Hot air ballooning over the Marais Poitevin

Ballonvaart 1 Poitou Charentes Frankrijk vakantie marais poitevin rochelle forges.jpg

You can go on a hot air balloon ride from various places in the Poitou-Charentes. A hot air balloon ride is a unique experience, especially if it is in France. You can see the beautiful French landscape pass by below you and observe an occasional village, city, abbey or other monumental building. You can see small cars in the distance and can hardly distinguish people. In the distance you can see the sea and in clear weather you can evensee La Rochelle and Île de Ré and Niort in an easterly direction. A hot air balloon ride is the perfect way to see beautiful surroundings in complete peace. Of all the ways to discover France, hot air ballooning is certainly the most original and impressive. If you want to spend a day with your family in a beautiful and memorable way, then a hot air balloon ride is definitely recommended!

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Very popular: hot air ballooning over the Marais Poitevin

Rides with a hot air balloon can be taken in large parts of the Poitou-Charentes. You regularly see them pass by from your holiday home in France. Sometimes you can choose which area you want to go over. Depending on the wind, a starting point will be sought, somewhere between Niort, La Rochelle and Poitiers. Many flights with the hot air balloon go over the Marais Poitevin, a huge nature reserve between Niort and the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This water-rich nature reserve consists of many rivers and streams, the ground is a swamp in many places. The area is known for its great variety of flora and fauna.

Marais Poitevin

Nature reserve
100 ha in size
Partial swamp
Many rivers and streams
Wide variety of flora and fauna

A hot air balloon ride: the preparations

There is a whole team of people who help behind the scenes to organise a hot air balloon flight. Not only is there the pilot, but also on the ground there are various people who contribute. Everything is checked well in advance and the starting place is determined. The only thing that cannot be planned is the landing site. Hot air balloon flights mainly take place in the summer months, especially at sunrise and sunset to avoid thermal winds and because with a low-hanging sun, nature is at its best from above.

Weather

One of the most important elements of a hot air balloon ride is the weather. The following three elements are important.

The clouds: the absence of strong winds or cumulus clouds during the flight, needs to be checked in advance.
The visibility: a minimum visibility of 300m in altitude and 1.5km in distance is required.
The wind speed: a maximum wind speed of 18 km/h is permitted, this ensures the most pleasant balloon ride.

Determine trajectory

Once this data is known, the flight can be predicted and the route that is likely to be taken is planned. It will also be clear in which area the balloon is likely to land and it can be checked whether this area is safe to land. Sometimes you pass over the holiday park and see your holiday home in Poitou-Charentes.

Ballonvaart 5 Poitou Charentes Frankrijk vakantie marais poitevin rochelle forges.jpg

Ballonvaart 14 Poitou Charentes Frankrijk vakantie marais poitevin rochelle forges.jpg

The take-off of the hot air balloon

You can often help preparing the hot air balloon. The balloon is attached to the basket, then the balloon is inflated with fans. When the balloon is filled, the air is then heated with gas burners. Warm air is lighter and rises, causing the balloon to slowly rise and stand upright. The passengers can board and the ropes that were used to secure the gondola to the ground are released. Some extra gas in the balloon causes the balloon to rise slowly. A flight lasts about an hour, after which the pilot releases warm air from the balloon, causing the balloon to descend. After you have landed, you will be brought back to the starting point by cars and you will return to your holiday park in Les Forges.