Cycle Touring in Charentefrom La Giraudière, Brossac, South West France |
South of La GiraudiereLa Giraudiere, based in Brossac,
South West France, is perfectly positioned to explore the Sud-Charente
region. This scenic route takes us through some charming little French
towns, some delightful vinyards (and one of the largest pineau
distilleries of the region), and alongside a safari park..
Things to See: Eglise de Guizengeard; Le Petit Cousinard Pineau Distillery; Boisbreteau; Safari Park; Les Poteries Circuit Difficulty: Medium/Easy, not too hilly   First, take
right out of LG. When you get to the T-junction, you will
see a track almost opposite (a little to the right). This will take you
all the way to the bottom,
joining up with the D2. It's a steep downhill and a lot of fun to begin the tour
with.Once at the bottom take a left, and continue round up the hill, taking the left (D195) to Chez Thomas, which is about half-way up. Continue all the way to Chez Thomas, go through the village and take a l  eft
at the cross-roads onto the D127,
direction Guizengeard. You wil see the Jet
Ski park on the left before reaching a steady hill. Half-way up, it
is worth stopping
at the church in Guizengeard,
which is sign-posted on the right.Once back on the road, fork right at the top of the hill onto the D100 sign-posted to Boisbreteau (you will also see signs to a safari park and  Maurice's
pineau distillery).
This is a lovely stretch of road, taking you through miles of countryside
either side of the track. About 5-10mins along you will see
a sign for Le
Petit Cousinard
- which is Maurice's distillery. Feel free to go in, he'll show you
around and will happily offer a dégustation
if you show an interest. You can buy the pineau on-site.Back on the road, keep to the same path. Further along, you will see the safari park to your right (its obvious from the railings which border it). When I went past the first time, I was lucky enough to see a heard of deer running alongside. The road will take you down into Boisbreteau, a small village with a church and a Marie, but not much else! A good place for a rest all the same.  Take
a right at the bottom onto the D133, sign-posted to Brossac and
Oriolles, bearing left shortly afterward past the cemetary. This is a
lovely road which takes you right through the heart of the  vinyards for
2/3k. Eventually you will reach a cross-roads with the D2, where you take a right
to Brossac. This will
take you on a lovely wind down into Les
Poteries, where
on either side you will see a number of lakes.The D2 will take you all the way back to Brossac, and past the Etang Vallier. Make sure you bring towels and things with you so you can stop and cool off at the end. |