Nouaillé-Maupertuis combines cultural history with marked hiking trails. Historical sites include the fortified Abbaye de Nouaillé-Maupertuis, the Champ de Bataille 1356 and the Chapelle de Montvinard; marked discovery trails can be found in the Bois de la Garenne forest. When planning your visit, it is worth keeping the different historical periods represented by the sights separate from the time needed to walk the trails.
Abbey, battlefield and chapel
The fortified Abbaye de Nouaillé-Maupertuis was founded in the 7th century. Its early foundation predates by a considerable margin the Battle of Nouaillé, commemorated at the Champ de Bataille 1356. Two historical points of reference are therefore central: the founding of the abbey and the memory of a specific battle. The chronology helps you see these as distinct chapters in the history of the area.
The Champ de Bataille 1356 is a historic memorial site featuring a stone stele commemorating those who fell there. Five panels and a ground map explain the origins, course and consequences of the Battle of Nouaillé. The memorial and the information offer different ways of approaching the same historical event: the stele commemorates the fallen, while the panels and map provide more detail about the battle.
The Chapelle de Montvinard, also known as Notre-Dame de Monvinard, offers a distinctive architectural perspective on the history of the area. It was founded before the year 1000 and rebuilt in the 13th and 14th centuries. Only the choir remains; the entire nave was demolished in the 19th century. This clearly distinguishes the different building phases from the extent of the surviving structure. There is one firm condition to bear in mind when planning your visit: the chapel can only be visited as part of a guided tour booked in advance. Plan your visit as a cultural outing that must be arranged beforehand.
Forest and hiking trails
The Bois de la Garenne covers 37 hectares and has marked discovery trails. Information panels explain the history of the forest in the Middle Ages. The forest area thus combines a natural attraction with a clearly defined cultural and historical theme. By following the trails, you can also learn about the forest’s medieval history; the panels provide a specific thematic focus for your visit.
The Sentier de la Bataille (Nord) is marked in both directions, is 8.2 kilometres long and has a stated walking time of about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The distance and walking time complement each other but are two different details: the route length is specified, while the time required is explicitly approximate. This lets you consider both the distance and an estimated time when planning.
The GRP® Nouaillé Maupertuis offers a considerably longer timeframe: this trail, rated easy, runs for 63 kilometres from Poitiers to Nouaillé-Maupertuis and is planned as a three-day hike. The approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes for the Sentier de la Bataille (Nord) and the three days for the GRP represent different formats: a single hike versus a multi-day trek. The easy rating applies to the GRP and is a separate detail alongside its length and duration.
The Sentier du Pinier leads to the village of Availles. There, the trail points out the Château de Chaumont and the Prieuré de Ste Marie as sights. This gives it a different destination from the GRP® Nouaillé Maupertuis, whose route runs from Poitiers to Nouaillé-Maupertuis. If you compare trails by their destinations, Availles and Nouaillé-Maupertuis are two different places.
Discover more destinations: La Roche-Posay, Roiffé, Pressac, Usseau, La Trimouille, Asnières-sur-Blour, Ligugé, Vouillé
For the main travel overview: Vienne.
