La-Roche-Posay, is the largest Spa Resort in France and Europe famous for its spa waters, with renowned healing and regenarative properties.
The Balneotherapy Centre with thermal Melusine water is open to the public for various treatments, relaxation therapy, massages, swimming amongst many others.
The Casino De La-Roche-Posay is a haven of entertainment consisting of Slot Machines, English Roulette, Black Jack, Stud Poker and of course The Table du Carrosel. There is also a good bar and a disco on Saturday Evening.
Golf du Connetables an 18 hole golf course, putting green, driving range etc, and is well renowned. Many proffesional players have ben known to practise here including the very famous Tiger Woods.
La Gatiniere race Course draws around 17000 spectators per year and has been classified in the first national category for trotting track and second for steeple. Racing from June to mid September.
La Gatiniere Riding Centre is close to the Spa in La-Roche-Possay and offers riding to suit all abilites, over one or several days. (Rambles, Dressage, Fences & Cross Country).
La-Roche-Posay offers good resturnats and good shopping with a local market twice weekly, from where you can purchase anything from a cooked chicken dinner, a chineese take-away to locally produced leather goods and jewlery.
The village of Le Grand Pressigny with its chateau ruins and prehistoric history is not only a destination for Palaeontologists but also the discerning tourist.
The chateau de La grand Pressiginy was restored around 1560 by Honorat de Savoie, a loyal lord to the Kings of France. The arcaded gallery built during the wars of religion around the main courtyard shows the care devoted to this restoration. The quality of its architecture and gardens make the chateau an interesting place to visit.
There is a panoramic view from the top of the Tower Vironne.
The chateau also contains the The Palaeontology Museum located in a more recent (17th century) building.
The reason for its location here is that Prehistoric man lived in this area for four hundred thousand years, attracted by the abundant high-quality flint which could be fashioned into superb tools . Their reputation spread to other countries; in the later Neolithic age large blades were exported, particularly to the Alps. Models, an interactive display and videos complete the exhibition and give much information on the life of prehistoric man.
The village has a charm of its own plus lots of practical features such as a pharmacist, doctor, butcher, baker, grocer, bookshop, flower shop, cash machine and bank.There are a couple of typical French bars and a choice of restaurants with different set price menus all of which are very good value for money.
There is a heated Municipal swimming pool by the campsite on the outskirts of the village It has a standard pool plus paddling pools for younger swimmers. It is open from the end of June to the end of August.
The Village has a very good tourist office in the centre of the village giving information on the delights of the Loire Valley, Touraine and also of its close neighbours in the nearby department of Vienne.
http://www.37-online.net/gb/castles/gdpressigny_gb.html