Chef-Boutonne / Melle

From Chef-Boutonne, the Boutonne Valley serves as your thread along a route with a royal twist; the Pays Mellois area boasted silver mines exploited for the French kings... back in Carolingian times! Today, you can cover this territory on a family-friendly, refreshing stage that runs beside local rivers. This part of the Vélidéale cycle route encourages you to discover Romanesque architecture and enjoy breaks in green settings. After the Boutonne River, it’s the turn of the Béronne River to guide you up to the little town of Melle via an interweaving series of pretty minor roads that it’s a delight to meander along.

The route

Crossing Chef-Boutonne, you arrive in the Pays Mellois area. You’re closely escorted by the Boutonne River up to a good place to stop, Brioux-sur-Boutonne. This little town has shops, restaurants and picnic areas, all the ingredients to encourage you to eat here. Next, you cross into the Béronne Valley, riding via Mazières-sur-Béronne, a bucolic little village. The stage comes to an end at Melle, an historic little town with plenty to see, hence its designation as a Petite Cité de Caractère.

Practical information

Office de tourisme du Pays Mellois 2 place Bujault 79500 Melle - 05 49 29 15 10
https://ot-paysmellois.org/

Don't miss 

• Chef-Boutonne: Château de Javarzay - the first Renaissance château in Poitou. 
• Melle: Les Mines d'Argent (Silver Mines), exploited from the time of Charlemagne to the end of the 10th century for the Melle monetary workshop. Terra Aventura trail: with family or friends, go on a treasure hunt! The Romanesque triad: the churches of Saint-Savinien.
• Saint-Pierre and Sainte-Hilaire (listed by UNESCO), and the Chemin de la Découverte arboretum.