Route from Sainte-Maure to Libourne

A break for nature and culture

From Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine to Libourne (388 km) in 10 stages
Small roads, departmental roads and greenways. Shared route with the Flow Vélo, which follows the Coulée d’Oc greenway as far as the gates of Angoulême
“Back to my nature” trip, regular rider level – tarmac surface
Practical: access via the stations of Sainte-Maure Noyant, Maillé, Les Ormes, Ingrandes, Châtellerault, Lussac-les-Châteaux, Angoulême, Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, Saint-Aigulin La Roche Chalais, Coutras and Libourne.

TER stations at Jonzac (31 km away) and Montendre (25 km away) (cycle route link, local signposting).

Time to branch off! You can join Feuillade on the Flow Vélo from Eymouthiers.

Cyclistes Scandibérique Vienne Châtellerault

Day 1 | Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine > Châtellerault | 41 km

Departure from Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine for a route reserved for regular touring cyclists! You will soon join the Vienne, which you can follow to guide you along La Scandibérique. Magnificent green landscapes await you from Vaux-sur-Vienne and will lead you to the town of Châtellerault. You can be entertained at the Théâtre de Blossac before going to rest.

Cycliste Scandibérique cité médiévale Chauvigny

Day 2 | Châtellerault > Lussac-les-Châteaux | 57 km

Do take a stroll through the centre of Châtellerault to admire Renaissance-era monuments such as the former arms factory before setting off. On your way, the Pinail Nature Reserve, in the town of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, is well worth a look. The medieval city of Chauvigny will offer you one last spectacle before you arrive in Lussac-les-Châteaux, your destination for the day.

Cyclistes Scandibérique Charente Confolens

Day 3 | Lussac-les-Châteaux > Confolens | 53 km

This stage holds many surprises, notably the first hills that will challenge your physical abilities. But the effort is quickly forgotten thanks to the magnificent rolling plains you cross, whose beauty creates a feeling of lightness. You will pass many swimming areas to cool off, as well as the imposing Isle-Jourdain viaduct. Then you arrive in Confolens, where you can enjoy the surrounding calm.

Day 4 | Confolens > Marthon | 72 km

After enjoying the sights Confolens has to offer, it is time to set off again! The Charente gradually joins La Scandibérique and you pass châteaux and lakes all along the route. After a short stop at Massignac and why not at the Cassinomagus archaeological park, it is time to set off again to reach Marthon. The road is sometimes steep on this section and your legs will be put to the test! Once there, remember to stock up in this town, which is a shared stage with La Flow Vélo.

Cyclistes Scandibérique Angoulême rempart

Day 5 | Marthon > Angoulême | 32 km

To let you catch your breath, here is a calmer stage. At a cruising pace, you can admire the Coulée d’Oc greenway, which crosses many villages steeped in Romanesque art. La Scandibérique then joins the Touvre, which lets you enjoy the surroundings on your way to Angoulême, a city of culture that promises an unusual cultural break, for example with a visit to the Comics Museum.

Day 6 | Angoulême > Clérac | 86 km

Once you have had your fill of Angoulême’s famous painted walls, you can join the Coulée Verte, which runs along the Charente and offers exceptional views. Fans of Cognac can stop at Châteauneuf-sur-Charente to learn more about this drink. The road then leads to the town of Barbezieux, then takes you through the vineyards to Clérac. Many lakes are nearby to feast your eyes during a well-deserved break.

Cyclistes Scandibérique Saint Emilion vignes

Day 7 | Clérac > Libourne | 46 km

The last stage begins in the Saintonge, lulled by the many deep blue lakes dotted along the route. Little by little, the arrival in Bordeaux territory can be sensed with the appearance of the first pines. A breathtaking crossing of vineyards follows, drastically changing the landscape to the delight of the eyes. And here you are in Libourne, a former river port: you can make the most of the town to start recovering from the journey.

Custom route

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27 Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine / Châtellerault

41 km

2 h 45 min

I cycle often

Here, following the Scandibérique brings you back beside a river, this time the Vienne, at Marcilly-sur-Vienne. This stage follows its west bank, offers views of lovely landscapes. Vaux-sur-Vienne, climbing the slope from the river, is a village in a lovely green setting from which to embark on walks. Finally, the town of Châtellerault comes into view. Before and after World War I, it was known for manufacturing Lebel guns; after the factory closed in 1968, it was subsequently transformed into an ice-skating rink and cultural space, a sign of peace for future generations.

28 Châtellerault / Lussac-les-Châteaux

58 km

3 h 50 min

I cycle often

Châtellerault boasts an impressive historical legacy and on a stopover here you can even discover its industrial heritage. As well as the charming town centre where the fully restored Italian-style Blossac Theatre stands out alongside Renaissance-style monuments, the former arms factory, with its two imposing brick chimneys, also grabs visitors’ attention. Continuing along the Scandibérique, many surprises await, notably at Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, with Le Pinail Nature Reserve, or then at Chauvigny, its medieval centre rising from its rocky outcrop. Lastly comes Lussac-les-Châteaux and the five mighty pillars of the former drawbridge to its single château!

