Marais Poitevin, Natural swamp region between Atlantic coast and Niort, France
The Marais Poitevin is a swamp region in western France stretching between the Atlantic coast and the city of Niort, crossed by a dense network of canals. The area divides into green zones with narrow waterways under ash tree tunnels and wide dry plains with pastures and fields.
Monastic communities began draining the wetland in the 12th century by digging ditches and canals to reclaim land for farming. Later, farmers and engineers expanded the system with dikes and sluices that regulated water between marsh and sea.
The wooden landing stages in small villages along the green marsh serve as front doors where neighbors arrive by flat boat rather than on foot. In some farmyards, rows of angelica plants grow along the canal banks, their roots harvested later for candying.
Several boat rental stations in small settlements along the waterways offer flat-bottomed boats for trips through the green marsh zone, where channels run under tree canopies. Most routes can also be explored from towpath trails, though sturdy shoes are recommended due to soft ground.
Some canals lie so deep under the tree canopies that you travel by boat inside a green tunnel where sunlight enters only in thin stripes through the leaves. On calm days, the branches reflect in the still water so clearly that you can barely see where the tree ends and its mirror image begins.
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