Thouars (fr. Thouars) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Mauzé-Thouarsais, Missé and Sainte-Radegonde were merged into Thouars.
Thouars has been awarded the 4-star flower town and town of art and history label.
Tourism and attractions
Main tourist spot of the city is the Castle of the Dukes of La Tremoille (fr. Château des Ducs de La Trémoille). It was built in the 17th century. It is located on a strategic defense point -a promontory above the Thouet river- and consists of the main building, an inner court, an orangery, a chapel and a stable. Today the castle having been converted to college.
Cultural sites
- The Henri-Barré museum
- The Joan of Arc chapel art center, place of exhibition and dissemination of contemporary art
- The Regional Center “Resistance and Freedom”, an educational and cultural interpretation center which deals with the events of the Second World War and the acts and actors of the regional Resistance.
Military or civil heritage
- Motte des Justices: one of the largest tumuli in France, now included in the industrial zone
- The castle of the Dukes of La Trémoille (now home to the Marie-de-La-Tour-d’Auvergne college), seventeenth century, its orangery and chapel
- The city has an important wall dating from the 12th and 13th centuries and several towers: the tower of the Prince of Wales: deposit of food at the garrison then prison for salt smugglers; the Porte-au-Prévost tower
- The mansion of President Tyndo, late 15th century
- The Hôtel des Trois Rois, 15th century
- The town hall, a former abbey rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries
- A house on Place Saint-Médard, known as Maison des Artistes, 15th century
- The 18th century entrance gate to 18 Harcher Street
- The Eiffel viaduct: railway bridge over the Thouet river
- The Crevant mill
- The Chouans Bridge
- The Saint-Jacques footbridge in front of the castle, commissioned in 1896
- Ossuary and commemorative plaque to the 25 Polish officers who fell on June 18, 1940
- Les Halles, historic building where the market takes place every Tuesday and Friday morning.
Religious heritage
- The 12th century church of Saint-Laon (originated in 1021), which contains the tomb of Marguerite of Scotland, first wife of Louis XI. Very beautiful 12th century bell tower. Stained glass windows from the Lobin workshop in Tours
- The church of Saint-Médard, 15th century. Romanesque style, square bell tower, portal with four archivolts, stained glass windows from 1886 from the Lobin workshop in Tours.
Shopping
Shopping is not a priority on the tourist program.
Gastronomy and restaurants
The Duhomard aperitif comes from Thouars. Duhomard is a brand of vermouth flavored mainly with cinchona, which comes in red and white. It was created by the French traveling salesman Émile Diacre.
There is only Michelin list restaurant in Thouars: Hôtellerie St-Jean, 25 route de Parthenay, Saint-Jean-de-Thouars, 20 – 47 EUR • Classic Cuisine (no stars).
Transport and how to get to?
Thouars is located 50 minutes by road from major cities in the West: Niort, Poitiers, Angers. Access to Niort (via Parthenay) is via a three-lane road.
Thouars is served via its SNCF station (TER Nouvelle Aquitaine trains and coaches).
The city has an airfield (sport aviation).
The town is also served by the RDS bus network (Deux-Sèvres Network) of the Deux-Sèvres General Council.
Shortest distance by car:
- From Paris (tolls): 3 hr 47 min (355 km) via A11
- From Rochefort (tolls): 2 h 4 min (164 km) via A10
- From Le Château-d’Oléron (tolls): 2 h 34 min (197 km) via A10
- From Niort: 1 h 12 min (81.8 km) via D743 and D938
- From Saintes: 1 h 50 min (160 km) via A10
- From La Baule-Escoublac: 2 h 22 min (205 km) via N249
- From Saint-Nazaire (tolls): 2 h 19 min (190 km) via N249
- From Pornic: 2 h 13 min (179 km) via N249
- From Les Sables-d’Olonne: 2 h (162 km) via A87 and D759
- From Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie : 2 h 12 min (177 km) via A87
- From Noirmoutier-en-l’Île: 2 h 48 min (214 km) via N249
- From Jard-sur-Mer (tolls): 2 h 1 min (156 km) via A87 and D759
- From Nantes: 1 h 39 min (121 km) via N249 and D759
- From Cognac (tolls): 2 h 14 min (172 km) via A10
- From Angoulême (tolls): 2 h 24 min (184 km) via N10
- From Arcachon (tolls): 3 h 33 min (336 km) via A10
- From Royan (tolls): 2 h 21 min (198 km) via A10
- From Biarritz (tolls): 4 h 51 min (466 km) via A63 and A10
- From Bayonne (tolls): 4 h 34 min (455 km) via A63 and A10
- From Dax (tolls): 4 h 19 min (417 km) via A63 and A10
- From Saumur: 37 min (36.3 km) via D347 and D938
- From Bordeaux (tolls): 3 h 1 min (270 km) via A10
- From La Rochelle: 2 h 3 min (150 km) via N11 and D743
- From Toulouse (tolls): 5 h 3 min (508 km) via A62 and A10
- From Carcassonne (tolls): 5 h 48 min (599 km) via A62 and A10
- From Monaco (tolls): 10 h 10 min (1,070 km) via A7
- From Nice (tolls): 9 h 58 min (1,047 km) via A7
- From Cannes (tolls): 9 h 39 min (1,020 km) via A7
- From Saint-Tropez (tolls): 9 h 37 min (993 km) via A7
- From Marseille (tolls): 8 h 23 min (890 km) via A7
- From Avignon (tolls): 7 h 41 min (806 km) via A71
- From Montpellier (tolls): 7 h 10 min (748 km) via A62
- From Béziers (tolls): 6 h 33 min (686 km) via A62 and A10
- From Perpignan (tolls): 6 h 45 min (712 km) via A62 and A10
- From Narbonne (tolls): 6 h 17 min (656 km) via A62 and A10
- From Andorra (tolls): 7 h 19 min (689 km) via A62 and A10
Main information
Area: 81.2 (commune) sq. km
Population: 14 100
Languages: French
Currency: euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
GPS coordinates: 46°58′33″N 0°12′51″W
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also Andorra travel guide
