Roundtrip from Lusseray around Saintes
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RouteXpert Catherine De Groote RouteXpert
Last edit: 30-04-2021
Route Summary
Poitou-Charentes is a region in the west of France and consists of four different departments, namely Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. Poitou-Charentes has a varied nature. Vast landscapes, forest areas, coastlines and wetlands. This ride will take you to Charente-Maritime. This great area allows you to enjoy peace, natural beauty and history. You will still find many traces of a rich past that goes back to Roman times. You will also find many Romanesque churches along this route.
The many sunflower and grain fields stretch over the rolling hills.
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Verdict
Duration
8h 15m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
223.45 km
Countries
Sablonceaux abbey
RouteXpert Review
You leave in Lusseray at the holiday home 'O'Limousin' (Airbnb). The house has been completely renovated. There is a large parking and garden. The motor can possibly be on the terrace under the shelter. There is a fully fitted kitchen and lounge. There are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with shower.A first stop is at the Saint-Pierre church in Aulnay. The 12th century church is a beautiful example of Romanesque art. Aulnay was a stopover on the pilgrimage path to St. Jacques-de-Compostelle.
Like the central west portal, the south portal has 4 beautiful levels of arches, surmounted by an oculus. Inside, the ship's pillars consist of 4 joined columns.
Tombstones in the form of sarcophagi, a 15th-century Hosannière cross and cypress trees surround the church.
Before crossing the Charente, we arrive at the Château de Taillebourg.
It is a castle ruin from the Middle Ages. It is built on a rock overlooking the village of Taillebourg and the valley of the Charente River. It had a very strategic position and was therefore at the center of many conflicts during the Middle Ages.
The Château de Taillebourg has today been converted into a public garden, where one can view the 18th century battlements and the underground chambers of the old castle.
A little further you will pass the Chateau de Crazanes. Listed as a historic monument, the castle was built in the 14th century in place of a former feudal castle. The building, completely restored and furnished, is located in the heart of an eight-hectare park. The Romanesque chapel, the keep, the moat, the dovecote and the museum of old rural objects contribute to the charm of this protected environment.
Only to be visited with a guide. A tour lasts approximately 1 hour (7 rooms in the castle: kitchen, living rooms, library, bedroom, waiting room and attic).
Price castle and garden: 9 euros / person.
Garden: 5 euros / person
The Château de la Roche Courbon has been a family property for 3 generations, which continues to open its doors to visitors to share the passion for heritage. The owner family, assisted by year-round staff, invests fully in the maintenance of this exceptional heritage. It is classified as a historical monument.
The castle can only be visited with a guide. The gardens are free to visit.
All information about the castle, the gardens and the visits can be found on the link at the bottom.
The church of Corme-Royal is one of the 4 pearls of Saintonge. The facade has a semi-circular portal on the ground floor, framed by two equally high false doors with pointed arches. On the grand arcade of the huge central window that cuts through the cornice, the allegory of the wise virgins and the foolish virgins develops.
Groups of columns separate the windows, others cover the ends of the facade. Above it, a cornice decorated with foliage and foliage rests on very elaborate modillions.
Opposite the church is the Restaurant Les Acacias. It offers a creative, refined and subtle cuisine combining local products and market flavors.
Founded in 1136, Sablonceaux Abbey soon suffered from the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. Since 1694, the abbey has undergone extensive restoration work: first the abbey church and, since 1986, the monastery buildings and outbuildings. Sablonceaux Abbey consists of an abbey church known for its bell tower and its Romanesque domes on the nave, from a monks wing on the first floor where we find the cells of the monks.
The chapter house, located in the monks' dormitory, has recently been restored. It is also possible to visit the granary. The 18th century abbey house and the entrance gate restored on the eve of the French Revolution are also highlights of the visit.
The church and monastery are freely accessible. In the shop you will find religious objects, a bookstore, food products produced in the monastery, pottery ...
The Tour Pirelonge is located in the middle of the vineyards of Saint-Romain-de-Benet. The tower is located along the Roman road that connects Saintes to Bordeaux. It is a funerary monument dedicated to an important figure, to a wealthy landowner who may be a bit of a megalomaniac. Excavations have identified the remains of a rectangular enclosure (peribola) around the monument where the tombs were located. The monument is full, no burial chamber has been identified inside.
In Meursac you pass the église Saint-Martin. The church was originally in the shape of a Latin cross, with a tower at the intersection of the side aisles. The north transept, with its blocking vault and semicircular arches, dates back to the 10th century and is also part of the old choir. The facade is divided into three levels and dates back to the 12th century. The front door was renovated in the 16th century.
Founded in 1111, Fontdouce Abbey remained a small-scale monastery for the first decades. From the thirteenth century, thanks to the donations received, the abbey became richer and a second monastery was added to the first. The Wars of Religion caused great damage. After the revolution, the site was sold as national property to the ancestors of the current owners. It was then transformed into a farmhouse and adapted accordingly, in particular through the construction of the large mansion that dominates all the buildings, with its bread oven, its dovecote and several other outbuildings. At the end of the 1960s, agricultural activity in the oldest parts ceased, allowing the first restorations to be carried out in 1970.
What makes Fontdouce Abbey so specific is its discretion: coming from neighboring municipalities and along the main road leading to the entrance to the abbey, no one can imagine that such existence is hidden behind a thick curtain of hundred-year-old oak trees.
Entrance: 6.50 euros / person.
The way back through the grain or sunflower fields is parallel to the way there.
The landscape is very open with lots of wheat fields and sunflowers. Part of the route passes through the vineyards. It is slightly sloping, giving you beautiful views. There are a number of historical sites such as Romanesque churches and abbeys. In this region there is no mass tourism, even if you are sometimes not so far from the coast. Unfortunately, the road surface is not too good. However, this is compensated by the very quiet small winding roads and there is little traffic on the larger runways. This route also gets 4 stars.
Pirelonge Tower
Fontdouce abbey
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Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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