Au Fil de l'Eau: Discovering Saintes and Surroundings

Nestling on the first slopes of Grande Champagne, a premier cru AOP cognac region, Salles d'Angles enjoys the proximity of the city and the serenity of the countryside. A hiking trail complying with the requirements of the Plan Départemental des Itinéraires de Promenades et de Randonnée, proposed by Grand Cognac and the commune of Graves-Saint-Amant.

The Né, a tributary of the Charente, borders the commune of Saint-Palais and draws multiple landscapes. The valley stretches for several kilometers at the foot of the hills of Grande Champagne.

In the heart of the fine woods, the tour takes you through the village of Sigogne, its extensive vineyards, woods, hillsides and hamlets to discover traces of the past around the Via Agrippa, the Roman road that linked Saintes to Lyon, and its 12th-century church. A hiking trail complying with the requirements of the Plan Départemental des Itinéraires de Promenade et de Randonnée, proposed by Grand Cognac and the commune of Sigogne.

Located in the immediate vicinity of the Charente-Maritime, Lachaise offers a typical landscape of the Charente Champagne region with its wine-growing plain descending to the Né Valley.

The Vélodyssée®, the Eurovéloroute n°1 crosses France, from Roscoff to Hendaye and is one of the longest European routes, essentially on its own. Your journey in Gironde will take you along the tracks of the Medoc coastline and the Bassin d'Arcachon of Arcachon. You will discover the charm of Soulac-sur-Mer, the scents of the pine forests, the lakes of the Medoc and the Bay of Arcachon, a lagoon opening onto the ocean. You are here in the kingdom of bicycle paths! Your journey in Gironde ends in apotheosis and in all beauty on the Dune du Pilat!

From the Pointe de Grave in Le Verdon-sur-Mer, gateway to the largest estuary in Europe, the Saint Jacques de Compostelle Coastal Way in Gironde starts here. Walk along this forest path to reach Soulac-sur-Mer with your family, on a tour or with friends. View of the Cordouan lighthouse, passage near the remains of the Atlantic Wall bunkers and finally the old village of Soulac-sur-Mer are on the agenda!

From Soulac to Lacanau, follow the superb shaded cycle paths of the Aquitaine coastline to the Arcachon basin. Ride along the Pointe Médoc, a multi-faceted territory, depending on whether you are riding along the west coast or along the estuary and vineyards. This section of the itinerary invites you to discover, among other things, the charm of the old villas of Soulac-sur-Mer, the smells of the pine forests, the freshwater lakes of the Médoc, the pond of Cousseau, Lacanau-Océan? Wide open spaces of natural reserves and ocean beaches...

From the Gironde estuary to the Atlantic Ocean, this itinerary is an ideal nature walk for the whole family in Le Verdon sur Mer. Located a few kilometres from Soulac-sur-Mer, this route offers a diversity of landscapes: maritime pine forests, marshes.. The itinerary that we propose to you borrows several types of ways: streets in the city center, a cycle track, a forest road and a forest road in limestone. There is no continuous signposting throughout the walk, but the paths are logical and the description of the itinerary will be enough to guide you.

North-east of the village of Bouteville, the vineyard circuit crosses the Chaumes Boissières, a Natura 2000 site where flora and fauna are king. Be attentive and respectful, they're watching you! In the heart of the Grande Champagne vineyards, one of the six of the Cognac AOC, this 7.8 km nature trail also reveals the charms of this village and its unmissable château comtal flanking the heights of Bouteville... A hiking trail complying with the requirements of the Plan Départemental des Itinéraires de Promenade et de Randonnée, proposed by Grand Cognac and the commune of Bouteville.

Discover the commune of Jau Dignac and Loirac, a former island in the Gironde estuary. At the bend in the road you can see the Green Lizard Lacerta Viridis basking in the sun or a European Study Ernis Orbicularis... Nature discovery hike through the dikes with a view of the Gironde Estuary, the mattes (polders), the marshes, the channels and the port of Richard. From the 18m high lighthouse-museum of Richard, you will be able to enjoy a magnificent 360° landscape.

