Attractions and Places To See around Arvert - Top 20

The Platin beach, located in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, is one of the most characteristic coastal sites in the region, both for its landscape and its history. 🌊 A site shaped by the sea The Platin beach is distinguished by its limestone cliffs and small coves. This coastline belongs to the Côte Nord de Beauté, between Royan and La Palmyre. The word “Platin” comes from the local dialect and refers to a rocky plateau exposed at low tide. For millennia, marine erosion has sculpted these rocks, creating caves, overhangs, and typical reliefs. 🐟 A traditional activity: fishing and fishing huts As along the entire Charente coast: - Locals practiced shore fishing (shellfish, crustaceans). - Carrelets (fishing huts on stilts) were installed on the rocks or cliffs, emblems of the local landscape. - These structures have now become a heritage and tourist feature. 🪖 A site marked by the Second World War During the Second World War: - The coastline, including the Platin, was integrated into the Atlantic Wall built by the German army. - Bunkers and defensive structures were established on the heights to monitor the Gironde estuary. - Some remains are still visible today, integrated into the landscape. 🏖️ Tourist boom From the end of the 19th century and especially in the 20th century, Saint-Palais-sur-Mer became a popular seaside resort. The Platin beach attracts visitors for: - its wilder setting than the large beaches, - its rocks and coves, - its view of the estuary. Today, it is appreciated for swimming, walking, and photography. 🌿 Today: a natural and heritage site The Platin beach is recognized for: - its preserved environment, - its remarkable geology, - its blend of history and nature. It is one of the emblematic places on the Charente coast, between maritime heritage and historical memory.

The carrelets of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer are among the most emblematic elements of the Charente coastline. Their history blends traditional fishing, tourist development, and local heritage. 🐟 Origin of the carrelets Originally, the word "carrelet" referred to a square fishing net used since the 17th century. A precise description can be found as early as 1769, in the writings of the scholar Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau, who mentioned this type of fishing on the Saintonge coast. 👉 At that time, these were not yet the current huts, but simply a net operated from rudimentary structures. ⚓ Artisanal fishing structures The first local carrelets were simple wooden platforms, built by the fishermen themselves to stand above the water. They were mainly used to catch shrimp, fish, and crabs near the shore, without going out to sea. 👉 It was a family and coastal fishery, less dangerous than sea fishing. 🏖️ 19th – early 20th century: transition to a leisure activity At the turn of the 20th century, with the rise of seaside resorts like Saint-Palais, the carrelets evolved. Holidaymakers and notable figures adopted this practice: construction of fixed jetties, appearance of huts on stilts. The carrelets then became places for relaxation as much as for fishing. 👉 They already contributed to the postcard image of the coast. 🪵 After 1945: democratization and multiplication After the Second World War, the number of carrelets increased sharply. They became a symbol of popular leisure and conviviality. The transition was gradually made from a means of subsistence to a recreational activity. 🌊 Storms and reconstruction The carrelets are fragile in the face of storms: 1999: massive destruction (up to 90% in some areas) 2010 (Xynthia storm): new damage Many have been rebuilt identically, respecting tradition. 🏛️ Today: protected heritage In Charente-Maritime, there are about 400 carrelets. They are: integrated into the public maritime domain allocated by administrative authorization (often renewed every 5 years) Since 2018, they have been recognized as cultural heritage of the department. 👉 In Saint-Palais, they can be observed in particular: at Pont du Diable at the conche du Concié at the Puits de l’Auture

Easily accessible place, only the last meters are prohibited for cyclists.

The Grande Côte, a strategic point covering the entrance to the Gironde estuary, concentrated artillery batteries. From mid-1943 and faced with the threat of an Anglo-Saxon landing, Saint-Palais-sur-Mer became part of the Atlantic Wall. While the Todt Organization built massive blockhouses and small concrete structures there, a multitude of anti-landing obstacles dotted the coastal front of St Palais. We can notably mention the fortified battery of the Grande Côte beach, that of the Grande Côte promontory and that of the Puits de l’AUture, as well as the bunker of the Kriegsmarine artillery headquarters. Guided and commented tours of these bunkers are organized and offered on the WEB, among others http://www.blockhausstpalaissurmer.com/descriptif-visite/

