The two poles of communal life in Poitiers are the tree-lined place du Maréchal-Leclerc, with its popular cafés and lively outdoor culture, and place Charles-de-Gaulle to the north, where a big and bustling food and clothes market takes place (Mon–Sat 7am–6pm, Sun 7.30am–1pm). Between the two is a warren of prosperous streets – as far along as the half-timbered medieval houses of rue de la Chaine – with the rue Gambetta cutting north past the old Palais de Justice (Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; free), with a nineteenth-century facade that hides a much older core including the magnificent 13th century Gothic grand hall.
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