Sébastien LAVAL

Grand tour des provinces des Charentes à vélo

Tour à vélo de 597 km entre Aunis, Saintonges et Pays Mellois

La Rochelle et les embruns atlantiques marquent le point de départ de ce grand tour à vélo. Une aventure panachée pour profiter de la variété des paysages charentais. Vous vous laissez ensuite embarquer par la magie du Marais Poitevin, avant de survoler les doux reliefs du Mellois et les vallons boisés de la Charente, en suivant l’itinéraire de La Vélidéale. À Confolens, la Vienne vous accueille et La Scandibérique prend le relais jusqu’à Angoulême. Puis La Flow Vélo vous prend en main, entre villages de caractère, rivières tranquilles et patrimoine remarquable, pour un retour vers l’océan avec la réjouissante perspective d'un nouveau grand bain de mer. Un tour à vélo de presque 600 km pensé pour les cyclistes aguerris, en quête de liberté, d’authenticité, de nature et de baignades.

  • Départ : La Rochelle
  • Distance : 597 kilomètres
  • Balisage : boucle vélo 100% balisée dans les 2 sens / empruntant plusieurs itinéraires
    • La Vélo Francette (La Rochelle - Niort)
    • La Vélidéale (Niort - Confolens)
    • La Scandibérique (Confolens - Angoulême)
    • La Flow Vélo (Angoulême - Rochefort)
    • La Vélodyssée (Rochefort - La Rochelle)
J. Damase

Départ en douceur vers le Marais poitevin

Partez de La Rochelle en longeant paisiblement le canal de Rompsay, jusqu’à Marans. Très vite, vous entrez dans un autre monde : celui du Marais Poitevin, vaste écrin de verdure propice à la déconnexion. Heureusement, l’itinéraire balisé de La Vélo Francette et de La Vélodyssée (jusqu'à Marans) vous guide en toute sérénité. Faites une pause pique-nique à Roussille ou à La Garette, deux haltes pleines de charme. Envie de ralentir encore le rythme ? Offrez-vous une parenthèse en barque à travers les 2 100 km de conches et de canaux des marais mouillés. Des départs sont proposés à Coulon ou, pour plus de tranquillité, à La Garette même. Enfin, cap sur Niort, dont les donjons millénaires vous accueillent pour une flânerie au cœur d’un discret patrimoine captivant.

Château de Mauléon
Sébastien LAVAL

Trésors du Mellois et de la Charente

Depuis Niort et les reflets paisibles de la Venise Verte, vous prenez la route de La Vélidéale vers le Pays Mellois en passant par Prahecq, où vous attend la voie verte du Ruban Vert. Le patrimoine se dévoile au fil du parcours : l’Abbaye Royale de Celles-sur-Belle, de nombreuses églises romanes et les mystérieuses mines d’argent des Rois Francs jalonnent votre chemin.

Dans la vallée de la Boutonne, vous atteignez Chef-Boutonne et le château Renaissance de Javarzay, cadre idéal pour une halte culturelle. Le relief devient ensuite plus vallonné, mais chaque détour réserve son lot de trésors : le château de Saveilles, l’église romane de Raix, ou encore les cités de caractère de Verteuil-sur-Charente et Nanteuil-en-Vallée.

En poursuivant, l’itinéraire rejoint la vallée de la Vienne et La Scandibérique, avant une dernière montée vers Confolens, bourg médiéval vibrant chaque été au rythme de son festival international danses et musiques du monde.

Sébastien Laval

Des vallées secrètes aux bulles d’Angoulême

Entre nature généreuse et patrimoine médiéval, laissez-vous guider par La Scandibérique de Confolens à Angoulême. L’itinéraire, à la fois bucolique et un brin sportif, vous emmène des berges paisibles de la Vienne aux lacs de Haute-Charente, avec à la clé des points de vue spectaculaires après chaque montée. Une pause s’impose ? Pourquoi ne pas troquer le vélo pour un canoë à Montbron ? 

