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To Poitiers
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Poitiers, France
Poitiers in France with e-travelguide.info
Welcome To the e-travelguide to Hotels, guest houses and attractions in Poitiers.
Make the most of your time in Poitiers, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.
Labels such as ‘a city in the country’, the ‘smallest big city’ and ‘the city of 100 bell towers’ give a glimpse as to the nature of this picturesque city in western France. Poitiers is capital of the Poitou-Charentes region and is set seemingly in the middle of nowhere, part-way between national capital France and south-western city Bordeaux. Considering its historic reputation and its position as a regional capital it is somewhat surprising that there are fewer than 100,000 inhabitants in Poitiers.
Poitiers’ population is known for being particularly young, with many students and others under the age of 30 residing in the city. The capital does have a long university tradition, the city’s major educational institution taking root as long ago as 1431. Notably, famous philosopher Rene Descartes studied law at the university.
There are numerous other historic buildings and monuments dotted around the city; in fact, there are 78 registered and protected historic buildings, a good number of which are churches. Throughout the city’s medieval streets there are squares, houses, Romanesque places of worship and hilltop neighbourhoods.
Set on the Clain River, Poitiers’ pretty central areas are complemented by various green spaces around the city. For example, there is the Parc de Blossac, the botanical gardens and the Beaulieu urban park. Around the city itself meanwhile, there are different coloured lines along the pavements to help guide people around.
The fourth century Baptistere Saint-Jean church is thought to be the second oldest place of worship in the country. Other such places include the Saint Hilaire church which is on the Way of St James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain, the beautiful Notre-Dame-la-Grande church and the Saint Pierre Cathedral.
Providing a chance to see some modern architecture and enjoy some fun as a family there is the Futuroscope theme park which was built in the mid-1980s. It has served to establish Poitiers as a tourist destination and exposed the region to the era of information technology. It is actually located in a suburb of Poitiers, in the nearby Chasseneuil-du-Poitou district. New attractions and simulations are added to the theme park from time to time as visitors take on some of the impressive displays and showings.