Poitiers

Nobody should miss Poitiers, the delightful capital of the Poitou-Charentes region with 2000 years of rich history. Poitiers has been the provincial capital since Gallo-Roman times and as such, its architectural heritage is outstanding. Not necessarily on the main tourist agenda, Poitiers is none the less a town steeped in history and this has resulted in a city with a lovely medieval heart, a worthwhile place to visit. The glorious past is still visible everywhere, but cleverly combined with the contemporary city. Poitiers is proud of its heritage and yet dynamically turned towards the future, as proven by The Futuroscope, a well known theme park based upon multimedia and audio-visual techniques, and mainly made up of modern materials as metal and glass.

The city is easily accessible and is at the midway point of the Paris-Bordeaux axis. It is the perfect starting point to discover the fascinating region of “Poitou-Charentes”, one of the sunniest parts of the French western coast. Lying between the châteaux of the Loire Valley and the Bordeaux vineyards, the area provides several places of interest to tempt everyone.

The Poitou-Charentes region is blessed with many fine sandy beaches, spread along the coastline and the easily accessible islands (including Ile de Ré, Ile d’Oléron and La Rochelle), that lie just off the Atlantic coast. Extending your stay in Poitiers with a holiday at the French Atlantic coast is worth the consideration!

Inland, the scene is one of tranquillity with vast open spaces through to wooded valleys, the canals and the valley of Vienne, to the foothills of Charente and the Cognac vineyards. The Poitou-Charentes region has much to offer the tourist from walks along the coastline, investigating the towns built beside fortresses and ramparts or enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the marshland known as the Marais Poitevin.

Or take the opportunity of your travel to Poitiers to visit the "Chateaux de la Loire" (about 125 km distance) and discover the famous castles and nearby towns, villages, museums, parks and other specialities of the Loire Valley. Or travel to the Normandy’s beaches or to the Bordeaux vineyards, both at a 2 hour’s drive from Poitiers. Or finish your stay in France with a stop at the Atlantic Coast – the train will take you in one hour to the sandy beaches spread along the coastline. The Poitou-Charentes region and her capital Poitiers thus offer plenty of possibilities to combine business with pleasure!


History

The city is established since its beginnings on top of a rocky promontory situated at the confluence of both the Clain and the Boivre rivers. The history of Poitiers begins with the Roman conquest, during the first century B.C.. Called Lemonum, the city becomes the capital of a large territory inhabited by the Gaul tribe of the Pictons. A first urban grid appears, structured by a few streets, a forum, and and other public buildings including baths and an amphitheatre. A huge city wall is built around the end of the 3rd century A.D.

During the Early Middle Ages, the impact of religion changes the city's contour. If the beginnings of Christianity are illustrated by the construction of the baptistery (around the 4th century), the Romanesque period corresponds to numerous (re)constructions, such as the churches of Notre-Dame-la-Grande, Saint-Porchaire, Saint-Germain, the collegiate churches of Saint-Radegund, Saint-Hilary, Saint-Peter's cathedral (begun in 1160) and the abbey of Saint-Jean-de-Montierneuf.

In this period of peace and prosperity for the city, the palace of the powerful Counts of Poitou-Dukes of Aquitaine is raised on the peak of the promontory, symbolically face-to-face with the episcopal quarter built on the west slope.

During the late Middle Ages, architecture and ornamentation reveal the influence of the Renaissance style from the nearby Loire Valley : fine town houses appear between half-timbered buildings.

The 20th century marked in turn the familiar aspect of the old city with ambitious architectural projects, using new materials and different volumes.

In order to discover this rich urban and monumental heritage, visitors can follow the « Chemins de Notre Dame » : three different visiting paths indicated directly on the ground by coloured lines, helping you to discover different quarters of the old town at your own pace (allow 1:30 to 2 hours for each). Starting from Notre-Dame-la-Grande, each path is traced as a loop, bringing you back to your starting point. Information concerning monuments and sites is situated on lecterns and wall plaques all along each circuit : Blue Path, Red Path, Yellow Path.

Parks and gardens

One of Poitiers' many attractions, and a part of the city's identity through the ages, is its numerous open spaces and landscapes. Even before the 18th century, when the city was still surrounded by walls, the town itself only occupied a small portion of space on the promontory. Large empty lots served as meadows, gardens and even vineyards. Today, private gardens still exist, hidden in the centre of blocks of town houses and only noticeable by peeking through an occasionally open gate. However the town doesn't lack public gardens either. These are equally situated in the different quarters of the city centre or its near outskirts. Each park has its own identity and atmosphere, so the visitor can have all his or her time to walk, smell the flowers and discover botanical curiosities ! For a more original outing, the Garden of the Senses is a natural site dedicated to small regional fauna and flora.

Futuroscope

The Futuroscope is a famous french theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D cinemas and a few 4D cinemas along with other attractions and shows, some of which are the only examples in the world. The park had 1.826 million visitors in 2010. In total, 40 million visitors have been to the park since it opened in 1987. The pavilions of Futuroscope are mainly made up of metal and glass: modern materials which give the buildings form and texture, as works of art that make the observer stand and stare. The design of the pavilions was led by architect Denis Laming.

A vineyard region

Poitiers is sitting close to the Bordeaux vienyard. Since ancient times, the vine has shaped the landscapes of the Gironde and its exceptional terroirs have brought worldwide renown to its wines : Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint Émilion, Fronsac, Pomerol, Entre-deux-Mers, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Sauternes, Loupiac, Cadillac, Premières Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, and more. Discover the vineyards of Graves and Sauternes on tourist routes downloadable from the internet.

Chateaux de la Loire 

Poitiers sits also close to the "Chateaux de la Loire". Come and discover these castles and nearby towns, villages, museums, parks and other specialities of the Loire Valley.

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