Montmorillon Info

Here's a few ideas on what to do and where to go when you visit our corner of the Vienne. This is a beautiful area of France, with an abundance of pretty villages. If you want more information on any of the places mentioned below, follow the links.

Montmorillon

A busy town with a lovely old quarter, known as the Cité de l'écrit (city of writing) rising up from the River Gartempe. Attractions include shops demonstrating various ancient skills associated with books and literature and some beautiful churches and chapels, including La Chapelle Saint Nicolas. A place of pilgrimage for those looking for health and vitality, and young women looking for a husband!

Good eating places for an evening meal include Le Lucullus in the Hotel de France and Le Roman des Saveurs overlooking the old bridge. There's even a good Chinese restaurant Bonheurs d'Asie. The town boasts a very nice tea room, La Terrasse, which is by the old bridge with lovely views of the old town.

Around the town you will see 'History Through the Streets' signs which show old photographs taken from the spot where you are standing. They also give information on an aspect of the towns history in French and English. Maps are available at the Office du Tourisme.

The main market on a Wednesday morning, though there is a small market on Saturdays. Finally, you must visit the macaroon shop (and museum) Rannou-Métivier. Macaroons are a traditional delicacy of the town.

Web Links

Cité de l'ecrit opening times - March 2010

www.pays-montmorillonnais.com    www.montmorillon.fr    www.citedelecrit-montmorillon.com

Journet (time from Montmorillon 11 mins)

The jewel in Journet's crown is the Prieuré de Villesalem, a huge abbey built in the 12th century. The last nuns to live there left in 1790 and parts of the building fell into ruin. It was used as an agricultural building and in the early 20th century it looked to be on its way to the USA, before restoration work began in 1962.

The picture on the right shows a portal with heads carved into it (click to enlarge). These are thought to be the patrons who provided the funds to build the abbey. The first head from the left is believed to be Eleanor of Aquitaine. Wife of Henry II and mother of Richard I, who is associated with the building. Well worth a visit.

Popular concerts are held at the abbey in the summer. Ranging from Gospel choirs to medieval groups.

Link Villesalem

La Trimouille (time from Montmorillon 6 mins)

On the banks of the River Benaize, this is a popular spot for fishing, walking and biking and there are numerous signposted walks which take you through the peaceful and beautiful countryside.

Just outside the town is L'Ile aux Serpents. A reptile house with 60 species of snakes, lizards, terrapins and alligator. Well worth a visit.

The town has 4 bars and 2 restaurants. The Hotel du Nord is very simple, very French and very good value for money. The Café des Sports in the centre of town is good for a beer and a game of pool.

On the 14th July (Fête Nationale) the town throws a big party in the field by the bridge. There's normally a fancy dress parade, live music and a DJ. The evening ends with a huge firework display. It's a great day. There is normally a Brocante (antiques fair/boot sale) on the first Sunday in August.

Visit Tony Réault's boulangerie in the Place de la Mairie for the best bread and croissants in the area.

Web Links

www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tourisme/la-trimouille     www.ileauxserpents.com  

Saint Savin (time from Montmorillon 20 mins)

This little town is dominated by a spectacular abbey which is listed as a World Heritage Masterpiece by UNESCO. The Romanesque murals are the finest in France. A 'must see' if you are in the region. Audio guided tours are available in English.

Web Links

www.francebalade.free.fr

Chauvigny (time from La Trimouille 26 mins)

One of the prettiest towns in the region, with the old medieval town sitting on a rocky ridge above the River Vienne. The lower part of the town has a lively market on Saturday mornings.

Attractions include Le Donjon de Gouzon, a museum focusing on popular traditions and archaeology and Les Géants du Ciel, an exciting bird demonstration that takes place in a ruined chateau. Powerful birds of prey, elegant storks, colourful parrots and comical kookaburras fly around (and sometimes into) the audience. The Fruit Bat cave is fascinating too, but make sure you get to it quickly after the show as you will have a long wait to get in if you don't.

There is a velo rail enabling visitors to take a leisurely ride around the town and surrounding countryside. You need to book at the tourist office.

Web Links

www.geantsduciel.com

Poitiers (time from Montmorillon 50 mins)

The Place Charles de Gaulle is an excellent place to start your visit to Poitiers. There is a large underground car park and you can make your first stop the tourist office, which is sited in the square. An easy way to make sure that you do not miss any of the sights is to follow the blue, red and yellow lines painted on the ground. They link all the interesting buildings and streets.

