Gravel in nature between the Vienne and Haute-Charente

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!