Top 15 Must-Experience Activities in Poitiers, France

Capital of Poitou-Charentes in western France, Poitiers is a vibrant university city rich in medieval history, offering visitors the opportunity to explore its intricate past through its numerous historical sites. With a solid understanding of the city’s background, the various churches and buildings gain profound significance as the prominent figures who once ruled here, such as queens, dukes, and counts, come to life.

The city features charming half-timbered houses located in squares such as Place Charles de Gaulle, alongside gothic and renaissance palaces that once housed the local nobility. Additionally, the cutting-edge Futuroscope theme park provides a contemporary contrast to the historical ambiance, allowing visitors to enjoy modern attractions.

1. Musée Sainte-Croix

The largest museum in the city resides in a complex brutalist structure built in the 1970s. A thorough exploration of its galleries, which are categorized into themes such as prehistory, ancient archaeology, medieval history, fine arts, ethnography, and regional history, will enhance your understanding of Poitiers and its surroundings.

The archaeology section is particularly captivating, as the museum is positioned above the 7th-century Abbey of Sainte-Croix. Among the museum’s highlights are the Roman sculpture of Minerva, Gallo-Roman coins from Chevonceaux, 6th-century stucco from the Priory of Saint-Pierre, and remarkable works by Rodin, Camille Claudel, and Eugène Boudin.

2. Futuroscope

Since the days of the Lumière brothers in 19th-century France, the nation has consistently been a leader in cinema. Futuroscope theme park embodies this legacy. Renowned as France’s third most popular theme park, it has captivated visitors for over three decades with its array of simulators, rides, and stunning presentations in IMAX 3D and 4D theaters.

The architectural design of the venues for attractions features impressive metal and glass structures with varied forms. Unlike other theme parks, most shows operate on a fixed schedule, enabling guests to plan their visit without spending excessive time in queues.

3. Baptistère Saint-Jean

In Poitiers, you can enter France’s oldest Christian church, constructed in the 4th century and later modified in the 7th century to attain its current appearance. During the Merovingian period, the church featured a large octagonal baptismal pool, allowing total immersion during the baptism rite.

Inside, visitors can view Merovingian sarcophagus covers and impressive murals dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries adorning the walls of a small archaeological museum.

4. Église Saint-Hilaire Le Grand

This tranquil romanesque church is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated along the Way of St. James pilgrimage route. Though it suffered damage during the Revolution, leading to the nave’s demolition and subsequent reconstruction, it still harbors a wealth of medieval art in its choir and ambulatory.

The four chapels feature frescoes from the 1000s, including one of the earliest medieval depictions of the apocalypse. In the crypt, a 17th-century chest contains the relics of St. Hilary, the 4th-century Bishop of Poitiers and a prominent theologian of the era.

5. Parc de Blossac

In the mid-18th century, the Count of Blossac envisioned transforming Poitiers and its medieval image through the creation of this exquisite park, complete with wide boulevards and open spaces. The park is bordered by sections of the ancient city walls, particularly visible in the southern corner.

Visitors can also follow the Chemin de la Cagouillere footpath leading to the right bank of the Clain River. The park features numerous French-style parterres, with arrow-straight avenues flanked by topiaries, as well as a romantic English garden featuring flowerbeds, a decorative river, statues, a grotto, and a small menagerie complete with guinea pigs, parakeets, and rabbits.

6. Église Notre-Dame la Grande

This 11th-century church exemplifies remarkable poitevin romanesque architectural style. Inside, visitors can admire medieval paintings situated above the choir depicting Christ in majesty along with the Virgin and Child surrounded by a mandorla. However, it is the church’s portal that garners the most admiration, showcasing elaborate 12th-century friezes that illustrate scenes from both the Old and New Testaments.

In the Middle Ages, the sculptures adorning the church’s façade would have been vibrantly painted, and beginning in 1995, light artist Skertzo has presented “Polychromies de Notre-Dame,” revitalizing these walls with stunning projections reminiscent of their original colors.

7. Grande Salle – Palais de Poitiers

At the Poitiers law courts, visitors can view the Grand Salle, the only room open to the public in this historic building that was once the seat of the Dukes of Aquitaine and Counts of Poitou. Gaining entry necessitates passing through security checks, but for those interested in the historical narratives of English and French governance, the effort is worthwhile.

This grand hall was constructed in the 1190s at the behest of Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of medieval Europe’s most powerful women. At a size of 50 metres by 17, it was likely the largest dining hall in Europe at that time, featuring three imposing fireplaces, beautifully crafted window tracery, and sculptures depicting figures from the court of Poitiers, including John of Berry and Isabeau of Bavaria.