Poitiers is the capital city of the Poitou Charentes and buzzes with history, shops and excitement. In roman times, it boasted two amphitheatres which held 50,000 people each. Sadly these are no more, as the last remains were wiped out by town planners for development in 1857.

The city has played a massive part in French history. Along with Lyons it was the largest city in Gaul, long before Paris appeared. Le Palais des Ducs d'Aquitaine (now the Law Courts) has seen French kings proclaimed and also heard Joan of Arc's statement of virginity after her interrogation in the Maubergeon Tower.

La place Charles de Gaulle is the hub of the city. The oldest streets start from here, including the lovely Grande Rue. It is dominated by L'église Notre Dame la Grande with its recently restored stone facade. The church was built on the site of a pagan temple dedicated to Venus. A number of our friends who enjoy visiting churches have described it as having an 'eerie' feel to it! During the restoration works, pigments of paint were discovered in the stone, leading the experts to believe that the church was once painted, probably in the middle ages. The result of this discovery is that when it gets dark on summer evenings, brightly coloured images are projected onto the facade giving an indication of what it may have looked like.

All your shopping needs can be catered for in Poitiers. There are retail parks on the outskirts of the city and a nice mix of quaint streets with small shops and shopping centres within the city.

Probably the biggest tourist attraction in the Vienne is Futuroscope, the park of the moving image. It's worth a visit just to look at the stunning architecture. There are about 20 attractions in the park, ranging from Cyber Avenue, an area dedicated to computer and internet games, up to exciting 3D virtual reality experiences. The 14 'films' on show vary from exciting to interesting and from 3 minutes long to 50 minutes long.  Headsets are available for English commentary. I'd advise you spend a little time studying the layout of the park, starting times and durations, before you go charging off. It will save you a lot of hanging around waiting for shows to start. In the evening there is a spectacular light show around the lake.

Web Links

www.tourisme-poitiers.fr    www.mairie-poitiers.fr    www.futuroscope.com

Les Herolles (time from Montmorillon 28 mins)

A tiny village which once a month hosts reputedly the biggest street market in France. It's on the 29th unless the 29th is on a Sunday, in which case the market is on the following Monday.

It is well signposted from the surrounding area and there is plenty of parking, though you may have to walk a fair distance to get to the market.

The livestock and poultry markets are fascinating. Sheep, goats, horses etc are under a covered area in pens, while poultry and rabbits are at the top end of the market in cages. You need to understand that it's not a zoo and most of the animals sold there end up on a plate. So if you have a protective nature toward animals you may not like it.

Get there early to avoid the crowds in summer. Before 8am!

Visit the Around Montmorillon Forum for a full list of 2010 market dates

Around Montmorillon Forum - Les Herolles Market Dates

The Brenne National Park (time from Montmorillon  to Bélâbre 30 mins)

La Brenne is massive. It is known as the area of a thousand lakes, which may give you some idea of scale. Get a guide map before you go! You'll find them at most tourist offices in the Vienne.

Some nature lovers and bird watchers spent the whole of their holidays in the Brenne, such is the diversity  of birdlife, flora and insects. We visited for the first time with some friends who have a good knowledge of nature and were amazed by the number of beautiful birds we saw in a totally free environment. A total of 267 birds species have been observed in the park, along with many butterflies, dragonflies etc. Spring is a great time to visit as many wild flowers are in bloom, including orchids.

Dotted around the park are numerous hides and observation points, a decent set of binoculars will give you a lot more from your trip.

When you're ready for a break from all that nature, there are some nice restaurants and cafés with lake views to relax in. Our favourites overlook the etang du Gabriau.

If you're feeling energetic, there are lakes with swimming beaches, such as the one at Bélâbre, plus many signposted walks. Cycling is popular and there are also centres for canoeing, horse riding, even parachuting! As you would expect from an area with a thousand lakes, you'll find some good fishing spots too.

Web Links

www.parc-naturel-brenne.fr

Angles sur l'Anglin (time from Montmorillon  36 mins)

This village has been classified as one of the most beautiful in France and as you walk along the pretty streets it's not hard to see why.

Of particular note are the views of the valley from the mediaeval ruins and the shops selling Les jours d'Angles. It's a skill that involves creating designs on silk, linen or cotton, by 'drawing threads' from the original material. It has the appearance of lace or embroidery, but is neither.

We have been told that this village was originally built by English soldiers settling in the area in the middle ages, hence the name.