Plus loin, Marthon vous accueille avec sa halle et son donjon, avant de vous plonger dans l’ambiance douce des villages pittoresques et du patrimoine roman. Enfin, en rejoignant La Flow Vélo, vous suivez la Touvre et ses sources mystérieuses, jusqu’à Angoulême, capitale de la bande dessinée, où se mêlent culture vivante et art de flâner. Suivez Corto Maltese...

TTW Production

Derniers tours de roue en Saintonges, guidés par la Charente

La Flow Vélo vous invite à une escapade douce et accessible entre Angoulême et La Rochelle, en suivant les méandres paisibles de la Charente jusqu’à Rochefort, avant de rejoindre La Vélodyssée en bord d’océan.

Ce parcours fluide traverse des villes emblématiques : Cognac, berceau d’un savoir-faire internationalement reconnu et d’un patrimoine élégant ; Saintes, paisible et lumineuse, qui garde les traces de son glorieux passé gallo-romain ; puis Rochefort, escale entre terre et mer, où flotte encore l’esprit des grandes aventures maritimes.

Guidé par le fleuve, cet itinéraire célèbre la lenteur, la contemplation et l’art de voyager à son rythme, au fil des paysages, des rencontres et du vent salé qui annonce déjà l’Atlantique que vous longerez dans les derniers kilomètres pour rejoindre La Rochelle.

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Tailor-made itineraries

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Tailor-made itineraries

Marans / La Rochelle

24 Marans / La Rochelle

25 km
1 h 42 min
I begin
This final stage of La Vélo Francette shares the way with the longer La Vélodyssée cycle route. You follow the Canal de Marans towards the sea before branching off for the great city of La Rochelle via the Canal de Rompsay. Although this stage is easy, it allows you to end La Vélo Francette with a flourish – plus there’s the possibility of a dip in the Atlantic! Islands beckon just off the coast, if you wish to prolong your experience of douce France!
Damvix / Bazoin / Marans

23 Damvix / Bazoin / Marans

28 km
1 h 51 min
I begin
The Sèvre Niortaise remains your guide on this stage, except on two stretches, one where you follow the Canal du Nouveau Béjou, the other the Canal du Pomère. Enjoy the ballet of little boats exploring the wetlands around these parts. You arrive at Marans via its quaysides, allowing you to appreciate how this little town lives via its waterways. Marans traditionally stood guard over the canal, marshes and river estuary; today it stands out because of its futuristic bell tower.
Coulon / Damvix / Bazoin

22 Coulon / Damvix / Bazoin

20 km
1 h 12 min
I begin
Coulon, located at the heart of the wet marshes of the Marais Poitevin and set so prettily beside the Sèvre Niortaise River, can offer cyclists on La Vélo Francette all the amenities they need. After crossing through the marshes, you rejoin the Sèvre Niortaise after Irleau. Approaching Damvix, the canalised river takes a straighter line, as though in a rush to join the ocean.
Niort / Coulon

21 Niort / Coulon

17 km
1 h 13 min
I begin
You stick close to the water’s edge, following the meanders of the Sèvre Niortaise River, alternating between the towpath and quiet riverside roads. The sites of Roussille or La Garette offer ideal spots for a pause in these winding parts. Or consider a longer halt at the little capital of the Marais Poitevin, the gorgeous, watery village of Coulon.
Melle / Niort

11 Melle / Niort

37 km
2 h 27 min
I cycle often
On this stage of the Vélidéale cycle route, you ride off from the Pays Mellois area making use of a greenway called the Ruban Vert (or Green Ribbon), taking you along a raised former railway line, up to Prahecq. This stretch proves both peaceful and accessible to most. Then, to shift from the Mellois area to the Niortais, it’s only a short stretch, through a tunnel of greenery in the warmer seasons. You reach the centre of the city of Niort via the Avenue de Limoges, cycling up to La Brèche, a major public park, and Le Port Boinot, the river port, both providing important green spaces for the town. Plus, you’re now on the edge of the splendid Marais Poitevin marshes.
Chef-Boutonne / Melle

10 Chef-Boutonne / Melle

33 km
2 h 11 min
I cycle often
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.
Ruffec / Chef-Boutonne

