Travel: South West France

STUNNING landscapes, Romanesque architecture, sun dappled canals and sleepy, unspoilt villages are just a few of the reasons why the Poitou-Charentes region in south west France makes for the ideal holiday destination, but the biggest attraction – for kids, at any rate, is Futuroscope – a magical theme park spread over a 148-acre site, some six miles north of Poitiers.

Since it opened in 1987, visitors have topped the 35 million mark. The vast majority, as you would expect, are French, followed by Spanish, Italian, German and English. Scottish visitors have lagged behind, but thanks to Ryanair's direct flights between Edinburgh and Poitiers, that's steadily changing.

Although Futuroscope is billed as a theme park, that description doesn't really do it justice. It's so much more. Everything here is based upon multimedia, cinematographic futorscope and audio-visual techniques. It's great fun but it's also educational and hundreds of school children from all over Europe spend time exploring areas of interest from science through to history and the arts, which link in to their curriculum.

You can't help but get caught up in the feel good factor. I never thought I'd go on a journey – courtesy of a synchronised motion simulator - strapped into a giant, flying 'ladybuggy' careering through a fairy tale, underground world that leaves you breathless with each nosedive and soaring arch as it surges through portals popping open in cascades of colour and sound.

This is Arthur's world, a spectacular, 4D film projected in relief onto a 900 sq metre IMAX dome, created by highly acclaimed French film producer and director, Luc Besson. As one of the newest attractions this year, it's easy to understand why it is creating a real buzz around the park and why it is pulling the crowds in.

But we were also taken with Cosmic Collisions – another high-tech show, albeit with a more relaxed tempo, which explains how the universe was formed.

Housed in a circular building created to represent the galaxy, the star-studded dome explodes into life as a trail of images taken by the Hubble telescope and NASA cameras visually whisk the audience through space and time to illustrate the series of events that led to the creation of the galaxy.

The quality of the projection system is superb and drew gasps from everyone around the room as we watched asteroids smashing into earth and massive rocks and ice thudding together, which brought about the formation of the moon.

Back in the modern world, we took the short drive back to the family friendly Plaza Hotel which we'd made our base for this part of our stay, then after lunch, we headed to the centre of Poitiers to meet up with official guide and historian Daniel Clauzier for a tour, beginning with a visit to the Courthouse and law offices in the old quarter.

This weathered sandstone building houses the original medieval great hall - once home to Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of Richard the Lionheart, and one of the most powerful women in western Europe during the middle ages. This impressive space is no longer used for ceremonies and trials, but it remains a busy meeting point, only today it is members of the legal profession who pass through the doors. From here, it's a short walk through narrow cobbled streets and to the magnificent Romanesque church of Notre-Dame-la Grande. Restored in 1996 to its former glory, the almost opalescent west-facing faade, adorned with turrets, spires and an array of carvings is considered one of the finest in France and draws in a steady stream of visitors thrughout the year.

What's really enchanting about Poitiers is the picture book mix of old and new architecture which sits side by side with ease, so just a few minutes away from pockets of caf culture where the smart set hang out, you'll find a cluster of medieval timber framed townhouses sympathetically refurbished to preserve the region's colourful history during a time when the rhythm of life flowed at a gentler pace. And a little further on, by the main commercial area there's a traditional covered market, packed with the freshest, mouth-watering regional produce no hypermarket could match. There's a good variety of restaurants too. We loved L'Auberge de l'Ecluse – a cosy little place on the banks of the river Svre, and Vinglique, a slick, sophisticated affair in the middle of town, serving seasonal specialities.

Further afield, in the quaint little village of Coulon, in the heart of the Marais-Poitevin region, Le Central recreates classic recipes with a contemporary edge that are pretty amazing and worthy of its gourmet classification.

But it's not just great food that draws the crowds to this region, there's so much more on offer.

If you're looking for a holiday spot where relaxation is number one on the list, then this definitely fits the bill. Known as Venice Verte, this area is extraordinary - the second largest wetland after the Camargue and classified in 2009 as one of the Great Sites of France.

Ninety thousand hectares of greenery, separated by thousands of canals attracts around 70,000 visitors a year. Explore the marshes by foot or bike but the best and most atmospheric by far is in a flat-bottomed boat as it gently glides through still waters, shadowed by weeping willows and poplars.

We stayed at the Htel au Marais overlooking Coulon's canal but if you prefer living life la Franaise, you might like the idea of renting a holiday property with its own mooring.

Our visit happened to coincide with France's national music day and a 46 km road race, which meant everywhere was buzzing and as we soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed the festivities, we recalled the roadside sign on the approach here which reads 'Ralentissez et Admirez' (Slow down and Admire), and we did just that.