Thouars

Understand

Already inhabited 5000 years ago, the city was caught in 762 by Pepin the Short and his son, the future Charlemagne. The city became the most powerful fortress in the area then called Aquitaine. Under English domination during the Hundred Years' War, Thouars was conquered by Du Guesclin, chief of Charles V's armies, at the end of a long siege.

Thouars is full of medieval artifacts, with walls, towers, and Roman churches. The Trémoille castle, completed in 1638, has an impressive facade over the Thouet river valley and the Chouans bridge, where a decisive battle was fought during the French revolution.

The small city has given its name to the Toarcian geologic age, in Early Jurassic, and the rock strata for this age can clearly be seen in a quarry near Thouars.

Get in

By train from Saumur, Tours, Poitiers, Angers.

By bus from Poitiers and Niort.

The nearest airports are in Nantes, Poitiers, La Rochelle, but if you are a pilot there is an airstripe at the aérodrome de Thouars.

By car via the A10, A85, A87 highways.

Thouars is a step on the Vélo Francette cycling route, between Saumur and Niort.

Get around

The historical center can be visited by foot. The city is also enjoyable by bicycle, with a few hard slopes along the Thouet river valley. Cars won't have any issue finding parking space.

Rental of bicycles (including electric assisted ones) is available in Thouars and around, see http://www.projets-thouarsais.fr/tvelos-modalites-location/ (in French) or call the tourist information center.

Do

thumb|The Chouans Bridge, place of an epic battle during the French Revolution.

Buy

thumb|Old center around the Saint-Médard church.

Eat

Thouars is famous for its melons. Wine and cheese are also produced in Thouars and the area around.