Just opened is the Roc aux Sorciers. It's a very good reproduction of a series of cave sculptures and paintings created 15,000 years ago, that were discovered close to Angles sur l'Anglin. The original site is protected and is still being researched.

Web Links

francebalade.free.fr/poitou/angles    Roc aux Sorciers

Lathus (time from Montmorillon 15 mins)

Centre for the sporty! The Centre de Plein-Air at Lathus offers everything from white water canoeing to a circus school! There are 100 km's of signposted tracks for walking, mountain biking and horse riding, plus archery abseiling and fishing. There's even an underground lake to see.

The walk along the Gartempe to the Roc d'Enfer is a beautiful walk. The river is full of rapids and white water (no surprise that it's an international standard canoe course). But be warned, it is narrow, bumpy, steep in places and it is treacherous when it is wet.

Web Links

www.cpa-lathus.asso.fr

Civaux (time from Montmorillon 23 mins)

Largely famous for its nuclear power station, Civaux also has the Abyssea centre, which houses  a very nice swimming pool and excellent kids pool, 10 pin bowling and 20 metre deep scuba diving tank.

Opening in June 2008 is a huge glass domed crocodile exhibit with over 200 croc's from around the world. It's called going to be called 'La Planète des Crocodiles' and should be worth a visit (web link below)

Web Links

La Planete des Crocodiles     Civaux Tourist Office

Other attractions

La Vallée des singes (time from Montmorillon  1 hr 20 mins)

Over 350 apes and monkeys in a 15 hectare park. In most of the enclosures you are walking through the monkeys territory and they run, jump and play all around you. Visitors are not allowed to feed or approach the primates, but you will see plenty of them. They are not at all shy.

A lovely day for young and old and although it is a big park you do not have to walk far between attractions. They link together well.

Web Links

www.la-vallee-des-singes.fr

Circuit du Val de Vienne (time from Montmorillon 56 mins)

Motor racing circuit which hosts numerous different types of race meeting. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere and easy to get a good spot to see from.

Web Links

www.circuit-valdevienne.com

Motoball (time from Montmorillon 1 hour)

Like football but they play it on motorbikes! Mad! It's at Neuville de Poitou near Poitiers and they've got 3 teams (including a kids one). Visit their website for a full fixture list, but below is the 1st teams for the rest of this season. It's only 5€ for over 18's and it's free for kids.

http://motoballneuvillois.free.fr/index.htm

A little further out

Château du Clos Lucé (time from Montmorillon 2 hrs)

This is where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life before his death at the château on 2nd May 1519. It's well worth a visit. The château is beautiful, with superb furniture and fittings. In the basement you'll find reconstructions of many of Leonardo's inventions. Anyone who knows a little about this great man will be aware that he was centuries ahead of his time with his ideas. There is a guide in English as are all of the information boards.

The château is set in beautiful gardens which have larger reconstructions of the inventions, including the tank, the helicopter, paddle boats and a water collecting device still used in Africa. They are set up in such a way that children can climb in or around them and see how they work. A good day out for all the family.

www.vinci-closluce.com

Grand Parc Puy du Fou (time from Montmorillon  2 hrs 41 mins)

A massive theme park with some spectacular shows. Mediaeval battles and Roman gladiators are among the attractions provided by 2,700 performers. It's epic. The park is only open in the summer, normally June to September and you have to book for the evening show. Try and make it a full day and evening if you can.

Web Links

www.puydufou.com

Cognac (time from Montmorillon  2 hrs 26 mins)

Home of the world famous Brandy producers. Rémy Martin, Martell, Hennessy, Courvoisier etc, all the big names are here. They all have guided tours which include visits to the distillation areas and cellars. Obviously a trip is not complete without a tasting session!

Web Links

www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tourisme/cognac      www.ville-cognac.fr

La Rochelle and the Atlantic coast (time from Montmorillon  2 hrs 33 mins)

The Atlantic coast around La Rochelle benefits form a 'micro climate' that makes it the second sunniest area in France after the Cote d'Azur. Whether you wander around the old harbour or the marina with 3,500 moorings, you will be captivated. There is a large aquarium, lots of old buildings, museums and gardens. There are boat trips to the nearby islands and you may get the chance to see Fort Boyard, the sea fort used in the TV challenge game show.

Web Links

www.ville-larochelle.fr     www.larochelle-info.com

All times from ViaMichelin  Route planner