Mornac-sur-Seudre, classified amongst
 the most beautiful villages in France

Mornac-sur-Seudre is a place that tourists passing through the area like to visit, a place to aim for when walking, and for those who live in the region, a village to return to repeatedly.

Mornac and another local village, Talmont-sur-Girone are classified amongst the most beautiful villages in France and have several things in common ; the proximity of an estuary, in the case of Talmont, the biggest estuary in Europe and for Mornac, quite a small estuary, the river Seudre ; two 12th Century Romanesque churches, reinforced to face up to the ravages of the wars at that time; a tourist development with the various boutiques of artisans and craftsmen.

At Mornac, continue the visit to the village with a walk in the marshes going towards the Seudre.

It is worth returning to Mornac to see it captured in the various shades of light at different times of the day and at different seasons, as I have tried to capture in the photographs.

The access to Mornac is easy from Saint-Sulpice-de-Royan, on the D733 route, Royan-Rochefort.
The D140 leaves the D733 at Fontbedeau, near the train station Saujon-La Tremblade, and continues on to Mornac through the marshes.

Several car parks have been built near the centre to welcome the numerous summer visitors.

The 14th century market is a good starting point for the visit.
From there, on the right-hand side you will see the fortified bell tower of the church of Saint Nicholas .

The interior of the church, a little below street level, with beautiful Romanesque columns, is well worth looking around before leaving by the door on the left, which leads to the stairs going up to the bell tower.

The ascent to the top of the bell tower is absolutely recommended in order to take advantage of a panoramic view over the roofs with their curved tiles, the remaining part of the castle, the marshes, the ‘claires’ oyster beds, the canals and the Seudre.

On leaving the church, continue along la rue du Port which curves down to the small square in front of the port.

Alternatively, you can take the slightly longer route through the alleys which will lead eventually to the port, just follow the downhill slope.

At any time of the day or evening during the season, you can always take a small break for refreshments.

"La Bonne Tarte", on the left-hand side walking down la rue du Port and open all the year round, is famous for its plum tarts.

A little lower down on the right-hand side of the port, the creperie installed in the old mill, with a very pleasant terrace overlooking the marsh, offers a wide and varied menu at very reasonable prices and a very warm reception.

The Port

The port shelters some old riggings which contribute, with the old water mill, to give an impression of a bye-gone age.