Poitiers Weekend Breaks

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Weekend Breaks to Poitiers

Planning a short break to Poitiers? Check out Travel Library's recommended Top 10 Things To Do in Poitiers. It's a perfect companion for weekend city breaks to Poitiers. Once you've been you can add your own tips and suggestions to help other visitors.

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Top 10 Things in Poitiers on a Short Break

Musée St-Croix

rue Jean Jaurès, Poitiers. The site where the old abbey of St-Croix was built is now home to this museum. It houses a fantastic collection of fine art, primarily of paintings by Flemish artists of the 16th- and 17th century and Dutch paintings of the 16th- to 18 century.

Of special interest is a bronze sculpture of The Three Graces", by Maillol. It is displayed alongside works by Bonnard, Sisley and Oudot. The Archeological section, is devoted to the history of Poitou, from prehistoric times, the Gallo-Roman era, the Renaissance up to the end of the 19th century.

The museum is open in October to May, Monday and Wednesday to Friday, 1 pm to 5 pm, Tuesdays 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 2 pm to 6 pm; June to September, Monday 1.15 pm to 6 pm, Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 12 am and 1.15 pm to 6 pm, Saturday to Sunday 10 am to 12 am and 2 pm to 6 pm. Admission 3.50€ adults, free for children under 19.

For more information visit - www.musees-poitiers.org

Futuroscope

Located about 9 km north of Poitiers in Jaunay-Clan. Transportation From Poitiers, bus nos. 16 or 17 run to the park; if you're driving, take N10 or the A10. This amusement park is a wonderland of science and technology where you will be absorbed into a world of sounds, images and sensations of some of the most advanced film-projection techniques. The Kinemax is a rock crystal covered in mirrors with cinema which can seat 400. In the Omnimax you will see films projected on a massive dome with a special fish-eye lens, which gives you the sense of being right in the middle of the action. The 3-D cinema takes you on a journey through monuments and sites of natural beauty. While watching Le Tapis Magique-Everest you will experience what it feels like to fly over the Himalayas. At the Ocean Oasis you will go on a underwater adventure and explore a reef off the coast of Baja Califirnia. Open daily from 9 am - 8.30 pm. Admission 21€ t0 30€ adults, 16€ to 22€ children 5 to 12, free for children under 5.

Find more information at www.le-guide-touristique.com/us/Futuroscope/

Nightlife

The town's most popular techno- and electronic-music concerts take place at Le Confort Moderne, 185 rue du Faubourg du Pont-Neuf, Tel 05-49-46-08-08. Look out for details of concerts on the billboards in town. La Grand' Goule, 46 rue du Pigeon-Blanc, Tel 05-49-50-41-36, is high-profile disco. The action only starts after 11 pm but continues until early morning. You can listen to the latest music at Le Loft, 85 promenade des Courts, Tel 05-49-41-04-37 and very close by L'Eclipse, 55 promenade des Courts, Tel 05-49-88-34-21. Here you can dance the night away with the youthful, high-energy locals.

Maxime

4 rue St-Nicolas, Poitiers. This restaurant offers the most sophisticated modern French dining experience in town. The menu, prepared by chef Christian Rougier, varies through the seasons, but some of the favouirites is always included. These mouthwatering dishes include Ravioli with hot oysters; baked back of rabbit stuffed with eggplant, mushrooms, and fines herbs, served with chardonnay sauce; roebuck with green garlic; stuffed snapper with roe sauce; fried foie gras served with asparagus; and an herb-laden roast rack of lamb from Montmorillon. For dessert you might want to try au gratin of red berries served with a champagne-based sabayon. Hours Monday to Friday from noon to 2 pm and 7.30 pm to 10 pm. During the winter months it also opens on Saturday from 7.30 pm to 10 pm. It is closed for 5 weeks during July and August, so make sure your visit falls outside of this period.