9 Ruffec / Chef-Boutonne

40 km
2 h 39 min
I cycle often
The Vélidéale cycle route guides you from the département (French county) of Charente into that of Deux-Sèvres to enter the Mellois area, riding along bucolic little country roads. Dotted along the way are little gems that will pique your interest: in Raix, the Romanesque church of Saint-Barthélemy; in Paizay-Naudouin-Embourie, the 14th-century Château de Saveilles, displaying an intriguing mix of medieval fort and later, Renaissance style; and in Chef-Boutonne, the Château de Javarzay, one of the earliest Renaissance châteaux to be built in the old region of Poitou. Chef-Boutonne was also the birthplace of a pioneering 19th-century French industrialist, Jean-François Cail, who built metallic structures and an industrial farm as well as advocating social responsibility. All told, this unexpected local heritage will satisfy the curiosity of cyclists who like to learn as they ride along!
Champagne-Mouton / Ruffec

8 Champagne-Mouton / Ruffec

32 km
2 h 08 min
I cycle often
Your cycling adventure continues on towards Ruffec, taking you via two further Petites Cités de Caractère, Nanteuil-en-Vallée and Verteuil-sur-Charente, each inviting you to enjoy a refreshing pause. Nanteuil-en-Vallée, with its cobbled streets and typical historic Charentais-style houses, is full of charm, its main attractions the vestiges of its medieval abbey and a 1920s garden, the Jardin de l'Argentor. As to Verteuil-sur-Charente, its impressive château looks down on the Charente River, while its Romanesque church conceals one of the Charente’s most dramatic Entombment of Christ scenes, featuring life-size terracotta figures. Next, it’s on via the village of Barro to Ruffec, the first offering tranquillity, the second shops, so that you can regather strength before riding onwards.
Confolens / Champagne-Mouton

7 Confolens / Champagne-Mouton

36 km
2 h 23 min
I begin
The little town of Confolens makes an irresistible stopover along the Vélidéale cycle route. It boasts remarkable heritage features that it puts lovingly to the fore, hence its designation as a Petite Cité de Caractère. A trail incites you to learn about the varied curiosities dotted around the medieval settlement. For the last 60 or so years, the weekend around 15 August sees the arrival of dancers and musicians from around the world for its Festival d'Art et de Traditions Populaires. Leaving Confolens, you once more follow the Vienne River, up to Saint-Germain de Confolens, a village whose sublime castle perched on its rocky promontory dominates a wide area. Then our cycle route heads off straight westwards to cross the Charente River at Alloue, where the Maison Maria Casarès stands out, a fortified medieval house lived in by a famous French actress from 1961 to 1996, and now an artists’ residence. Ride on to Champagne-Mouton, a little place, but where you’ll find stores to stock up on provisions.
Confolens / Massignac

30 Confolens / Massignac

38 km
2 h 31 min
I cycle a lot
Leaving Confolens’s medieval bridge behind, the route takes you beside the Vienne River up to Exideuil, the way revealing more and more of the Charente area’s character, the Château de la Chétardie even being the seat of a Confrérie du Cognac, a fraternity for the famed brandy spirit! In this eastern part of the county, or département, of Charente, the lakes of Lavaud and Mas Chaban were created to help regulate the lack of water in the Charente River certain summers; they also offer nautical activities and places for bird-watching, nice ways to take a break before riding on to Massignac, just a few kilometres on, and a place for a stopover on the route.

31 Massignac / Marthon

35 km
2 h 19 min
I cycle a lot
This stage takes you along minor county roads offering lovely views, but steep climbs too! Along the way, the valleys are deep, as you’re riding along the western foothills of the Massif Central Range. The Tardoire River can rise suddenly in heavy rain. At Montbron, though, there’s a lovely watersports centre from which you can launch onto the waters in a canoe. Marthon is where the Scandibérique and La Flow vélo cycle routes connect. It’s a village that has preserved its covered market and an historic keep known as the Tour du Breuil. There are shops here, so you can stock up here before continuing along the route.
Marthon / Angoulême

32 Marthon / Angoulême

32 km
2 h 06 min
I begin
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!
Angoulême / Châteauneuf-sur-Charente

