Poitiers, Where Sculpted Saints Meet Cyberspace: A City Guide

It’s a hot afternoon in the middle of June and the centre of Poitiers is buzzing with tourists, shoppers and diners. But despite all the activity, a relaxed atmosphere prevails. Amidst the restaurants, cafés and boutiques, a market sells fresh farm produce, with everything from black truffles to cheese and wine, as well as an array of books and vinyl records.

I make my way through the market to Notre-Dame La Grande, often described as one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in France. More than brick and stone, it’s akin to visiting an outdoor art gallery. I stand marvelling with others before the richly sculpted west façade – a masterpiece of religious art that seems to glow in the afternoon sun. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enter the church due to restoration work that continues until next year, but there was still much to see. The façade depicts the stories of the Bible, its detailed sculptures simply breathtaking; it’s no surprise this 10th-century gem is one of the most celebrated churches in Europe.

The nearby Palace of the Dukes of Aquitaine can trace its roots back to the 9th century. The first stone castle was built in the 11th century and it became the seat of power for the Counts of Poitou and Dukes of Aquitaine. In the 12th century, the palace was home to one of the most powerful women in European history: Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen of France and later Queen of England and mother of Richard the Lionheart. It was during Eleanor’s reign that the great ceremonial hall the Salle des Pas Perdus – was added. The palace was also the setting for Joan of Arc’s interrogation in 1429, when theologians and scholars were summoned to verify her claims of divine visions before she was permitted to lead troops against the English. A statue in the Square des Cordeliers honours her memory. Today, the palace is something of an unusual meeting point for friends and couples who look out of time in front of three colossal fireplaces carved with angels in the Salle des Pas Perdus.

Art and history

A walk down the Grand Rue pulls a variety of architectural and cultural threads together: it is lined with half-timbered houses and stone façades that were once home to clergy, nobility and those shaping the area’s civic history. Today, the smell of fresh roasted coffee is dominant and the area has a youthful feel (nearly one in two inhabitants is under 30 in this student city). Window dressers work with intensity on the latest fashions, there’s a well-stocked record shop full of French rarities and an umbrella factory that has been here for 130 years. You can’t miss the colourful array of umbrellas in La Fabrique de Parapluies François, the small workshop and boutique that received the Living Heritage Company award.

A short walk away is Musée Sainte-Croix. Designed by architect Jean Monge and built in 1974, the steel and glass Brutalist building is home to an array of fascinating artefacts and religious paintings, as well as Jean Gargot’s wooden sculpture of La Great Ghoul, a mythological dragon which harks back to the legend of Sainte Radegonde, founder of the Abbey of Sainte-Croix, on the site of which the museum is built.

Visitors come from across the globe to visit the collection of ten sculptures by Camille Claudel, the third largest public collection of her works in the world.

Poitiers sits on two rivers (the Clain and the Boivre) and is surrounded by lush green countryside. The medieval city of Chauvigny, a 30-minute drive away, is where we start our VéloRail trip. My wife, two children and I enjoy an enchanting ride along the track on what are essentially rail bikes, used for maintenance during the golden age of train travel, through the forest and quarries and over bridges, with incredible views, including the Gouzon Dungeon and the Bishop’s Castle (more on those in a moment). While some effort is required, the return journey includes an exhilarating downhill glide.

Another child-friendly pursuit is The Giants of the Sky, a high-flying bird show staged in the atmospheric ruins of the Bishop’s Castle one of five medieval fortresses clustered together in Chauvigny. In the grounds of an open-air Roman-style amphitheatre, an array of colourful, exotic and graceful birds swoop over our heads while knocking off the occasional hat. The falconers raise up vultures, the storks deliver a balletic performance and parrots roll over like circus performers.

We are drawn to have a look at the Dungeon of Gouzon, a restored medieval keep, part of a ruined 11th-12th century château, which now serves as an industrial archaeology museum. Featuring exhibits dating back to the Roman and Neolithic period, it’s easy to spend an hour here exploring the art, architecture and history that have shaped the area, but if you’re pushed for time, don’t miss the glass escalator ride to the rooftop terrace, where you can take in 360-degree views of the lush valleys and verdant countryside.

The future with a twist

Leaving the past behind, we head to Futuroscope, France’s oldest theme park, where we stay in wooden eco-lodges, looking out at the stars and waking to the sound of ducks. After a breakfast of pastries and coffee, delivered in a basket, we take the path into the theme park, which is almost dreamlike, with butterflies, flowers and colourful sculptures.

Since its inauguration in 1987, Futuroscope’s avant-garde attractions have thrilled visitors from France and abroad with 4D cinemas, virtual reality experiences and interactive shows. For travellers who don’t want to experience anything too intense, there are plenty of options too. My most daring ride is the newest attraction, Mission Bermudes, an aquatic adventure suitable for all the family. The upside-down house has an almost Stranger Things feel while offering a very different view of everyday life. If you want to stop for a coffee, try having it at 145ft in the air on La Gyrotour while enjoying the spectacular 360-degree view (though perhaps not if you suffer from vertigo). The park also offers a charming cocktail experience, with La Bar Des Pilotes presenting a variety of subtle film references. I try a Boulevardier, an obscure Paris cocktail dating back to the 1920s, and find it’s a refreshing variation on the better-known Negroni.

In-keeping with the futuristic theme, the Space Loop roller-coaster restaurant sends your food on rails, and you can watch your meal fly through the air before it lands in front of you. My kids tuck into the blue burger (complete with blue bun), and while it might not be for everyone, it’s the first story they tell when asked about Poitiers when they get back home. It seems nothing from 2,000 years of history could top the bill but the legend of the blue burger and bun.

POITIERS ESSENTIALS

GETTING THERE

By air – Direct flights to Poitiers-Biard airport (PIS) from London Stansted and Edinburgh.
By train and car – From Paris Montparnasse it takes 1h 15m by TGV and just over 4h on the A10 motorway. From Bordeaux it’s Ih by TGV or 2h 30m by car on A10 motorway
By ferry and car – Take the ferry from Dover to Calais then the A16 to Pans and join the A10 to Poitiers. Drive time is approximately 6h 37m.

WHERE TO SHOP

Passage des Cordeliers blends history and modernity at a former chapel which houses 36 boutiques, It’s the area’s top shopping destination night in the heart of Poitiers and an ideal spot to stop for an ice cream on a hot day.

WHERE TO STAY

Hôtel de l’Europe is a friendly, family-run hotel in the city centre, where you can expect a warm welcome from hotel manager Catherine. The breakfast produce is from a local farm and includes boiled eggs, pastries and jams.
hotel-europe-poitiers.com

WHERE TO EAT

Directly across the road from the hotel. Le Bistro de l’Absynthe will satisfy connoisseurs of French cuisine. The snails are an ideal starter and the rare steak was bloody but delicious.

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