Ideally located in Jarnac along the River Charente, the maison TIFFON invites you to discover its famous Braastad cognac. Discover it's history, authenticity and exceptional heritage in an emblematic building. Founded in 1875, explore the authenticity of a family-run, independent house whose winemaking secrets have been passed down for 6 generations. The House owns 40 hectares of vineyards in the Grande Champagne and Fins Bois crus. Today, the House is run by the Braastad family, who manage the estate in the traditional way, from the vine to the glass. Immerse yourself in the secrets of cognac production through the different stages of production: history, know-how, distillation. This plunge into the heart of cognac will take you into our cellars and introduce you to the art of ageing and blending. Finally, after a visit to our cabinet of curiosities, the experience concludes with a tasting of the uniqueness of our cognacs*. We'll introduce you to our iconic cognacs from the 3 iconic categories: VS, VSOP, XO to give you a better understanding of the different facets of cognac. You can also explore cognac through a tasting of our oldest and most exceptional cognacs during the Prestige visit. *Tasting reserved for adults.

Discover the spirit of Maison Courvoisier and follow the footsteps of Félix Courvoisier in Jarnac, founder of our Maison in 1828. The perfect introduction to the spirit of Maison Courvoisier. Discover the subtle art of distillation, ageing and blending, that defines the Maison Courvoisier. Enter the emblematic cellar, chai Renard, a unique experience deep inside Maison Courvoisier history and craftmanship. Experience the Maison signature style, cognac in blossom, through the tasting of Courvoisier VS, VSOP and XO.

The Compagnie de Bouteville combines culture and flavors during an outdoor visit on the history of the village of Bouteville combined with discovery of the factory of its artisanal French balsamic vinegar made in the heart of the 1er cru of Cognac. During the visit, guests discover the history of Bouteville at the foot of the castle with a breathtaking view of the vineyard then join the Fabrique du Baume de Bouteville, to discover its history, the five stages of its production to finish with a tasting You will be offered a tasting at the end of the tour.

The Compagnie de Bouteville combines culture and flavors during a food pairing visit combining manufacturing secrets and gastronomy in the heart of the Grande Champagne region. During the tour, guests discover the manufacturing process of the products and the range of flavors during a tasting and finish with a food/vinegar pairing with oysters and/or a platter of charcuterie and cheeses.

The Angeac-Charente paleontological site is a fossil deposit known as one of the world's largest dinosaur sites. The Angeac-Charente palaeontological site, discovered in 2008, is located in the gravel quarries on the banks of the River Charente. Initial palaeontological investigations have confirmed the exceptional nature of the site, which dates back 140 million years to the Cretaceous period. The research is being coordinated by palaeontologists from the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, the universities of Lyon and Rennes, the CNRS and, locally, the Musée d'Angoulême. Near the site, an open-air discovery area has been set up by the Département de la Charente, which owns the site. Visitors can explore the history of the Charente and its inhabitants in the Lower Cretaceous over an area of almost 300 m2. Younger visitors can also play games. This area provides an opportunity to discover the scientific activity on the site, its results and the hypotheses formulated to recreate the Cretaceous ecosystem for the general public. The interpretation platform is open all year round. Since 2010, an excavation campaign has been carried out every summer in July, giving the public an opportunity to take part in guided tours. There are also workshops for young visitors. Further information: patrimoine16.lacharente.fr/sites-du-departement/angeac-charente/

Travel 140 million years back in time to meet the dinosaurs and take part in a unique immersive and participative experience! Thanks to Tumulte® technology, come and interact with the dinosaurs of Angeac-Charente, in 3D and in real size.

In the 1980s, Adrien Uijttewaal, a Dutch farmer, moved to the Médoc. He bought vines of about thirty years old as well as a 19th century mansion built by a family of Dutch engineers who came to clean up the Médoc marshes in the 17th century. Until 1994, the harvests were vinified in a cooperative cellar. 1995 is the first vintage to be vinified directly by the owner. Since 2003, the property has been recognised as a "Cru Bourgeois".

Our "MIRA" hut is perched and well hidden in an exceptional holm oak tree at least three hundred years old at the bottom of a charming little wood. It is hardly noticeable as it communicates so much with the tree that welcomes it. On the first level, a 20m2 room with a 15m2 terrace with a lounge and coffee table. Above, a small mezzanine extended by a balcony hidden in the ridge branches aspires to reverie accompanied by the whispering of leaves and the singing of birds .. At the foot of the hut, a fully equipped kitchen shed for preparing meals. A shower shed with separate private toilets. A sheltered space under the hut. The hut is equipped with hot and cold water, electricity and heating.

