Home / Plan your stay / Walks and hikes / In the country side / Cycling path 3 : Tour of the Foutains and wells - 8.7 mi - Échillais
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Cycling path 3 : Tour of the Foutains and wells - 8.7 mi

in Échillais
11.8 km
52min
Easy
  • Discover the town that saw Pierre Loti grow up, through bucolic paths, between Charente and the canal.
  • Difference in height
    72.97 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 bridge and the "Pont Transbordeur" house
Inaugurated in 1900, this bridge consists of a metal deck resting on two pillars on each bank. Its gondola, suspended by cables, moves from one bank to the other. Classified as a historic monument, it allows pedestrians and bicycles to cross the Charente easily. The last transporter bridge in France.
2 The castle of La Bristière
This large neo-classical building was partly built in the 19th century.
The first building erected by Henry de Beaumont dates from the 17th century and Fénelon, a relative of Marie de Salignac-Fénelon, stayed here during a mission in Saintonge.
3 La Limoise and Pierre Loti
This house is typically Charentaise. It used to belong to Eugènie Duplais, a close friend of Nadine VIAUD, mother of Julien VIAUD alias Pierre LOTI. Mrs Duplais' daughter was eight years older than Julien and was another big sister to him. They loved each other very much and spent whole days playing on the property. Pierre Loti speaks of it as a paradise on earth.
4 Church of Notre-Dame d'Echillais
Built in the 12th century, it is one of the most famous Romanesque churches in Saintonge. You can admire its richly decorated and sculpted portal which was restored in 2011.
73 meters of difference in height
  • Start altitude : 3 m
  • End altitude : 3 m
  • Maximum altitude : 13 m
  • Minimum altitude : 1 m
  • Total positive elevation : 73 m
  • Total negative elevation : -73 m
  • Max positive elevation : 6 m
  • Min positive elevation : -7 m