Where to have fun in Cenon-sur-Vienne and around?
Stay ideas
Located south of Chatellerault The city of Cenon-sur-Vienne welcomes the lovers of nature and relaxation with family or friends. Essential place of the shipping tradition just a few kilometers from Poitiers, this charming town invites you to discover its past over the Vienne.
Have a picnic like in the Belle Époque at the Pointe de Forclan
For a family walk, take your meal and treat yourself to a relaxing or sporting break at the Forclan Point, to the meeting of the rivers of Clain and Vienne.
In this place prized by the inhabitants of Cenon and its surroundings, you pierce the mysteries of the tradition of inland waterways and lively guinguettes which formerly made swing on the edges of Vienne.
During the Belle Époque, the restaurant “La Mère Fradin” welcomed lovers of good cuisine and dance. To further charm his customers, Pierre Fradin, the owner, acquired a steamboat in 1884 to offer digestive trips along the water, called the Hirondelle. Unfortunately, the First World War caused the closure of this restaurant, which had since become a real institution in Cenon.
Take the helm at the Cenon mini-port
The leisure base of the mini port of Cenon-sur-Vienne offers you a group nature activity in Poitou: become captain of your boat for the duration of your navigation! Take a seat aboard one of the small silent electric boats and browse the Vienne between the Manu dam in Châtellerault and the mill in Chitré. For 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, you will be able to sail at a speed of 7 km/h in the footsteps of the Swallow and its passengers. The place, calm and peaceful, invites you to relax with your family.
The boat is designed to carry 4 to 7 sailors of all ages, without restriction. Boats can accommodate people with a disability. Rescue nets are provided for the ride.
Discover the curiosities of Cenon-sur-Vienne
In this commune of Poitou, legends abound. Or gives you some excerpts.
The curious life of a military terminal
A senior stone military bollard is exhibited in the new town hall. Discovery between Cenon-sur-Vienne and Naintré, it bears an inscription which allows it to be dated from the time of Emperor Hadrian. Yes, in ancient Rome, milestones indicated the distance remaining to be traveled to reach the nearest towns.
Unusual : before finding its place in the town hall, the terminal of Cenon was transformed for a time into a tombstone!
The fountain of Saint-Pissou with original virtues
The legend of the Saint-Pissou fountain says that during the Reign of Terror, an individual entered the church of Cenon and ransacked the genitals of Saint Côme and Saint Damien, kept there.
To punish him, the doctors and surgeons condemned the vandal to "wet in bed" for the rest of his life. In order to attempt a cure, the man bet on the waters of the fountain of… Saint Pissou, known to treat incontinence. Today the water still flows there, but be careful, it is forbidden to drink it (but did you really want to?).
The Legend of the King's Pit
The episode of Charles Martel defeating the Arabs at Poitiers in 732 is known by generations of schoolchildren, thanks to history books. As to where exactly this battle took place, the details remain unclear. A place located on the Chemin de Cenon aux Jumeaux is known to bear the name of "the King's pit". It would be the place where would have been buried Emir Adb-Er Rhamane, killed the evening of the battle.
Research was undertaken, but only revealed a few skeletons whose orientation towards the East suggests that they were indeed Muslims. Nothing guarantees their identity.
Go on an adventure around Cenon-sur-Vienne
The surroundings of Cenon-sur-Vienne also, are worth the detour: walks, visits, games, history... Take the time!
Pinail National Nature Reserve
Take a break surrounded by nature in the heart of the Pinail National Nature Reserve.
These landscapes shaped by man for more than 1 years offer you the spectacle of a multitude of small ponds, formed by the ancient activity of millstone extraction.
Châtellerault and its medieval past
Chatellerault plunges you into the heart of the Middle Ages. At the confluence of Vienne and Clain, the city offered a privileged location for the development of flourishing activities and trades that have now disappeared.
Come discover a remarkable architectural heritage with its museums and gardens without forgetting the nature with its lake and its forest.
The castle of Monthoiron and its "Da Vinci Code" for children
go in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci Monthoiron Castle. During a fun and intrigue-filled journey, unravel the mysteries of the tower-fortress, witness to the genius of the Italian architect.
Another activity for the youngest: the Secret of Karmanor.
Go in search ofinsects built with LEGO® bricks in the huge park.
A quest worthy of the greatest knights in Scorbé-Clairvaux
The famous New Aquitaine geocaching game awaits you in the town of Scorbé-Clairvaux. Tèrra Aventura invites you to dive into the history of “Neomaya with webbed feet”. The only daughter of the lord of the place has disappeared, will you be able to find her before sunrise?
Have you been convinced? So during your time in the Vienne, do not miss taking a bowl of nature in the town of Cenon-sur-Vienne and its surroundings!