Travel Guide Saujon

Located at the bottom of the Seudre estuary, Saujon is the gateway to the Royannais region, and the meeting point of fresh and salt water. The city has been inhabited since the beginning of the Gallo-Roman era, when the Seudre formed a vast marine gulf. Thanks to its privileged position at the bottom of the estuary, Saujon remained a prosperous city in the Middle Ages and exported salt, cereals and wine. The port of Ribérou still keeps today the trace of this rich past. Created in the 11th century, it allowed the city to export this famous white gold until the beginning of the 19th century, when it could no longer receive ships because of the silting up of the river. It was not until 1842 that Jules Dufaure, Minister of Public Works and originally from Saujon, inaugurated the new port. But as for many other towns in Charente-Maritime, the arrival of the railroad in 1876 put an end to the port activities. Having been the subject of an urban renewal program in 2011, the port is now a place for walking. People come to stroll along the paths bordering the Seudre River, admire the quays lined with bourgeois buildings, and walk through the flowery alleys before reaching the city center. The city is known for its spa, created by Doctor Louis Dubois in 1860. The thermal baths have not stopped evolving since then: thermal school of stress, fitness center, free cures...