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Description:
Geography
Vienne represents the north eastern quarter of Poitou Charentes, bordering the Deux Sevres to the west, the Charente to the south and Haute Vienne (Limousin) to the south east. Indre (Centre) is situated to the east, and to the north is Indre et Loire (Pays de la Loire). The department consists of three administrative boroughs (Arondissements), Poitiers in the centre, Montmorillon in the south and Chatellerault in the north. The terrain is considered a patchwork of influences from surrounding areas, Angevin to the north, Berrichon to the east, Limousin to the south and Gatinois to the west.
Transport
All of the main arterial routes pass by the capital Poitiers. The A10 motorway [toll road] that runs from Paris to Bordeaux links Poitiers to the major towns of Niort and Saintes towards the south, and with Chatellerault and Tours to the north. The N10 (part motorway) follows a similar path northwards from Poitiers, but to the south it connects to Bordeaux via Angouleme. The N147 connects Poitiers with Lussac les Chateaux in the south and with Loudun in the north, and the N149 connects Poitiers with Parthenay in the west. The main route eastwards is the N151 towards Chauvigny.
The TGV stops at three destinations in Vienne. Poitiers has access to routes between La Rochelle and Paris (Montparnasse), as well as the services between Lille (Europe), Paris (Charles de Gaulle), and Bordeaux (St Jean). Futuroscope has its own TGV station, as does the sub-prefecture of Chatellerault, and both of these stations link with Paris (Montparnasse).
Vienne has an airport at Poitiers Biard, and this offers a limited choice of services to the UK, with reduced services in winter. The airport also hosts holiday charter flights during the summer.
Climate
The central belt of the department is within a zone that receives between 2000 and 2250 hours of sunshine per year, with northern and south eastern areas receiving between 1750 and 2000 hours. As with other inland areas of the region, the climate is temperate with clearly defined seasons, with traditionally warm (occasionally hot) summers and cool (but not excessively cold) winters. Vienne is probably the driest part of the Poitou Charentes region, with the northern plains receiving the least rainfall and the south west receiving the most.
Key Info
Vienne has not traditionally been geared up for tourism, but the local administration recognised the importance of tourism to the economy with the launch of Futuroscope in 1987. The high-tech theme park on the outskirts of Poitiers has since received 30m visitors, and continues to be the flagship attraction for the department (and the region). It would be wrong however, to assume that Futuroscope is the only thing that Vienne has to offer.
The department has a rich history, with a number of archaeological sites such as the Grotte de la Marche (Lussac les Chateaux), Roc aux Sorciers (Angles sur l'Anglin) and the Gue de Sciaux archaeological dig ongoing at Antigny. There are many medieval churches and buildings, with the Eglise St Hilaire le Grand (Poitiers) and the Abbey of Saint Savin on the coveted UNESCO World Heritage list, and there are many examples of medieval fortresses (some ruins), such as that at Angles sur l'Anglin.
Where the Vienne excels is in providing outdoor activities. There are lakes, rivers, forests and gardens all to be explored, offering a variety of activities such as bungee jumping, canoeing, climbing, fishing, 4x4 off-road driving, swimming and more. There are many beautiful gardens, such as the Parc de Blossac (Poitiers), the Promenade de Blossac (Lusignan) and the Parc de la Belle at Civray.
The department has a number of animal parks such as La Vallee des Singes (monkey park), L'Isle aux Serpents (snakes island), the free Parc Bois de St Pierre (St Benoit), and the newly opened Planete des Crocodiles at Civaux, as well as Deer Valley at Availles Limouzine.
Culinary Heritage
Two Vienne specialities are Farci Poitevin (cabbage leaves stuffed with spinach, bacon, eggs, green garlic and fresh cream), and Le Gateau Broye (a galette type of biscuit made with charente butter). Another perhaps lesser known recipe is for Mijet, a kind of soup. Small pieces of bread are added to a bowl of red wine, a small amount of sugar, and some ice and a little water. This dish is a popular as an afternoon thirst-quencher on a hot day. The town of Montmorillon is also famous for its macaroon biscuits.
Economy
Vienne has no real industrial traditions, and the main hub of the department Poitiers hosts diverse industries, with big players such as SAFT (batteries), SAT (telecoms), Schlumberger (meters), Michelin (tyres), Fralib (instant soups), Gorcy (frozen foods) and Dassault Aviation. The former arms manufacturing centre of Chatellerault has been rejuvenated by firms from car and aeronautical sectors, with the key players such as Thales (Avionics), Valeo Systems (windscreen wipers) and Magret Marelli (Jaeger speedometers). Montmorillon in the south is more an agricultural landscape, although the biggest firms are SUVIGA (Hyper U supermarket) and COVIMMO (abbatoir). The nuclear power plant at Civaux has brought important benefits for the borough, as have the influx of British residents, particularly around the Civray area.
Keys Stats
As with the whole of the Poitou Charentes region, Vienne has a bigger proportion of older people (23% of the population is under 20 years, and 23% is over 60 years). There are more females than males here (48.51% vs 51.49), and this is in line with the national picture. 5.85% of homes here are classed as second homes (lower than the national average 10.1%).
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