7 Angoulême / Châteauneuf-sur-Charente

30 km
2 h 31 min
I begin
The Charente River now becomes the main thread on your journey along La Flow Vélo. The route takes you gently out of Angoulême, French comics capital, keeping to the riverside. Then it leads you up to slopes featuring the first vines of the Pays de Cognac area. The sweet-toothed might stop at Letuffe chocolate-makers’ at Trois-Palis. While up on the slopes, savour the lovely viewpoints before dropping down to Saint-Simeux, a village with lovely houses and gardens practically bathing in the Charente. Just before Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, the Bain des Dames boasts a lovely beach where you can enjoy the river to the full.
Châteauneuf-sur-Charente / Cognac

8 Châteauneuf-sur-Charente / Cognac

34 km
3 h 26 min
I begin
Taking you through the heart of the Charentais vineyards, La Flow Vélo zigzags between river and vineyards. The neat lines of cognac-making vines contrast with the wild islands in the Charente. A detour to Jarnac is very much worth while. Producing cognac spirit made the town’s fame, added to by the fact that François Mitterrand (French President from 1981 to 1995) was born here. On Quai de l’Orangerie, picture how boats were once filled with cognac barrels before sailing down the Charente. Further on, after a big meander in the river, the town of Cognac itself comes into view, full of history and heritage. Break your journey here and visit some famous cognac-makers, sampling the refined local spirit.
Cognac / Saintes

9 Cognac / Saintes

38 km
2 h 35 min
I begin
Riding off along the town of Cognac’s quays makes for a fine start to the next stage of La Flow Vélo. Along this bucolic stretch, you’ll encounter several tributaries of the Charente River heading for the town of Saintes. Little chain-operated ferries enable you to cross the waters at Rouffiac and Chaniers in a fun way, plus there are simple riverside inns (guinguettes) to enjoy. The cycle route continues on through riverside flood meadows to Saintes, a place boasting 2,000 years of history for you to explore. Wandering around the streets on foot is the best way to take in the many sights of this deeply historic town going back to Gallo-Roman times.
Saintes / Saint-Savinien

10 Saintes / Saint-Savinien

27 km
1 h 46 min
I begin
After Saintes, you feel the pull of the ocean. The rivers become tidal and there are regular river ports along the way, great places to halt at. This stage, though, mainly takes you through countryside a bit away from the Charente River. However, Port d’Envaux and the châteaux of Panloy and Crazannes will stop you in your tracks. Then you arrive at Saint-Savinien-sur-Charente, nestled in its meander. Take a break here and savour the charm of this village, one of the most picturesque in the county of Charente, designated a Petite Cité de Caractère. Imagine how beautifully-cut stone from the surrounding quarries was once shipped out from here to Ghent, Antwerp and even London.
Saint-Savinien / Rochefort

11 Saint-Savinien / Rochefort

41 km
2 h 36 min
I begin
Leaving Saint-Savinien, you first repeat a bit of the way from the end of the previous stage, then head through fields and villages along pretty stretches of the towpath beside a little canal parallel to the Charente River. Switch bank just before Cabariot to reach Tonnay-Charente and its striking 19th-century suspension bridge. La Flow Vélo next adopts the same path as La Vélodyssée cycle route up to the river port of Rochefort. At Rochefort, discover, on foot, this town’s exceptional Ancien Régime maritime past, clearest at the majestic Corderie Royale ropery and the life-size replica of Lafayette’s frigate, L'Hermione.
La Rochelle / Rochefort

22 La Rochelle / Rochefort

50 km
3 h 20 min
I cycle often
As the famous towers which defend the port of La Rochelle hove into view, a cycle path section takes us to the Port of Minimes, then onto the Cove of Godechaud, right next to the sea. The delightful Bay of Châtelaillon now comes into sight and offers weary cyclists a very pleasant stopping point. After the Bay of Châtelaillon comes a pretty seaside section before heading back inland towards the ‘royal city’ of Rochefort. While the middle section of this route might appear somewhat commonplace, the remarkable town of Rochefort is well worth exploring.