The Scandibérique route now heads for the Pyrenees, taking you into the historical territories of the young Henri de Navarre, who would become King Henri IV of France from 1589 to 1610. After greenways, you ride along peaceful minor roads crisscrossing the Pays d’Albret area of Gascony, made up of a mosaic of lands. From the fortified bastide village of Vianne to Barbaste and its fortified Moulin des Tours, on to Mézin, a perched village, there are many little southern gems a stone’s throw from the route. Gascon culinary tradition encourage you to sample the spirit Armagnac, Buzet wines, and, if you’re up for it, foie gras. This is a blissful area for a cycling adventure!
Gradients and elevation
Slope breakdown
Road types
- Cycle path
- Routes reserved for cyclists and pedestrians (greenways, cycle tracks, towpaths), separated from cars for maximum safety.
- Shared road
- Quiet minor roads with little traffic (unless otherwise stated in the stage details). Shared with cars (stay alert).
- Not specified
- Data unavailable or being assessed. Please refer to the detailed stage description.
- Provisional
- Section on a road or cycle path awaiting better-quality facilities (see stage details).
Surface
- Smooth
- Asphalt, tarmac or smooth concrete. Optimal comfort.
- Rough
- Fine gravel, compacted stabilised surface or worn tarmac. Less comfortable, vibrations possible.
- Natural
- Dirt, grass, roots or stones. Under 5%: short sections with little impact. Higher percentage: route suited to mountain or gravel bikes only.
- Not specified
- Data unavailable or being assessed. Please refer to the detailed stage description.
The route
The Scandibérique separates from the greenway shared with the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo at Larderet Lock, the fork in the ways well indicated. The next stage, on roads shared with motorized traffic, becomes more physically demanding, along undulating slopes. Watch out for traffic reaching Vianne, where a straight stretch of road shared with motorized vehicles is then followed by a safe cycle path. The route leads on via a quiet road until Barbaste’s towers come into view. It’s a country road up to the slope before Le Fréchou; cross the D656 road, then head for Mézin. At time of writing, a provisional route was in place between Séguret and your arrival at Mézin (Sabla). Signposted EV3.
Surfacing smooth: asphalt.
Connection
At Barbaste, you can follow the Véloroute de la Baïse, taking you to unmissable Nérac, the most elegant port along the Baïse Valley, with its Château Henri IV, Parc Royal de la Garenne and medieval and Renaissance houses. Then comes Moncrabeau, notorious for its Festival des Menteurs, or Liars’ Festival! The route leads into the county of Gers, the land of proud Gascon musketeer d’Artagnan. Stop over at the fine historic town of Condom, designated part of a Grand Site d’Occitanie under the denomination Armagnac Abbaye et Cités.
Train stations close by
- Aiguillon and Port-Sainte-Marie
Don’t miss
- Vianne: the bastide village
- Barbaste: the fortified Moulin des Tours on the Gélise River, with Romanesque bridge
- Mézin: the perched village, birthplace of pre-War World I French president, Armand Fallières
