Saintes, Charente Maritime

Description:

Geography and Transport

Saintes is an ancient market town situated in the centre of Charente Maritime on the River Charente.  The A10 motorway passes by the west of the town (Bordeaux (120km)-Poitiers(140km)-Paris(470km)), and to the east is Cognac (28km) on the RN141.  The A837 motorway is accessible to the north, giving access to Rochefort (46km) and La Rochelle (78km).  Saintes has access to the TER regional services, but for TGV the nearest access is at Surgeres (53km).  The nearest commercial airport offering flights to the UK is La Rochelle (78km).   The commune covers an area of 45.55km².
See also:  Cognac

Climate

On average, Saintes is slightly warmer than the coast in summer (daytime), with temperatures of 24C to 27C (13C to 15C low).  In winter this drops to 9C to 11C (3C to 4C low).  Wettest months are Oct and Nov with 57-59mm, and driest months are Mar, Jul and Aug with 32mm.  Late spring and early autumn also provide warm weather, with May averaging 20C (10C) and Sept averaging 23C (12C).  The town is within an area that receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Saintes was founded in around 20BC, and was originally known as Mediolanum Santonum.  It is the historic capital of the old region of Saintonge, and the oldest town in the region.  There are many examples of Roman architecture in and around the town, most famous being the Roman Amphitheatre (40AD), and the Arch of Germanicus (originally the entrance to a Roman river crossing 18-19AD).  Close to the Arch, is an archaeological museum, with an array of Roman artefacts.  Also in the town are the remains of Roman Baths (Thermae de Saint Saloine) discovered in 1975, and dating back to 4^th century.

The Abbaye aux Dames was originally built in 1047, and the 17^th century religious buildings there house a permanent exhibition recounting the history of the site.  The Saint Eutrope Church was built in 1096, and was a stopping off point for pilgrims on one of the key routes to Santiago de Compostella, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Also of note is the Cathedral St Pierre, built in the 12^th century, re-built in the 15^th Century, only part of the southern transept remains of this gothic looking structure.  Nearby to Saintes is the Paleosite, an interactive exhibition and park set in 10ha, offering visitors a journey from big-bang to prehistoric times.    

The River Charente runs through Saintes, and is navigable right along to Angouleme 72km away.  There is a 92m wharf with electricity and facilities on the river, and it is possible to hire boats from here, from a small 5 person electric boat up to a river boat complete with accommodation.  Alternatively there are guided trips available, and the possibility to take a trip on a traditional Gabare, a flat bottomed boat historically used for transporting cognac and salt when the Charente was a trade route.

Saintes has many parks and gardens to explore such as the Prarie de la Palu and the Jardin de l'Abbaye, and it also hosts one of 23 national stud farms.  Les Haras de Saintes offers guided visits to the 10ha site, established in 1846.  There are many superb Chateaux around the Saintes area that offer fantastic architecture and superb gardens.  There is a camping site in the town which has 214 pitches, and offers obile homes for rental.

Each year in July the Abbaye aux Dames hosts the Festival of Saintes, with 10 days of classical orchestral music within the various religious buildings.  In August, the Amphitheatre hosts events as part of the Sites en Scene series of events across the region.

Economy

Saintes is part of the Saintonge Interieure economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 9.7%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).  Biggest companies here are COOP Atlantique (supermarkets) and Synteane (agricultural supply), but the biggest employers are the Centre Hospitalier and Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais (railway maintenance/management).

Facilities

Saintes has the facilities you would expect from a town of this size, restaurants, cafes, disco, cinema and swimming pool to name but a few.

Education

There are 8 state nursery schools (plus 1 private), 6 state primary schools (plus 2 private), 3 state secondary schools (plus 1 private).  The town has 3 colleges (Lycee), 1 Agricultural college and 2 private colleges.  

Keys Stats

The majority of the properties in Saintes are main residences 90.1%, with only 2.5% classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (29.5% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (24.8% vs 18.2%).  20.6% of the local population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer males than females resident here (46% vs 54%).

Key Facilities and Services: