Poitou-Charentes

Poitou-Charentes, now part of Nouvelle Aquitaine, is a former region on the French Atlantic coast with Roman, Renaissance and medieval history. In the coastal city of La Rochelle, the 14th-century St-Nicolas Tower overlooks Vieux Port, the old harbor. Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron are 2 low-lying islands known for oysters and fishing villages. Inland is Poitiers, the region's hilltop capital dating to Roman times.