Things to do in Saintes

20 activities, venues and outings in Saintes, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Atlantic Cinema
Ciné Atlantic
One of the largest cinemas in the Poitou-Charentes with eight auditoriums. They screen the latest releases, as well as documentaries and shows including live broadcasts of shows at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Some screenings have subtitles for the hearing impaired. On Facebook.
Do
Canoe and rowing boat rental
Canoes can be rented for half a day to take a relaxed trip on the Charente and admire the city and its surroundings from the river. It's very pleasant when the weather is good. A journey of 20 km will take about 7-8 hours, a journey of 12 km about 4 hours.
Do
Centre aquatique Aquarelle
Big swimming complex designed by architect Éric Lemarié and opened in 2012. Indoors there's a 25-meter-long semi-Olympic pool, a leisure pool with a hot tub, a children's pool, a hammam, a sauna and a squash area. Outdoors there's another 25-meter-long pool with artificial waves and leisure facilities. Also used for events, there are seats for 500 persons indoors (year round) and another 600 persons outdoors (in the summer).
Do
Full Karting
Karting track with a length of 700 m and karting cars for rent. For adults and children aged 8 and over (length requirement 1.35 m).
Do
Gallia Theatre
Théâtre Gallia
The theatre was established in a building built by Parisian architect Bourla in 1852 and has remained the city's finest cultural institution ever since. The façade of the building with its many details remains original, the rest was thoroughly modified in 1932 and demolished and rebuilt in 2003. It has a theatre stage and a cinema for art movies. On Facebook.
Do
Golf Louis-Rouyer-Guillet
Founded in 1953, it's the oldest golf course in Poitou-Charentes. It's the heart of a park 40 hectares in size, and includes an 18 hole course, a practice course, a restaurant and the ruins of a Roman aqueduct.
Do
La Gabare de Saintes
Wooden ferry taking passengers on 1.5 hour-long river cruises where you can enjoy the landscapes and the city views in a relaxed way.
de mai à septembre
Do
Laser Lander
Shooting with laser guns in dark labyrinths. For teams of at least 6 people, and players need to be at least 7 years old. A game normally lasts 20 minutes. It's a good idea to dress in black and don't forget your water bottle!
Do
Le Bernard Palissy II
A beautiful and comfortable cruise ship with 200 places. From the sun deck there are great views of the surroundings, and the sun deck has a bar and a covered lounge. There are morning, mid-day and afternoon cruises and the whole ship can also be rented for events like meetings or weddings.
summer months
Do
Les Santons
Small electric boats carrying five persons which can be rented without prior reservation and without a skipper's license required. Departing from Place Bassompierre.
during the summer months
Do
Saintes Bowling
Twelve bowling tracks, rental of bowling shoes. There are also several billiard tables and a bar.
Do
Salle Double Impact
A small gym with classes in different martial arts from kickboxing to krav maga.
du lundi au samedi
Do
Salle de Sport Edenya
Gym arena open every day, with equipment for aerobic exercise.
Do
Salle de Sport Origin
Gym with equipment for aerobic exercise, weightlifting and bodybuilding. There are also fitness dance classes.
Do
Stade Yvon Chevalier
A huge sports stadium with facilities for a range of track and field sports, rugby fields and tennis courts.
Do Not mapped
Fête de la Musique
Another music festival, but with focus on classical music. A temporary stage is built on the Place du Palais de Justice for a big concert in the evening.
21 June
Do Not mapped
Les Oreilles en Éventail
Street art festival focusing on music and sound. There are lots of street musicians giving free concerts.
Do Not mapped
National day
Fête nationale
The national day is celebrated with a military parade through Saintes by the Air Force who have a base just outside the city as well as a popular ball at night in the Fernand-Chapsal gardens.
14 July
Do Not mapped
New Year's cavalcade
Cavalcade de la Saint-Sylvestre
New year is celebrated on a great scale here with 30000 people attending the festivities. There are parades, light shows, concerts and many locals decorate their cars and drive around on New Years Eve before the streets are blocked to cars at four o'clock in the afternoon. On Facebook.
Do
Skate Park
One of the biggest skateparks in the region.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Saintes (CC BY-SA 4.0).