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Cycling path 5 : Between the Arnoult Valley and the Channel Charente-Seudre

in Saint-Agnant
25.6 km
1h 30min
Easy
  • On the former coastline of the Gulf of Saintonge, landscapes and activities are available around the Arnoult valley and channel Charente - Seudre. The quality of the building and the organization of space reflects an ancient saline activity. important object works and historical processes, water is closely linked to the territory: miraculous fountain, wells, wash houses, canals ...
  • Difference in height
    165.75 m
  • Documentation
    GPX / KML files allow you to export the trail of your hike to your GPS (or other navigation tool)
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Points of interest
1 The Church of Champagne
On the church of St Andrew, several building campaigns were carried out from west to east at very short intervals. The first two bays of the nave and the eastern façade were built in the 12th century. On the west façade, one can see a decoration of fleurons typical of Saintonge in the middle of the 12th century. The north door features a "woman with snakes", a dragon with a coiled tail, and a basilisk, a legendary monster. In the nave, there is a large bearded head and a woman holding discs marked with the sign of the cross, a figure representing the Church.
2 Charlemagne Fountain
The discovery of this spring is attributed to Charlemagne himself.
Legend has it that during a battle against the Saracens, Charlemagne and his thirsty soldiers were exhausted. Then his horse struck the ground with its hoof and a providential spring sprang up.
3 The shores of the Gulf of Saintonge
Formerly salt works in the Gulf of Santons, crossed by the Charente-Seudre canal, Saint-Agnant has beautiful fountains, some of which are legendary. The first inhabitants were fishermen and salt-makers and the powerful lordship of Montierneuf managed the salt pans.
Over the centuries, the village moved westwards, where the church of Notre-Dame du Bon Secours now stands.
4 Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Secours Church
It is characterised by its façade in the purest Baroque style. A curious external staircase climbs up to the bell tower. Inside the church there is a bell, one of the oldest in the region (1652), which came from the now defunct church of Saint Saturnin.
5 The Pigeon House of Montierneuf
In 1075 the monks of Vendôme built the Priory of Montierneuf at Saint-Agnant.
It soon became the seat of a very powerful seigneury. At the beginning of the 16th century, Prior Bertrand Daugeraud had "one of the largest pigeon houses" in the kingdom built.
In 1568, the priory was destroyed during the Wars of Religion.
6 Lake Trizay and floral park
Trizay Lake is an ideal place to stop. There is a children's playground, a hostel, a restaurant and a floral park open in season.
7 The Abbey of Trizay
Dependent on the distant Benedictine Abbey of La Chaise Dieu in Auvergne, the Romanesque Abbey of Trizay was founded towards the end of the 11th century. For many centuries the monks led a peaceful existence there, clearing the area and welcoming pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Since the Revolution, it has been occupied by a farm, but the municipality has managed to revive this ruined monumental complex, which became the property of the Commune in 1989.
8 The Arnoult Valley
Market garden valley where crops are grown in "clumps". Vegetables are gradually being replaced by corn, but there are still a few market gardeners who supply the Rochefort market in particular.
166 meters of difference in height
  • Start altitude : 16 m
  • End altitude : 16 m
  • Maximum altitude : 21 m
  • Total positive elevation : 166 m
  • Total negative elevation : -166 m
  • Max positive elevation : 12 m
  • Min positive elevation : -14 m