Discover the Region

The area around Maison Les Buis invites you to slow down and explore. Set in a gently rolling, largely untouristed part of the Charente, the surrounding countryside feels spacious and calm. Quiet lanes wind through fields, woods and small villages, making it ideal for walking or cycling. Whether you head out for a short wander or a longer day’s ride, the landscape has a way of clearing the head and creating space for new ideas to surface.

 

History is woven deeply into everyday life here. The region is rich in beautiful châteaux, Romanesque churches and ancient villages, many of them just a short drive or cycle away. Prehistoric caves and rock shelters hidden in the limestone valleys speak to a much older human presence, offering a powerful sense of continuity and time. Exploring these places doesn’t feel like sightseeing so much as gently uncovering layers of the past, often in peaceful settings far from crowds.

The Charente River and its tributaries add another rhythm to life in the area. Calm stretches of water invite canoeing, swimming or simply sitting by the bank and watching the light shift. These rivers have shaped the land for centuries and remain places of rest, play and reflection, especially in the warmer months.

Local village life brings a different kind of pleasure. Weekly markets and Sunday brocantes offer a chance to browse, chat and linger over coffee or a glass of something cool.

Together, the landscape, history and village culture create a setting that feels grounding and inspiring. Time spent here allows you to naturally balance solitude with connection, activity with rest, making the local area an integral part of the Maison Les Buis experience – a place to wander, wonder, and gently reawaken curiosity.

 
 

  • Just a 15-minute drive from Maison Les Buis, this workshop-museum traces the history of local textile production, from hand-worked fibres to the making of traditional Charentaises slippers.

  • Only five minutes away, this much-loved cinema has been classified as an Art House venue for over 20 years. Films are shown in their original language with French subtitles. The cinema champions world film in a rural setting, fosters social connection, and supports emerging writers and directors.

  • Around 45 minutes from the house, this charming medieval village hosts summer flea markets and offers restaurants, small shops and ateliers – perfect for a relaxed morning of wandering. In the centre, you’ll find a beautiful Roman-Byzantine church that holds occasional live concerts in a magnificent setting.

  • If you feel like exploring further afield, within 1.5 hours’ drive you’ll find the Château de Montaigne, once home to the Renaissance philosopher Michel de Montaigne. The estate remains a working vineyard, and the tower where he wrote The Essays (1572–1592) is open to visitors. We have a copy of The Essays in the library if you’d like a taste of his writing.

  • A picturesque historic town set on the River Dronne, ideal for canoeing and riverside walks. Nearby, you can visit the Château de Bourdeilles. Brantôme also hosts regular flea markets throughout the year, with a good selection of antique and vintage finds.

  • About a 40-minute walk from the house, this small Russian Orthodox monastery can be visited on certain days. It houses a permanent exhibition of icons painted by the nuns who live there.

  • Around 1 hour 50 minutes away, this remarkable open-air sculpture site brings together artists from around the world in an ongoing, ‘perpetual’ project. Sculptors continue and extend one another’s work, creating a fascinating shared landscape of stone. On the way, you could also visit Cognac, or continue to the coast to explore La Rochelle, a historic and lively port town.

 
 

"This is the space where I can feel what I have been carrying inside myself." 

CLAIRE MCGORY