Cycling Week In Cognac

After arriving in Angouleme please take the local train to Saintes (passengers who have booked transport through Explore from London will have train tickets booked for them for two specific trains for the full journey to Saintes). Please note: due to current engine works on the line between Congac and Saintes there will be a bus replacement section for this leg of the jounrey which will take you all of the way to the stationwhere your Tour Leader will meet you at the station. On arrival we check into hotel which is situated in the centre of this historic town. Saintes is over two thousand years old and was the capital of the Roman province of Aquitaine. It was a frontier town during the Hundred Years War, taken back from the English by Duguesclin, and devastated by the Wars of Religion before going through a more prosperous period in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Today’s optional ride takes us north east from Saintes to the abbey of Fontdouce. (optional visit) Nestling in the hollow of a small valley rich in vineyards, is an enchanted place hidden away as only the Benedictines knew how to. There, Fontdouce abbey is emerging little by little from layers of earth and years of neglect. It is hard to believe that 7 centuries ago the abbey’s power stretched as far as 100 kms. Founded in 1111 it has produced an unlikely patchwork of different religious and civil architecture over the centuries. Owned by a family of farmers since the French revolution (1793) it was only in 1970 that it started to recover its original state. Our return route passes by the village of St Cesaire and gives us the chance to visit the archaeological site “Paleosite”. Its interactive exhibition runs from the Big Bang to Prehistoric times, revealing how monkeys first stood upright, and how early humanoids made tools and mastered fire. (Total cycling approx 24 miles/40kms )

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Part of our cycle ride today follows the Charente river valley via Port d’Envaux, a bustling port until the 19th C, to the chateau of La Roche Courbon. (optional visit) An architectural jewel set between two cliffs, the exceptional site of La Roche Courbon is located alongside a stream in the middle of an over one thousand year old forest. This austere medieval fortress was later transformed during and after the Renaissance by Jean-Louis de Courbon into an elegant dwelling of the 17th century; and today, the château represents one of the most spectacular of its kind in the region with vast formal terraced gardens and ornamental basins. We continue our route to Saujon passing the 12th century Cistercian abbey of Sablonceaux. (Total cycling approx 30miles / 50kms)

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Appealingly situated on the Suedre, Europe’s smallest river, Saujon is a thermal town close to the Atlantic coast. It boasts a pretty little river port and is the perfect base for making further excursions into the surrounding area. Our cycling options today take us north, along the Suedre to the charming port of L’Eguille. Built on a headland on the Seudre it was once an island in the Santons Gulf, and it is a delight to absorb the typical atmosphere here. We continue around the southern edge of the Marennes basin to visit one of France’s “plus belles villages” Mornac-sur-Seudre, an oyster producing village. The village boasts, a 12th Century Romanesque churche, reinforced to face up to the ravages of the wars at that time; a tourist development with the various boutiques of artisans and craftsmen. Here we will have the opportunity to ride out along the marshes to observe the oyster beds. A second cycle option allows us the chance to ride out to the Atlantic coast at Royan, once a fashionable resort of the Bourgeoisie but heavily bombed by the Allies in an attempt to dislodge a large contingent of German troops who had withdrawn into the area after the D-Day landings, it is still popular today but no longer as exclusive. Today it is better known for its beautiful beaches with fine pale sand making it the true jewel of the Atlantic coast. (Total cycling approx 20 or 35 miles / 33 or 56 kms depending upon route chosen).

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today, we leave Saujon in a southerly direction passing through several pretty villages including Corme Ecluse, St Andre de Lidon where it is possible to visit the botanic gardens, and the pretty village of Gemozac to arrive at Pons. Pons itself is a pretty medieval town, complete with castle keep (the first ‘Donjon’ was raised to the ground by Richard the Lion heart in 1179). Pilgrims Hospital and the Chapel Notre-Dame. (Total cycling approx 27 miles / 45 kms)

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Our cycle ride to Cognac takes us south of Pons before turning to the north to pass through vineyards and quiet, delightful villages before rejoining the Charente river and following it to Cognac. The château de Cognac was, among others, where Richard the Lion Heart gave his son in marriage to Aurélie de Cognac in 1190 and where François 1st was born. He spent part of his childhood there and returned there often. The court led a life in the Italian style where poets and musicians were welcome. Clément Marot stayed there. After being enlarged and modernised in the spirit of the Renaissance, the château was at the height of its glory and Cognac was a true royal town. The Wars of Religion led to the château being gradually abandoned and even sold as National Property under the Revolution. (Total cycling approx 25 miles / 42 kms)

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Cognac lies on the banks of the river Charente, from which it draws its prosperity. The prosperity which came from the salt and wine trades was fought over during the medieval period by the English and the French. Cognac is of course cognac the drink, an exceptional product, appreciated throughout the world with 95% going for exports. Cognac producers and merchants have made the name of the town more famous than that of many capitals and even today mark the architecture, economy and daily life in the town. Our cycling option includes a gentle ride east of Cognac to the riverside town of Jarnac. Jarnac shines out from a landscape of vineyards and the battle of Jarnac 1569, was bloody episode during the wars of religion. The town is now more famous for chocolate, cognac (Courvoisier & Thomas Hine) and the birthplace of one of France’s most famous figures, President Mitterand. A museum in the town (optional visit) houses some of the artefacts and gifts given to him whilst in office. As we visit Jarnac on Friday, it is also market day. (Total cycling approx 22 miles / 37 kms)

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast