Chouppes walks

A heritage hike in the countryside and woods of Haut Poitou with two Renaissance-style castles up close and a Romanesque church. Route designed and marked by the Vienne departmental committee of the FFRP.

This walk takes you through the Moulin Pochas falun site, which was used as a sandpit, and then continues with a short stroll across the plain through the fields. The site is not really a mill in the usual sense (such as a flour mill), but rather an ancient natural geological site consisting of falunières – quarries of ancient marine deposits (clay-sand cliffs known as faluns) – dating back some 15 million years. It is a unique testament in Poitou to the era when a shallow sea (the Mer des Faluns) covered the region. The site consists of ancient shell sand quarries containing marine fossils such as shells, corals, etc.

An easy hike that mainly takes place amongst cultivated fields and vineyard plots on the hillsides. The church in Lencloître adds a superb touch of heritage. Route designed and signposted by the Grand Châtellerault Tourist Office, under the name "Entre Vignes et Jardins" and number 24.

With its many panoramic views of the villages, the pretty surrounding hamlets and its paths that are by turns wooded and undulating, this route certainly lives up to its name.

A short walk along field paths, forest trails and small roads, taking in a Neolithic polishing stone, a few cave dwellings and a beautiful church. This hike partly follows a route designed and marked out by the Grand Châtellerault Tourist Office.

A short hike mainly through fields, discovering a beautiful Romanesque church (later remodelled) and a beautiful Renaissance castle. There are a few views of the countryside.

A hike dominated by water, mostly along the various branches of the Dive river and in the shade of poplar trees. The route was designed and marked out by the Loudunais Community of Communes and certified by the Vienne departmental committee of the FFRP (French Federation of Hiking and Rambling).

Through fields and woods, a peaceful circular route that takes in two small castles and a beautiful dovecote. Route designed and signposted by the Grand Châtellerault Tourist Office, and certified by the Vienne departmental committee of the FFRP.

You start your walk at the foot of the Haut-Clairvaux keep, built in the 11th and 12th centuries, where you can admire the many panoramic views stretching as far as the eye can see! You will then descend towards Bas-Clairvaux, where your path will cross the famous greenway cycle route, the ‘Ligne Verte’, a former railway line linking Châtellerault to Loudun, before heading back up towards your destination.

A lovely walk, partly through the forest. There are also beautiful views over the Ouzilly plain, with the chance to see tuffeau stone dwellings and a few cave dwellings.

Take a break in nature along these beautiful wooded paths.

A hike mainly through fields, with two beautiful heritage sites, the Collegiate Church of Saint-Georges (12th century) at the start and a dovecote a little over halfway along the route. There are some beautiful views along the way.

A nature walk between fields and the banks of the Auxance. A short, easy walk. Route developed by the Greater Poitiers Urban Community and the Departmental Hiking Committee.

Short hike through woods and fields in the Auxance valley.

A short walk, mostly in the forest, on the edge of the Parc de Richelieu and alongside the Veude river.

The village, the forest, the streams... A “nature walk” organised by the Greater Poitiers Urban Community.

Short hike combining the two "Nature Walks" in Béruges offered by the Greater Poitiers Urban Community.

This hike is a shorter version of the one offered by the Deux Sèvres hiking website, which has the same name. You will follow small roads and country lanes near the Ruisseau du Magot Natura 2000 site.

Starting from a Gallo-Roman bridge, enjoy a pleasant walk along the Canal de la Dive, a beautiful old church, a keep, a vineyard conservatory and a passage through the woods. Most of the route was designed and marked out by the Loudunais Community of Communes and certified by the Vienne departmental committee of the FFRP (French Federation of Hiking and Rambling).

This urban route offers an unusual way to discover Poitiers through its ancient streets and hillside neighbourhoods. It allows you to admire Saint-Pierre Cathedral, Notre-Dame-la-Grande and Saint-Jean Baptistery, while offering beautiful panoramic views of the city. The route includes stairs and steep streets, requiring a good level of fitness.

On the border between Poitou and Touraine, this route takes you to several dolmens and a "mound" where large slabs were gathered by our Neolithic ancestors. The hike alternates between fields and woodland and passes through pretty villages with beautiful tuffeau stone houses and troglodyte cellars. Route designed and marked by the Loudunais Community of Communes.

This is a fun little hike to discover Poitiers through its monuments. The duration and distance of your route will vary depending on how curious you are. Feel free to leave the initial route temporarily to explore a monument and then resume your walk. If you are curious, the walk can be much longer. Note that a bus line (2A or 2B) will take you back to your starting point and destination.