Marans
Marans is a town to the north-east of La Rochelle, in the Poitou-Charentes region of western France.
The town of Marans has quite a busy road passing through it, and the temptation is to continue on your way. But I suggest you stop a while, because there are a couple of interesting attractions to explore slightly away from the main road.
We stopped just by chance, attracted by the sign saying they had been awarded 'Four Flowers' by the national Village Fleuri' association (not many towns have achieved this), and because we saw a sign mentioning a 'Jardin des Plantes'.
I am a keen garden enthusiast and was not disappointed - the garden in front of the Mairie is superb, and free!
On exploring further, there is a church whose steeple can be seen throughout the town and is unusual in that it is made of steel, with the lower part encased in glass and the upper part left exposed. It's really very unusual for a church and works very well.
Apparently the original chuch was considered to be too far from the town centre so the replacement (the church of Notre Dame) was constructed in 1900. Funds ran out before the steeple was built, but a local lad who had seen the original church built, then later made his fortune in Paris, gave the funds (when he was 93 years old) to build the modern steeple.
There is also a 'panoramic hall' in the steeple with great views across the town and the Marais Poitevin that lies to the east of Marans.
Another attraction worth seeing in the town is the covered market, built in 1882, an impressive glass and ironwork structure.
Marans also has a pleasant river port containing small river craft and yachts, where you can also stroll along the river bank, or hire a boat to explore the canals and waterways of the Marais Poitevin.
Note: I am not an angler but understand Marans is a very popular place with fishermen.
Visit Marans (Poitou-Charentes, Charente-Maritime) travel, gites and hotels
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The Marans hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Marans is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Poitou-Charentes gites for Marans holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Poitou-Charentes Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Marans for places to visit near Marans including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Marans in our Poitou-Charentes forum La Rochelle airport at 27 km Nantes airport at 115 km Marans property for saleSee Poitou-Charentes property for sale
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Tourist Classifications for Marans
- Town is "Ville Fleurie category 4" (ie good attention to gardens and flowers)
- approved Station Verte - resort paying particular attention to its natural environment
Places to visit near Marans, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Marans.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
27 km: Fontenay-le-Comte (Town of art and history) 24 km: La Rochelle (Port town) 27 km: La Rochelle airport (airport) 35 km: Surgeres (Charentais town)
See also Marans (version Francais)
