Saix: Churches, Walking Trails and Historic Traces

Saix brings together a fortified Romanesque church, historic traces and various ways to experience the landscape on foot or by bike. If you are looking for a hotel in Saix, it may help to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: are you particularly interested in local history, different landscapes along walking trails, or a cycling route through two towns? The routes offer different starting points for planning your visit.

Church and Historic Traces

The Church of Sainte-Radegonde is a fortified Romanesque church dating from the 12th century. The Sentier des Fontaines begins in front of the building; inside the church is the painting “Apparition du Christ à sainte Radegonde”. The building, artwork and trailhead come together in one place, providing a tangible point of reference for local history.

Historically, Saix was part of the lands of Fontevraud Abbey. The church is also a remnant of a former priory that was dependent on Sainte-Croix de Poitiers. These are two distinct ecclesiastical connections: one concerns the historic affiliation of the area, the other the priory’s dependency. Polished stone axes from Saix in the Musée Sainte Croix de Poitiers, together with other finds, indicate settlement dating back to the Neolithic. The Villa Suedas is mentioned in the 6th century as the residence of Saint Radegund. Together with the 12th-century church, these historical references span from early settlement to the Romanesque building.

The architectural heritage also includes three private châteaux or fortifications, three chapels, two churches and numerous troglodytic structures. “Troglodytic” refers to structures associated with rock-cut spaces; this group therefore adds another form of cultural heritage to the churches and fortifications.

On Foot: Panoramas or Woodland

The two walking trails differ in the landscapes they offer. The Sentier des Fontaines offers views of châteaux or vineyards, as well as panoramas over northern Poitou. The Sentier des Grands Chênes gradually leads into woodland on the outskirts of Saix. In choosing between them, the first focuses on distant views, while the second takes you into the forest.

Saix’s Angevine hamlet is defined by vineyards and tuffeau limestone. This adds another landscape feature alongside the views and woodland: viticulture and the stone associated with the hamlet.

Cycling

The cycling route “Tèrra Aventura: Prudence, ça pousse!” is 11 km long and runs through Saix and Roiffé. This gives you both the distance and the two towns along the route for planning purposes. Unlike the walking trails, which differ in the landscapes they offer, this cycling option can be assessed by its specific distance.

Another cycling connection is the “Liaison Vignoble de Saix”: a 2017 tourist map shows it as a vineyard connection within the Route du vignoble. Check the route details before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Germain, Lencloître, Latillé, Nalliers, Châtellerault, Mouterre-Silly, Antigny, Lussac-Les-Chateaux.

For the broader travel overview: Vienne.