The best road cycling routes around Roullet-Saint-Estèphe

Nice as a town: rustic, calm and pleasant.

Bourge medieval style, very pretty

Very nice view

Romanesque church fortified in the 14th century during the Hundred Years' War. The bell tower is imposing, and the oldest parts are located at the base of the side walls, the semicircular apse, and the façade. The rectangular bell tower is pierced by two lintel openings on each side. Powerful buttresses surround the building; one of the two on the façade is higher because it supports the bell tower staircase. The three-bay nave is lit by narrow, ribbed-vaulted windows. https://chateauruine.fr/16-eglise-fortifiee-fouquebrune.html

This little bridge is beautiful

Beautiful view from the bridge over the Charente, the quays and the pier.

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de La Couronne is an exceptional monumental complex, composed of the remains of the old abbey church and the convent buildings. A major building representing the introduction of Gothic in Angoumois at the end of the 12th century. In the 12th century, the Abbey of Notre-Dame de la Couronne was founded (from 1118, laying of the first stone). The work was carried out quickly and on March 12, 1122, the monks (of the regular order of Saint Augustine) settled in the presence of Bishop Girard de Blay and the Count of Angoulême. From its creation, the abbey was a great success: a new church was built at the end of the 12th century (choir and nave: 1171-1194; the end of the work was slowed down by wars, famines, etc.): it was dedicated in 1201, in the presence of the Archbishop of Bordeaux. The convent buildings were also renewed at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century: cloisters, dormitory, refectory, infirmary, etc. A surrounding wall surrounded the abbey. During the 13th century, the furnishings were enriched, the Saint-Nicolas chapel was built and the bell tower was built. During the Hundred Years' War, the monks were dispersed and the bell tower collapsed (1450). At the end of the 15th century, the abbey was reborn: part of the collapsed church was rebuilt, a new abbey building was built (the work was completed after 1514). The Wars of Religion affected the abbey again: it was pillaged in 1562, part of its furniture was burned. The convent buildings were restored in 1571. At the beginning of the 17th century, the abbey, which now had only eight monks, was united with the Jesuit order; it was then placed under the obedience of the congregation of Sainte-Geneviève in 1644. In the 18th century, a final campaign of works (1750-1778) transformed the convent buildings. During the Revolution, the abbey became national property. It was sold in 1807, used as a quarry and was gradually dismantled and divided into several properties. This religious establishment is now in ruins and inaccessible to the public. But it is possible to imagine it thanks to a virtual reality tour with the Legendr application. Municipal website: https://www.lacouronne.fr/abbaye-notre-dame 3D reconstruction: https://www.rendr.fr/portfolio/reconstitution-3d-abbaye-notre-dame-la-couronne Heritage of Charente: https://patrimoine16.lacharente.fr/sites-du-departement/la-couronne/

avoid during rain... there is a path in the grass for a few meters/km and suddenly wet feet ++