Poitiers, the capital of the Vienne département in west-central France, is famed for its rich cultural heritage.
Known for its university, Poitiers has a large student population, alongside an abundance of art, history and culture.
Its nearest cities include La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Limoges, with good transport links.
Airports and other transport
Poitiers airport has direct flights to London Stansted, Edinburgh and Barcelona. There are also international airports in Tours and La Rochelle. The best transport from the airport to the city centre is taxi. (The bus stop is a 20 minute walk from the airport.)
Buses in Poitiers are run by Vitalis; single tickets cost €1.50 and can be bought on the bus using any touch and pay bank card.
There are direct flights to the UK from Poitiers airportTravelling Tourist/Shutterstock
The historic centre is small however and mostly pedestrianised.
Paris is accessible by train from Poitiers in 1h 25m and there are also direct trains from Poitiers to La Rochelle, Limoges and Bordeaux.
Most people living outside the city get around by car.
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Healthcare
Vienne has 352 doctors per 100,000 and finding a GP or a dentist who is taking on new patients can be challenging, although not impossible.
The CHU (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire) in Poitiers has almost 2,700 beds and more than 2,500 babies are born there every year. There are also several private clinics.
The proximity of larger cities (notably La Rochelle and Bordeaux) means that getting quick appointments with specialists is straightforward for those able and willing to travel.
The average price of property in Poitiers is around €2,300m2 which is 5% less than a year ago, but 43% more than five years ago making it a good investment bet. Older flats tend to be cheaper than new ones.
Prices fluctuate around the département of Vienne, with average prices in Montmorillon (currently €1,200m2) falling 22% last year but prices in Loudun (currently €1,400m2) rising by 21% last year.
Poitiers has good rail links, with property just outside the centre tending to be cheaperMarvin1er/Shutterstock
Prices for a one-bed flat in Poitiers start at around €90,000, and €120,000 for two bedrooms. A tiny wrecked cottage in Vienne can be found for as little as €20,000 but something small and habitable will be more like €50,000. A nice 100m2 2-bedroom house in Loudun will be around €130,000.
When it comes to renting, a one-bed flat in Poitiers costs around €500 a month, but the same money would rent you a 3-bedroom flat in Chatellerault. A 4-bedroom house (90m2) with a garden in Poitiers would be around €900. The further you get from Poitiers the cheaper the property and the cheaper the rents however.
Education
The Jeanne d'Arc primary school and collège, a privately run Roman Catholic State school in Civray welcomes non-French speaking pupils and provides them with reinforced French as a Foreign language to get them up to speed.
The 'Lycée Pilote Innovant International' in Jaunay-Marigny has a European Section with reinforced classes in German, English, Chinese and Spanish. For the 'bac général' it has a 97% pass rate, making it a popular choice.
The Lycée Polyvalent Privé Saint-André in Niort has just opened an American International section.
The University of Poitiers is smaller than many others, offering a more personalised experience. The website in English sets out all the courses available.
Population changes
With 62.8 inhabitants per km², and a total population of around 440,000, Vienne is one of the less densely populated départements in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Poitiers has a population of around 90,000 people with another 31,000 in Chatellerault. Together with the linking corridor the two cities are home to nearly 70% of Vienne's population.
Births almost keeping up with deaths, the population is not ageing significantly.
Twinned with Northampton in the UK, Marburg in Germany and Lafayette in the US.
Main industries
Agriculture (cereals, sheep and chickens) and, increasingly, tourism (centred around local history and the Futuroscope) are the main industries in Vienne.
Historically, Chatellerault produced arms and the old 'Manufacture d'Armes (opened in 1819 and closed in 1968) now contains a skating rink, a museum of art and industry, and a skate park.
Today, there is still a substantial car and aeronautical engineering industry in the area as well as electric and electronic construction companies.
Large employers
The largest single employer in Vienne is the EDF which employs 750 people at the nuclear power station in Civaux. The two squat towers emitting white steam can be seen from miles away, and are something of a landmark.
The nuclear power station in Civauxkhd/Shutterstock
Other large employers include Snecma (repairs and installation of machines and equipment) Autoliv-Isodelta (automobiles) and Saft (electrical equipment). Futuroscope, despite its considerable economic benefit to the area, employs a modest 46 people on permanent full-time contracts.
The 'technopole' - built on 200 hectares of land surrounding the Futuroscope - is an industrial park providing premises for enterprises, training, and research organisations. In total they employ 7,500 people, and a further 500 researchers are based there along with 2,000 schoolchildren and students.
The Palais des Congrès has 1,600m2 of exhibition space, 3 amphitheatres and a restaurant seating 1,200 people.