Eglise Notre-Dame-la-Grande

Place Charles-de-Gaulle. The carvings on the doorway of this church, depicts scenes from the Bible. It dates from to 11th century and was built and decorated in the Romanesque-Byzantine style. The western front, dating from the mid-12th century is surrounded by an open air market. The facade is carved like an ivory casket and is charecterised by towers shaped like pinecones. It was completely restored and cleaned in 1996. Open daily from 9 am to 7 pm and admission is free.

For more information visit the Office de Tourisme is at 45 place Charles-de-Gaulle Tel 05-49-41-21-24 or go to www.ot-poitiers.fr.

Grand Hôtel de l'Europe

39 rue Carnot, Poitier. This is one of the best places to stay while in Poitier. It's quite isolated and this adds to atmosphere of 1930s civility. The rooms are modern compared to the public areas which are distinctly antique in character. In 2001 about half the units were renovated in a contemporary conservative style. The remaining rooms is still decorated in the Art Nouveau style. Each room is equipped with a small bathroom. Breakfast, the only meal served, is set in an old-fashioned dining room with tall windows and a beautiful fireplace of intricate design. Room service is for breakfast only.

Please visit: www.ot-poitiers.fr

Special Events

From mid-June to mid-September Poitiers come alive! The Poitiers l'Eté is a festival of free live jazz, opera, rock, and fireworks. The facade of Notre-Dame La Grande is lighted up with colored lights for 15 minutes every evening at 10.30 pm. Various churches and parks around the city host free concerts during this festival. The Festival Colla Voce, held for 10 days in August, showcases the organs of the important churches of Poitiers. Recitals, most of them free, are held during this time.

Check with the tourist office, Tel 05-49-60-07-93 for schedules or visit www.ot-poitiers.fr.

Parc de Blossac and St-Hilaire

The park is situated towards the southern tip of the old town. Here you can sit among the limes and graveled walks, watching the men play boules having a picnic. After you are relaxed and revived, visit the nearby 11th century church of St-Hilaire-le-Grand, on rue du Doyenné. The many pilgrims who flocked to this place perhaps caused the fire around 1100 that destroyed the original wooden roof. St-Hilaire unique architecture is probably due to the necessitated improvised arrangement after the fire. Eight heavy domes was introduced for the re-roofing is supported by the many auxiliary columns which forms three aisles on either side of the nave. It's also surrounded by a group of beautiful chapels which are worth a visit.

For more information visit the Office de Tourisme is at 45 place Charles-de-Gaulle Tel 05-49-41-21-24 or go to www.ot-poitiers.fr.

Cathédrale St-Pierre

The Cathedrale St-Pierre, an enormous building, is situated on the eastern edge of the old town. The central window of the apse is of the Crucifixion, in which the features of Henry II and Eleanor are supposedly discernible. Some of the stained glass dates from the twelfth century.

The choir stalls are covered with characteristic of medieval detail, displaying scenes of a peasant killing a boar, a baker with a basket of loaves, a coquettish Mary and Child and the architect at work with his dividers. But the most striking feature is the grand eighteenth-century organ, the Orgue Clicquot. Organised concerts in summer often have it playing deafening tunes. Open daily from 8 am to – 6.30 pm.

For more information visit the Office de Tourisme is at 45 place Charles-de-Gaulle Tel 05-49-41-21-24 or go to www.ot-poitiers.fr

Baptistère St-Jean

rue Jean-Jaurès, Poitiers. This chunky, square edifice, has an aura of a second-rate Roman temple. It actually dates from the mid-4th century. It reputedly is the oldest Christian building in France and, until the 17th century, it was the only place in town where you could be paptised.

The octagonal pool sunk into the floor, was used as the font. One of the ancient and faded frescoes that cover the walls depicts the emperor Constantine on horseback. It is from a collection of Merovingian sarcophagi.

Open April to October daily 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm; November to March daily except Tues 2.30 pm 5 pm.

Admission fee is €0.61

For more information visit the Office de Tourisme is at 45 place Charles-de-Gaulle Tel 05-49-41-21-24 or

go to http://www.ot-poitiers.fr.

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