Niort / Coulon La Vélo Francette: Normandy / Atlantic by bike

The route

Signposts indicate La Vélo Francette. Much of the way is along the Sèvre Niortaise towpaths, with some stretches on roads with motorised traffic. Numerous little bridges allow you to switch from one bank to the other, offering you different perspectives on the river.

Tourist Offices

• Niort Marais Poitevin-Vallée de la Sèvre Niortaise Tourist Office
• Niort Marais Poitevin-Vallée de la Sèvre Niortaise Tourist Office (Coulon branch) 

SNCF  Train Services

Niort train station: high-speed TGV and regional TER services, line 13 Poitiers > Niort > La Rochelle
Lines 11 et 13 Paris > Angoulême ou Niort > Saintes > Royan
www.ter.sncf.com/poitou-charentes

Buses

Line T : Niort > Magné > Coulon
http://mobilite79.fr/

Don’t miss

Niort: the Coulée Verte (‘Green Corridor’) along the Sèvre Niortaise River; the massive twin Romanesque keeps; the covered market (market days are Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sunday mornings); the churches, including the Protestant one; the townhall; the former townhall, the Pilori, with its great tower; the Jardins de la Brèche Gardens…
St-Liguaire: the rope ferry at Port Lateau; the lock at La Roussille, plus a gastronomic inn in an idyllic location
Coulon: a village in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Marais Poitevin, designated a Grand Site de France thanks to its exceptional environment; the Maison du Marais Poitevin visitor centre, presenting the way the marshes were tamed by man and set in the last medieval manor still standing in the village; Holy Trinity Church; the port, offering all manner of outings on the waters.