Canals & intimate rivers
32,19 Km
2 h 06 min
I begin / Family
32,19 km cycling route from Marthon to Angoulême
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!
Elevation of the stage
136 m 62 m
Waytypes of the stage
Cycle path: 20,38 km By road: 11,81 km
Surface of the stage
Smooth: 29,18 km Rough: 3,02 km
The route
This stage is shared with La Flow Vélo cycle route, making the most of the Coulée d'Oc Greenway, provided with an asphalt surface up to the entrance to Angoulême. The way alternates between stretches on greenways and some on quiet roads, awaiting the laying out of a ‘coulée verte’, or green corridor, alongs the banks of the Charente River. Signposted EV3.
Surfacing smooth: asphalt and compacted tracks (alongside the Charente)
Trains
Angoulême train station :
- Regional TER line Angoulême - Châteauneuf-sur-Charente - Jarnac - Cognac - Saintes - Saujon - Royan
- Regional TER line Angoulême - Poitiers
- Regional TER line - Angoulême - Bordeaux
- High-speed TGV line Angoulême - Bordeaux, Angoulême - Paris ; Angoulême - Poitiers
Don’t miss
- Marthon: the Tour du Breuil keep; St-Jean Chapel and porch
- Saint Germain de Montbron: Moulin de la Chaume, a watermill producing flour and artisanal oils; Jeux me régale, a concept of a restaurant with games
- Chazelles: the watermill; the micro-brewery; the Grottes du Quéroy, caves once used by prehistoric people
- Touvre: the sources of the Touvre (beautiful natural pools)
- Angoulême: the murs peints, outdoor walls painted with huge images; the Cité Internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l'Image and its Musée de la Bande Dessinée (a whole area devoted to cartoons and including a museum on the subject); the Musée du Papier, a museum on paper, and the nearby themed La Table à Dessin for a bite; the Fond Régional d'Art Contemporain Poitou-Charentes (displaying regional contemporary art collections); the Musée d'Angoulême (on arts and archaeology); St-Pierre Cathedral.
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