Matha: Gardens, Art and History

Matha offers several distinct themes to consider when planning a trip: a public garden dedicated to peace, a world of bamboo and plants, historic architecture and outdoor activities. If you’re looking for hotels in Matha, you can decide what to focus on based on whether art and social issues, garden visits or outdoor exercise matter most to you. The places and activities also offer different kinds of visits, from a themed garden and architectural history to a walking route with two distance and duration options.

Gardens with Different Themes

The 8,000 m² Jardin de Paix is a public garden dedicated to solidarity and the search for peace. Monumental works of art by national and international artists explore human rights. The garden also features peace plaques sent to Matha by heads of state and representatives of cultures from around the world. The artworks and plaques express the garden’s theme in different ways. If you’re looking for a place with a social focus to include in your trip, this is a concrete option.

La Bambouseraie offers a different focus: it features more than 60 varieties of bamboo from collection holdings, along with tropical flowers, lotus flowers and spectacular water lilies, including a giant water lily. Visitors can also spot ornamental ducks, Australian geese, Asian pheasants and crowned cranes. The sensory plant experience includes medicinal, aphrodisiac and shamanic plants, as well as plants to smell, touch and taste. Alongside the garden’s visual features, a range of sensory impressions take centre stage.

Church and Château: Matha’s Architectural History

The Église Saint-Herie combines a Romanesque nave with an early Gothic-style choir. The church has been classified as a historic monument by decree since 10 April 1912. The two architectural styles can be distinguished within the same building; the classification date, by contrast, marks its later legal protection status.

The Château de Matha was built in the 9th century and has been classified as a historic monument since 1948. Its entrance châtelet, which takes the form of a Renaissance pavilion, has been preserved. The date of construction, classification and architecture of the surviving entrance offer different ways to explore the château: they relate to its early origins, its later monument status and the design of the entrance structure described today.

Treasure Hunt and Outdoor Walking Route

Terra Aventura in Matha uses QR codes hidden in nature for a treasure hunt in which participants discover the locations. The appeal lies in the search: the codes are part of the activity, not merely a clue to a single viewpoint. Check before your trip to see whether the route is available.

The Les Étangs de Thors – PR 23 walking route runs between Matha and Thors through woods and vineyards near the l’Antenne stream, a tributary of the Charente. Two options are listed: 14 km, taking 3 hours 30 minutes, or 11 km, taking 2 hours 45 minutes. The shorter option is 3 km shorter and, according to the stated times, takes 45 minutes less. This lets you compare the route options by distance and time without implying that they differ in difficulty. Check that the route is available before setting out.

Tickets in Matha

The Bureau d'Information Touristique de Matha sells tickets for concerts, performances, leisure activities and transport. As the offer may change, you can ask in advance which tickets are currently available there.

Discover more destinations: Marennes, Les Portes-En-Ré, Ciré-D'aunis, Saint-Sornin, Saint-Savinien, Archiac, Néré, Échillais

For the broader travel overview: Charente-Maritime.