Finland

Poitiers Travel Guide

Poitiers

Airport Information

Poitiers-Biard is located approximately 3 Km from the city of Poitiers. Taxi is the only available form of transport from the airport to the city. The journey should take no longer than 10 minutes and should cost approximately €10.00.

Places to see

Attractions

Eglise Notre-Dame-la-Grande

This church, built in the Romanesque-Byzantine style and richly decorated, is from the late-11th century.

Futuroscope

This science amusement park in a suburb of Poitiers is a wonderland of technology that lets you experience sounds, images, and sensations with the world's most advanced film-projection techniques and largest screens.

Baptistère St-Jean

From the cathedral, you can walk to the most ancient Christian monument in France.

Cathédrale St-Pierre

In the eastern sector of Poitiers is the twin-towered Cathédrale StXPierre, begun in 1162 by Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine on the ruins of a Roman basilica.

Musée Ste-Croix

On the site of the old abbey of StX-Croix, this museum has a fine-arts section devoted mainly to painting -- especially 16th- and 17th-century Flemish art and 16th- to 18th-century Dutch pieces.

Restaurants

Maxime

Maxime is the most sophisticated restaurant in town.

Vingélique

Established in the heart of historic Poitiers and contained within an ultramodern pair of fresco-ringed dining rooms, this is one of the best-recommended dining rooms in town.

Poitevin

Much of Poitevin's lunch business comes from shoppers and office workers who descend on it at midday.

Top 5 Things to Do

Poitiers, Regional capital

The city's prominent position in the Poitou-Charentes region makes it the most important cultural center. The 600-year-old university, several museums, libraries and cultural centers allow an important and dynamic cultural life all year round. Not to be missed are the important exhibitions in the Musée Ste-Croix or the Musée Rupert de Chièvres (painting, archaeology, contemporary art) and the Médiathèque François Mitterrand.

Giants of the sky

You'll be amazed at this wonderful spectacle - birds from all round the world fly over the ruins of the Bishops' Castle. Discover kookaburras from Australia, a snowy owls, great horned owls, white storks, condors, American parrots, eagles and vultures. Some of the birds will surprise you with their steep dives or giant leaps. They'll skim over your head and make your feelings run wry. This year, you will discover new species of parrots and predatories. Come and admire "the dance of sea birds" with pelicans, herons, ibis, cormorants, aigrettes....

Major monuments of medieval art

The city is a treasure hold of medieval buildings, including many churches of the Romanesque era, Notre-Dame la Grande being the most famous example among others. The gothic Cathedral and Law Courts remind the presence of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and of England in the 12th century. the city also has the oldest Christian building in France, St-John's Baptistry, dating back to the 4th century A.D.

Monkey Valley

350 free roaming monkeys, 30 species to be discovered! The only site of its kind in France. A multitude of information and stories are waiting for you! Here, there are neither cages nor barriers, but a lot of space. Use all your senses and you will be transported into the fascinating universe of the primates! Discover the largest territory in Europe for Chimpanzees and the largest Gorilla group in France, 7 babies born in la Vallée des Singes. In 2008, la Vallée des Singes celebrate his ten years old: rally and entertainment for whole family. Open every day from March 22 to November 11, 2008 and only 30 minutes south of Poitiers.

Some of our features:

- Some surprising moments: feedings
- Direct contact with the animals
- A walk in the midst of nature

Poitiers, the Futuroscope

One of the major attraction parks in France, the Futuroscope presents technical innovations in the domain of sound and especially of image. The site has several pavillions dedicated to impressive simulations and 3d films, shows and demonstrations for the whole family.