Les communaux de l'Hôpiteau

The communaux de l'Hôpiteau are the remnants of a landscape once widespread in the Poitou region: heathland, known here as "brande". The broom heather of which it is composed was much used by man, who grazed the communaux and extracted clay from them for use in tile and brick works. The 300 ponds scattered across this moorland landscape bear witness to this activity, making the communaux an exceptional natural heritage site. Today, it is home to numerous birds, including pitchous warblers, dragonflies and great crested newts. A 2.5 km trail, with educational panels, has been created to discover this site, and the leaflet is available from Tourist Offices. A nature outing is scheduled for May 18, for details see "Events".