The 12th century church (the oldest), was raised in the 18th century when the bell tower was transformed into a beacon for navigation. It is known as "Le Vieux Clocher". Saint-Pallais is a saint of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. He was in the 6th century, the ninth bishop of Saintes. The history of the Romanesque church and the Old Bell Tower is perfectly summed up on the small information panel placed a few meters from the entrance: "The Romanesque church built under the name of Saint-Palais dates from the second half of the 12th century. At present, all that remains of this remarkable building are the choir, the apse, part of the bell tower and a section of the drip wall of the nave (in a construction, the drip wall is the wall carrying a gutter or a channel ending the roof slope and receiving the water as opposed to the gable wall). "The Old Bell Tower" dominates the tombs of the old cemetery, one of the exits of which opens onto the square on the south side of the new church. This 12th century church is distinguished by its architectural sobriety, a refined style and forms of a very Cistercian elegance. Unfortunately, time and wars have largely amputated the building. The octagonal bell tower is in its lower part authentically Romanesque: a semicircular bay adorned each of the faces, but only two of them have been preserved to the south and east. In order for the bell tower to serve as a landmark, a first raising of more than 2 meters was carried out in the first half of the 17th century. A second, a few years later, gave it its current height. Around 1770, a timber spire was added. The apse, vaulted in a cul-de-four is decorated with five basket-handle arcades resting on engaged columns. 3 bays with deep embrasure and framed by two small columns with bare capitals, provide lighting. A chamfered cord goes around the choir and the apse and delimits the vaults of the load-bearing walls. The climb to the top of the bell tower is recommended to enjoy a superb panorama of the Gironde estuary, the ocean, the Cordouan lighthouse, the residential areas of Saint-Palais, the national forest and the surrounding countryside.

The Saint-Pallais church (the new one) is the parish church of the town of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it replaced the old Saint-Pallais church, which was considered too cramped at the time. It took the name of the old church, which owes it to a bishop of Saintes from the 6th century, Palladius. This neo-Romanesque church was built between 1909 and 1911 under the leadership of Abbot Léon Gerbier and under the direction of the architect Georges Naud, in order to replace the old church located a few meters further away, which had become insufficient for worship. The sanctuary, very simple, is in the shape of a Latin cross. It has a nave with four bays, a wide transept and a flat chevet pierced by three bays decorated with stained glass windows made by the Bordeaux master glazier Gustave-Pierre Dagrant. These stained glass windows represent Saint Peter and Saint Simon, framing the patron saint of the church, Saint Pallais, twelfth bishop of Saintes in the 6th century. Other stained glass windows of the same design adorn the transepts, while those in the nave bear the signature of master glassmaker Van-Guy. The interior of the building is entirely timber-framed, and some sculptures adorn certain capitals. The façade has a semicircular arched portal with six arches framed by two blind arcades, in a style reminiscent of the Saintonge Romanesque style. The bell tower is limited to an orifice pierced at the top of the façade.

Discover the hidden history of the Second World War along the coast of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer. There you can explore the well-preserved German bunkers, nestled between the forest and the ocean. Don't miss the German Command Bunker, which served as headquarters for Abteilung 284 of the marine artillery. You will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the ocean while discovering this fascinating historical site.

The idea of erecting an oratory on this land was presented to Monsignor Le Camus, Bishop of Saintes and La Rochelle in 1903. The project was approved and, a year later, the building saw the light of day. Consisting of a nave in exposed stone and a narthex bell tower, the chapel can accommodate 15 to 20 people. The baptism of the Jeannette bell, the blessing of the oratory dedicated to Notre Dame as well as the first mass took place on August 25, 1904. Having become too small to accommodate all the faithful, the chapel underwent some modifications in 1908, in particular an enlargement, and the stone nave gave way to a longer and much wider brick nave. Monsignor Augouard, Bishop of Congo-Brazzaville blesses the Chapel again for the occasion. Following the feat of Louis Blériot crossing the English Channel in an airplane in 1909, the chapel then dedicated to Notre Dame became the chapel of the Aviators and then a little later that of the Sailors. When Joseph Odelin died in 1927, the chapel was offered to the diocese. During the Second World War and like the Royan coast, the bombings did not spare the chapel of the airmen, rebuilt in 1947. Created in 2005, the association of Friends of Notre Dame du Platin has the mission of bringing to life and maintaining the Chapel of the Aviators. Masses are celebrated there throughout the summer and the pilgrimage at the end of August closes the summer season. On the occasion of the guided tour of the Sentier des Douaniers, we invite you to discover the interior of the chapel and admire the models of planes it houses, offerings also called ex-voto.