Niort

About Niort

Niort in Poitou-Charentes is an important modern finance centre with a rich historical past as a trading port and the second largest donjon (keep) in France.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, Niort was a wealthy port town with strong trade along the river and from the sea in salt, wine, cereals and skins. Leather tanning became a big business in the town and chamois leather and glove-making employed thousands here in the 19th century. In the 12th century, Henry II, or his son Richard the Lionheart, began the construction of a huge château on the river. Finished in the 15th century, the château is now largely destroyed - all that is left is the immense keep, the Donjon de Niort, sometimes called the Château de Niort.

Places to visit

One of the most important and most impressive examples of medieval military architecture in France, it now houses an archaeological museum and other temporary exhibitions as well as having rooms decorated in the regional Poitevin style. The town has some stunning religious architecture, most notably the 11th century church of St André which was rebuilt in the 19th century in the Gothic Revival style and has twin spires that tower 70m high and the church of Notre Dame, a Gothic church with some Renaissance features whose bell tower reaches up 75m high into the skyline.

The Musée Bernard d'Agesci holds three different museums inside the former girls' school - a fine arts museum, a natural history museum and a museum dedicated to the school and the history of its teaching practices. Nearby you'll find the Place de la Brèche, the largest square in the west of France, which is home to the Tourist Office and a four-acre garden with an underground car park.

Shopping and eating

Across the town, you'll discover several different weekly and monthly traditional markets and pass the bronze dragons that are synonymous with the town from local legends. Explore the narrow backstreets and be welcomed by decadent chocolateries, intriguing artisan stores, and specialist food shops selling terroir produce.

Delicacies not to be missed are the fine and delicate Échiré butter, the mojette (or mogette) - white beans that are grown in the nearby marshes, and angelica, a plant known for centuries for its medicinal properties and used in sweets, jams and liqueurs. In particular, Niort is famous for serving candied angelica in its sweet shops.

Nearby Niort

Just outside of Niort are the marshes of Marais Poitevin, a network of waterways that is full of pretty villages, and rich in flora and fauna. This nature park can be explored as the villagers have travelled for centuries - by flat-bottom boat - or why not go hiking, cycling or horseriding through this charming area?

There are over 100 miles of cycle routes and trails winding their way through the hills and valleys and uncovering châteaux and landscapes that you will remember after you leave! The Château Mursay, whose ruined garden is a historical monument, and the Château Couldray-Salbart, a 13th century castle said to have been built in three nights by the fairy Melusine, are both just 20 minutes away.