8. Poitiers Cathedral

The cathedral was also commissioned by Eleanor, beginning in 1162 and being completed approximately a century later — a remarkably swift accomplishment for a project of this magnitude during the medieval era. For history enthusiasts, the cathedral houses much of interest. Notably, many stained glass windows in the choir and transept are original, and keen observers may spot depictions of Eleanor and Henry II within one.

The wooden choir stalls, some of the oldest in France, were intricately carved in the Parisian Gothic style in the mid-13th century. Originally, there would have been 100 stalls; even with 74 remaining, their grandeur attests to the elevated status of the cathedral chapter during that period.

9. Hôtel Fumé

Rue de la Chaîne is one of Poitiers’ most delightful streets, characterized by medieval houses adorned with criss-cross patterns on their timber frames and iron gaslights suspended above the cobbled pathway. As you ascend, this street transforms into Rue René Descartes, culminating in the remarkable, undulating facade of Hôtel Fumé.

This flamboyant Gothic mansion was built in the 15th and 16th centuries by the city’s mayor and now houses the university’s humanities department. Pass through the archway into the courtyard, where intricately sculpted and twisting columns support a half-timbered gallery featuring mullioned windows.

10. Place du Maréchal-Leclerc

The central square of Poitiers’ Cente-Ville offers a markedly different ambiance from the narrow medieval streets, yet is equally charming with its spaciousness and openness. Place du Maréchal-Leclerc is bordered by Belle Époque and Art Deco structures, including the façade of the Société Générale dating back to 1928, along with the former municipal theatre built in 1954 in an Art Deco revival style.

The City Hall, dating from the mid-1800s during the Second Empire, sometimes hosts open weekends, allowing visitors to explore its salons and grand staircase. Recently, modern benches have been added for comfort, and numerous cafés surround the square, providing perfect spots for a relaxing break from sightseeing.

11. Hôtel Jean Beaucé

Continuing past the City Hall along Rue Le-Bascle leads to a striking Renaissance mansion, constructed by the banker of the same name in 1554. Unfortunately, the property is private, preventing interior visits; however, its unusual facade offers ample opportunity for photography.

The mansion features a staircase tower with spiraling windows reaching up to a conical roof, accompanied by another tower capped with a cupola. Its design showcases elements such as gabled dormer windows, busts of Roman emperors, pilasters, scrolls, and decorative medallions.

12. Église Sainte-Radegonde

This church exhibits a fascinating blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, ensuring the visitor is engaged for at least a short while. The bell-tower and apse, which date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, indicate the oldest sections, while the nave represents Gothic architecture from the 13th century, showcasing vaulted ceilings added about a century later.

In the crypt below the chancel lies the 10th-century sarcophagus for Radegund, a Frankish queen who passed away in Poitiers in 587. Adjacent to this is a statue representing the saint, gifted by Anne of Austria (Queen of France) in the mid-1600s after her visit to pray at the tomb.

13. Jardin des Plantes

If the historical narratives and dates begin to overwhelm you, consider taking a meditative stroll through Jardin des Plantes, Poitiers’ tranquil botanical garden. The park hosts 150 species of exotic plants within its greenhouse, predominantly recognized for their medicinal properties.

This botanical garden was initially established by the university’s faculty of medicine in 1621. The remainder of the garden emulates a free-form English park, featuring a pond, waterfall, and winding woodland pathways adorned with distinctive types of trees, including an Atlas cedar and an American bald cypress.

14. Local Walks

There exist approximately 400 kilometers of marked trails in proximity to Poitiers, with the surrounding countryside characterized by woodlands, meadows, and farms, interspersed with remains of medieval structures, including chapels and ancient stone bridges. The landscape is also enhanced by the dramatic scenery along the Clain River, which carved out the rocky outcrop necessary for the establishment of Poitiers.

The Clain Valley boasts steep and rugged walls that provide energetic hikers with exhilarating vistas, similar to those found along the Auxance tributary converging near Poitiers. Conversely, heading east along the Boivre River presents a gentler terrain, entering the picturesque Bocage Bérugois, a tranquil region of hedgerows, meadows, and orchards around the quaint village of Béruges.

15. Food and Drink

Farci Poitevin is a notable local specialty, composed of a mixture of vegetables such as chard, spinach, sorrel, cabbage, and leek, integrated with bacon, all encased in a net and slow-cooked to create a paté-like consistency. This dish is typically served cold as a starter in restaurants.

Another dish often presented as an appetizer, yet sometimes enjoyed after a main course, is Chabichou de Poitou, a cylindrical-shaped goat cheese readily identifiable at market stalls. The region’s lamb, butter, and melons are also protected designations, and visitors might be tempted by the Montmorillon macarons visible in pastry shop windows. Unlike their Parisian counterparts, these are denser almond biscuits with a soft center, baked to a traditional 17th-century recipe.