Follow waterside trails beside iconic rivers and canals

Cycling along the Scandibérique allows you to enjoy an intensive lesson in French river geography, as this route really has a strong riverine DNA!

Going north to south, head off to discover this water-hugging cycle route!
 

Other rivers you will come across during your cycling trip

The Solre

Just 23km in length, this little river is a tributary of the Sambre. Along the Scandibérique, you take a greenway alongside it between Ferrières-la-Grande and Choisies, passing close to the river’s source at Solre-le-Château.

The Cher

A tributary of the Loire, this river runs for 365km. Its source stands at 714m in altitude, in the county of Creuse and the parish of Mérinchal. Its confluence with the Loire is in the county of Indre-et-Loire. One unusual fact about this confluence is that, since 1778, it has been at the place called the Bec du Cher, in the parish of Villandry, but its former confluence lay further downstream, at the level of Rupuanne and Bréhémont – in fact, the riverbed of the Old Cher can still be seen. The Scandibérique runs alongside the Cher as you cycle out of Tours via the Honoré de Balzac island park.

The Bandiat

Tardoire, this river flows through three counties, Haute-Vienne, Dordogne and Charente, on its 91km-long journey. One distinctive feature is that, along one section, its waters disappear into underground karstic cavities, only partially when the water level is high, but completely when the water level is low. Some of the waters flowing underground then feed the second-largest river exsurgence (or karstic spring) in France, the re-emergence of the waters known as the Sources of the Touvre.

The Gélise

92km in length, the Gélise River’s source is at Cahuzères, north of Lupiac, in the county of Gers. It then flows northwestwards in the direction of Eauze. Its waters join those of the Baïse just after passing below the fortified mill at Lavardac. The Scandibérique leaves it at the level of St-Pé-Saint-Simon, after a little detour via the Osse Valley between Sainte-Catherine and Mézin.

The Osse

This river’s source is on the Lannemezan Plateau, at the level of Bernadets-Debat, on the border between the counties of Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers. It mainly flows through this latter county, crossing it south to north, travelling 120km before joining the Gélise at the level of Nérac.

From St-Jean le Vieux, Laurhibar (28km in length) and La Nive d’Arnéguy (21km in length) are little rivers that the route follows for just a few kilometres before crossing into Spain. Both little rivers are tributaries of the Nive River.