The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Simon

Very nice view

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

1656 - Birth of the BRILLET House The Brillet House is located in Graves-Saint-Amant, in a place called Les Aireaux, in an enchanting setting, on the edge of the bucolic Charente. The story begins in 1656 with the birth of Guy Brillet, founding father of the wine estate in the very heart of the Cognac region. 1850 - Creation of the Négoce Vivien Brillet, 7th generation, inaugurates the trading house in 1850, creating a distillery and cellars. This is the beginning of the growth of the Brillet House that Raymond and his son Jean will develop at the turn of the 1920s, creating their own brand of Cognac, in Petite and Grande Champagne (the first two Cognac vintages) and Pineau des Charentes. Thus, 10 generations of the Brillet family succeed one another, passing on and passionately keeping the family heritage alive. 1985 - Creation of a Cognac and Pear liqueur Belle de Brillet It was in 1985 that Jean-Louis Brillet created Belle de Brillet, whose name pays homage to his "Belle", his wife Isabelle. Together, they worked passionately to promote Belle de Brillet, a unique liqueur combining Pear and Cognac with its distinctive pear-shaped bottle. Very quickly, it established itself as the flagship of the House. 2020 - Acquisition of Maison Brillet by the Rémy-Cointreau Group, which also cultivates 50 hectares of vines in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. Its Cognac comes from a single vineyard, certified HVE3, planted with the traditional Ugni Blanc grape variety. It is located in an atypical terroir of Fins Bois, on hillsides overlooking the Gironde estuary, and benefiting from the temperate influence of the Atlantic Ocean. These eaux-de-vie are the result of a double distillation without lees in a traditional Charente still, and are aged partly in new oak barrels. They have round, fruity and floral notes, ideal for a harmonious marriage with pear eaux-de-vie. > For more information: https://belledebrillet.com/ > Address: “Les Aireaux” 22 route de Graves 16120 Graves-St-Amant. > Visit, Tasting and Purchases possible: Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Private & professional contact visit: contact@brillet.fr / +336 76 01 10 10

The Giraud d'Anqueville, lords of Bois-Charente, built the castle in the 16th century. The main building has a 16th century tower and extensions dating from the 19th century. In 1680, the castle passed through marriage to François Goulard, lord of La Faye, and it became the property of Jean Thioulet, gentleman of the king, at the beginning of the 18th century. Bois-Charente belonged in 1900, at the beginning of the 20th century, to Jean Fougerat known as Élie, a wealthy owner and benefactor for the development of the Cognac vineyard. The Charente pharmacist and winegrower Jean Fougerat (1863-1932) made a fortune by exploiting several pharmaceutical specialties, in particular the famous Rami syrup to treat the bronchi. This bachelor amassed a "considerable fortune", part of his income came from the exploitation of large vineyards that he had acquired around Graves-Saint-amant, his native land. Indeed, after the phylloxera, in 1897, he replanted 350 hectares of vines on his land acquired in the communes of Graves (logis de Bois Charente), Champmillon (domaine de la Chapelle), Saint-Preuil, in 1897 and Lignières-Sonneville between 1898 and 1901. In 1906, he harvested 22,000 hl of wine and produced 3,000 hl of brandy. He developed the logis de Bois Charente and enlarged its park. He planted more than 500 different species there. He set up a wine station where, with his colleagues, he prepared future plantations and improved the distillation processes. In the absence of immediate outlets, he distilled and aged the eau-de-vie and built numerous ageing cellars in Champmillon, Saint-Preuil and Bourg-Charente. When he died, Fougerat donated his estate and his Bois-Charente manor to the city of Angoulême, the universal legatee. She set up an "Institut de la viticulture charentaise" there (soon renamed the "Bureau interprofessionnel du cognac" and repatriated to Cognac in the 1980s). The Manor was active until the early 1980s, then between 2003 and 2016 it became an educational center for young people in judicial protection. The educational support was based on a high-end application restaurant, with the preparation of CAP and BEP certificates as a key. In his will, Jean Fougerat also had an imposing monument erected in Bois-Charente to the glory of Charente viticulture and cognac. Created by the sculptors R. Lamour de dieu and Émile Peyronnet, the work represents "six figures engaged in viticultural work, in bronze bas-relief; a distillery is engraved in marble". Jean Fougerat gave his name to a street in Angoulême and to his foundation, based in Graves-Saint-Amant. The latter supported the Institute of Viticultural Research in 1936, then currently supports the educational center with the CCAS.

Very pretty site along the Charente and on the Flow Vélo route

A nice place to take a break. There is a picnic bench and an orientation table. There are lovely views over the surrounding fields.

Bourg-Charente castle is a 17th century mansion. Nestled on a rocky promontory, it is located a few kilometers from Cognac. It also houses the remains of a medieval fortress. Acquired in the 20th century, this château houses cellars for producing Grand Marnier. It can be visited from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The ruins of Bouteville Castle were built around the year 1000 on the site of a Roman villa.