Where's Niort?

Have you ever heard of a town called Niort?

Me neitherI, until my daughter moved 10 km from Niort to the village of Echiré.

On the map, look for Bordeaux or the port city of La Rochelle  and follow with your finger about 70 km northeast to find Niort.

It is no wonder that you have not heard of this city, for its motto is “Vivons heureux, vivons cachés”, meaning Let us live happily, let us live in hiding.

Niort used to be an absolutely car-crazy town - the downtown parking area was reportedly the largest in France.

But in 2013, the city totally changed direction, pushed cars under the parking area, made fountains, picnic spots, lawns, etc. on top. Now the square known as “La Breche” is the living room of Niortians.

At the same time, the city decided to plant 60,000 trees, one for each inhabitant (there are 66,000 of them today) and provide free public transport for all.

Up to 25 km away can be reached by bus for free, and a minibus runs through the city centre, free of charge.

A garden expert can be invited to each block,  and he/she will tell you how to add greenery there.

Citizens are advised to investigate what insects, birds, etc. can be found in their block and register them online on the city residents' common page.

Niort is the perfect destination for those of you who map out mass tourism.

The city has nice restaurants, a market hall, a huge, beautifully restored Donjon fort from 1185, a fine concert hall where those who are not proficient in French can attend concerts and dance performances, and beautiful parks bisected by the river Sèvres.

If you really want an authentic bistro atmosphere and delicious home-cooked food, visit Le Petit Rouquin restaurant right near the train station. Moreover, they only serve natural wines, whose silly name is “original wine” in Finnish and a much more descripte “Vin naturel” in French.

The new, vaunted Italian restaurant Baci can be found in the restaurant row that borders La Breche, and the same goes for La Villa.

For meat lovers, I recommend the popular Les Planches restaurant.

There is also a place in the city center where you can get delicious stuffed breads for a picnic, and there is a place in the city designated for picnics. As you walk there, you will come across a market hall, the delicacies of which also make a delicious picnic.

So, a picnic along the river, in a green city with a 900-year-old castle in the background. Sound good?

It's such a non-touristy town that when my little group sat down on the outdoor terrace of our hotel bar one morning and ordered glasses of sparkling wine, the young waiter said in all seriousness that it wasn't yet twelve o'clock.

For years, I had been telling jokes about my mother's clever words one summer day when we were wondering whether to open a bottle of bubbly before noon. “It's twelve o'clock somewhere in the world", said my mom.

To think that it was in France, the wine country, that I experienced a ban for drinking bubbly before noon! Well, the tea cup was finer than usual, and it tasted wonderful in the spring morning sun. We took our bubbly later on our pick nick.

For trips to Niort and it's surroundings, contact me at leena.immonen@saaritours.fi. I'll guide you in English - let's meet at Paris airport and take the train together. Niort works perfect for really small groups -4-6 people.