Condom / Castéra-Verduzan Vallée de la Baïse by bike

The Route

To leave Condom, the Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo cycle route takes you along the cycle path over Barlet Bridge, then along Route de Mézin to join a greenway, the Voie Verte de l’Armagnac. Along this greenway, at the level of the bastide of Cassaigne, follow signposting indicating Valence-sur-Baïse at 9km to leave the greenway and continue on quiet little country roads.

There are some significant slopes to tackle before you get back to the riverside at the level of Graziac double lock and, after this, to reach Flarembel Chapel. The surfacing is rough as you ride alongside the river from Flaran Abbey to Valence-sur-Baïse’s river port. Note that there’s also a long slope before you reach Valence-sur-Baïse.

Link
Voie Verte de l’Armagnac, a greenway from Condom to Lagraulet du Gers. At time of writing, this is a provisional link using quiet little roads until the route along the former railway line up to Eauze is completely laid out.

Practical information

• Office de Tourisme Gers Armagnac Ténarèze in Condom, 05 62 28 00 80
• Bureau d’Information Touristique from Castéra-Verduzan, 05 62 68 10 66

Don't miss 

• Condom: the cathedral; the cloisters; the historic Maison Aurian; the Hôtel Polignac (an historic mansion, now a state school); the statue of d’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
• Cassaigne: château selling both Côtes de Gascogne wines and Armagnac brandy
• Écluse double de Graziac: built between 1838 and 1850 from stone blocks, at this double lock, measuring some 30m, the shift in altitude between upper and lower parts is 4.5m
• Abbaye de Flaran: cistercian abbey dating back in part to the 12th century but transformed in the 18th, the whole extremely well preserved, including a splendid walled garden
• Valence-sur-Baïse: a medieval bastide town built along a promontory measuring 600m in length and 150m in width, perched over 60m above the valley below, while from the viewing point beside the partly transformed 14th-century church, it’s possible to make out the Pyrenees on clear days
• Castéra-Verduzan: a small thermal spa resort crossed by the Auloue River, a pleasant place to go shopping as well as offering the following leisure activities: a casino; hiking trails, including to the hamlet of Vieux Castera; bathing in the lake (accredited Blue Flag status for its clean waters) with watersports available in summer from the outdoor leisure activities base (base de loisirs)