29 Lussac-les-Châteaux / Confolens

53 km

3 h 31 min

I cycle often

From Lussac-les-Châteaux to Availles-Limouzine, the Scandibérique follows small, bucolic roads with little traffic. The rolling plains start to have more pronounced slopes, meaning you have to make more physical effort, plus the landscapes will take your breath away! Look out for spots beside the Vienne from which you can go bathing in the river for a refreshing break. The majestic viaduct at L’Isle-Jourdain takes you across the river, which you then leave behind, riding on to Availles Limouzine. The art works scattered around the Château de Lessac are bound to leave you thinking. At the town of Confolens, give your ‘pins’ a break by taking the little tourist train!

30 Confolens / Massignac

38 km

2 h 31 min

I cycle often

Leaving Confolens’s medieval bridge behind, the route takes you beside the Vienne River up to Exideuil, the way revealing more and more of the Charente area’s character, the Château de la Chétardie even being the seat of a Confrérie du Cognac, a fraternity for the famed brandy spirit! In this eastern part of the county, or département, of Charente, the lakes of Lavaud and Mas Chaban were created to help regulate the lack of water in the Charente River certain summers; they also offer nautical activities and places for bird-watching, nice ways to take a break before riding on to Massignac, just a few kilometres on, and a place for a stopover on the route.

31 Massignac / Marthon

35 km

2 h 19 min

I cycle often

This stage takes you along minor county roads offering lovely views, but steep climbs too! Along the way, the valleys are deep, as you’re riding along the western foothills of the Massif Central Range. The Tardoire River can rise suddenly in heavy rain. At Montbron, though, there’s a lovely watersports centre from which you can launch onto the waters in a canoe. Marthon is where the Scandibérique and La Flow vélo cycle routes connect. It’s a village that has preserved its covered market and an historic keep known as the Tour du Breuil. There are shops here, so you can stock up here before continuing along the route.

32 Marthon / Angoulême

32 km

2 h 06 min

I begin / Family

The Scandibérique now doubles up with La Flow Vélo cycle route heading to France’s cartoon capital, Angoulême. Leading you through the heart of the Bandiat Valley, the Coulée d’Oc Greenway runs through countryside dotted with little villages marked by Romanesque churches. Shortly after Chazelles and the Quéroy Caves, the route then heads off towards Angoulême along the Touvre Valley. Do take the time to view this river’s startling sources, springing up in natural pools from subterranean natural reservoirs. The city of Angoulême is more than a mere stopover for cartoon fans, much more a pilgrimage for aficionados of the so-called 9th art!

33 Angoulême / Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire

48 km

2 h 52 min

I begin / Family

Once you’ve enjoyed your fill of cartoons in Angoulême, including on its giant painted walls, time to pick up the thread of the Scandibérique again. The route crosses the city peacefully via the Coulée Verte beside the Charente, which you continue to follow, the river’s banks dotted with little ports and locks, the slopes above producing cognac and pineau. Châteauneuf-sur-Charente is well worth a halt, one of the historic ports for transporting cognac, a spirit known around the world since 1700, and a leading French export today. The final stretch of this first stage connecting two renowned viticultural areas, the Charente and the Bordelais, continues through vineyards to Barbezieux-St-Hilaire.

34 Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire / Clérac

39 km

2 h 34 min

I begin / Family

This Scandibérique stage leads via the county of Charente’s vineyards on to forests typical of the neighbouring county of Charente-Maritime and continues to the border between the historic areas of the Saintonge and the Périgord. Cruise easily along the Galope Chopine Greenway from Barbezieux St-Hilaire to Clérac, the way increasingly wooded. The medieval Château de Montguyon, an imposing fort ravaged by time, offers a tempting reason to deviate slightly from the Haute-Saintonge greenway. Just a few arrows’ lengths further on, cycling into the heart of the Double Saintongeaise Forest (40,000 hectares of woods stretching between Montguyon, Montlieu la Garde and Montendre) you reach Clérac. This stage provides plenty of invigorating country air!

35 Clérac / Libourne

46 km

3 h 05 min

I begin / Family

Clérac offers a haven of peace, nestled in its green wooded corner at the southern edge of the Saintonge area. The Scandibérique then leads you into the Bordelais area. At first, up to Guîtres, as well as the green of the pines, the bright white of former kaolin clay mines stands out, while the lakes that have formed in these pits reflect the deep blue of the sky. Next, the scenery changes, as you cycle beside the Isle River, the slopes covered with world-famous vineyards as you approach Libourne, an historic port at the confluence of the Isle and Dordogne Rivers. By now, the feel is very southern!

Discover also

Vue du château de Saint-Germain de Confolens

Back to nature in the heart of France

A break for nature and culture

Day 1 | Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine > Châtellerault | 41 km

Day 2 | Châtellerault > Lussac-les-Châteaux | 57 km