Vienne occupies the very heart of Poitou, stretching from Limousin to the Atlantic. Although the region's coastline is very popular with holidaymakers, the hinterland has not traditionally been a major destination. This is changing, most notably due to the success of the theme park of the moving image, Futuroscope, which is almost a town in itself: it employs well in excess of 1,000 people, and attracts millions of visitors a year.

Poitiers is the epitome of a pleasant provincial town. It has a long and impressive history, and it has some fine architecture, most notably the cathedral and the église Notre-Dame-la-Grande.

Just about every town and village has a delightful Romanesque church, and driving or cycling tours through the countryside are especially pleasurable. Loudun, in the north of the département, is dominated by a tower almost 1,000 years old. Loudun's most celebrated son was Théophraste Renaudot, who published the first printed newspaper … and opened the first pawn shop in Paris!

South-west of Loudun is the village of Moncontour, whose striking castle was disputed in the 14th century by the English and the French, led by the Breton commander Bertrand du Guesclin. Also worth a visit are medieval Chauvigny, to the east of Poitiers, with five ruined castles; Angles-sur-l'Anglin (officially, one of the most beautiful villages in France and reputedly the home of the tribe that gave England its name); the spa town of La Roche-Posay, beneficial for skin and arthritic disorders; and Châtellerault, an atmospheric old town with an automobile museum.

Civray, south of Poitiers, is the most famous of a number of towns in the region that produce chabichou goat-cheese. Nearby Charroux is also worth a stop: the ruined Benedictine abbey here was once one of the largest in Europe, Charlemagne's patronage having assured its fame and fortune.