Our LOV'NID MIRA is a small one for lovers, perched 8 meters above the ground, in a small wood adjoining an orchard, near the river. It is a small spherical-shaped hut, a cosy little nest, offering a view of the sky thanks to a porthole placed above a vast circular bed. It is insulated with sheep's wool and covered with larch shingles. A wonderful place where you will share unforgettable moments as a lover or a family.. Access is via a large staircase with a douglas fir landing leading to a terrace surrounding the hut. A caravan is located at the foot of the hut with a table and benches convertible into a double bed. Both cabins are equipped with hot and cold water, electricity and heating.

The Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions retraces the life of a ploughman in the 18th century and the evolution of the commune over time. The Gaston Grégor Museum is housed in the former stables and outbuildings of the presbytery which were built in 1789. It is the museum of rural life in the 19th century with old farming, wine-growing and craft tools, a collection of cut stones, local history documents and the reconstruction of the unique room where a hand ploughman lived in 1789. The tools presented bear witness to rural life in the 19th century in our region, both for the cultivation of hemp and vines and the production of cognac, as well as the various trades, carpenters, wheelwrights, etc... Documents dating back to 1575 attest to the mentality and living conditions. A rather rare collection of cut stones from the region retraces several centuries of history (from 3000 BC to the 4th century).

In the heart of a preserved natural setting, for young and old alike, playgrounds, tennis court, volleyball court, petanque court, etc. are waiting. An overhanging area houses the large playground surrounded by grassed terraces shaped into the slopes. A bicycle track for beginners surrounds the children's play area where the play equipment and furniture have been designed with the maximum use of natural materials (wood in particular). Three sensory gardens highlight fragrant, colourful and graphic essences during a route that invites you to experience the garden in a different way: The "Rust Garden": it concentrates on sounds with a sound portico, a path signalled by walnut shells, plants whose stems rustle in winter like miscanthus ... The "Blue Garden": it invites you to explore the sense of touch with essences that are sometimes soft, sometimes pungent, with graphic forms (yuccas, blue thistles...). The "Red Garden": it is particularly focused on taste with fruit bushes (blackberry brambles, raspberries, redcurrants...) and aromatic plants (fennel, garlic...). An adapted 4-handicapped path provides access to the whole site. From north to south, it runs along the large playground, the gardens, then along the road in the shade of a poplar grove and allows visitors to ford the path. This curiosity probably predates the Roman period, and the current arrangements (a small limestone block staircase for pedestrians to cross) date back to the Middle Ages. It is also in this area that you will find a picnic area.

Through the living rooms of this house, the furniture and objects preserved here for four generations, the visit of the garden and the former cooperage, it is the story of the childhood of François Mitterrand and his family that we discover. The permanent exhibition traces the life of the family and presents speeches and writings by the former president. "My political life has led me to a different land, to which I am very attached. However, I never really left Jarnac. From time to time, I come back to the house where I was born, to the house where my parents and grandparents lived... I can see the Quai de l'Orangerie, just outside my house, with the well-designed houses and the lime trees that I breathed with passion. François Mitterrand. Built at the beginning of the 19th century, this house is a fine example of Charentaise architecture: a comfortable town house in dressed stone, with a simple and severe look, which opens onto the street through a long façade with large and high windows with grey shutters. Part of this complex dates from the 1930s: the lower part is made of ogives, also overlooking the street. After the large gate, the intimacy and life of the president is revealed from the paved inner courtyard, to the first floor windows opening onto a balcony, a square of lawn surrounded by flowerbeds, to the courtyard of the former vinegar factory (created by Jules Lorrain, the president's grandfather, at the end of the 19th century). It is a family house in which four generations have succeeded one another. During the visit and in the living rooms, you will discover a collection of furniture, objects and documents that belonged to François Mitterrand and the members of this great family. A wine storehouse and a cooperage complete the decor in which François Mitterrand liked to return regularly in the company of his brothers and sisters, and his cousins who also lived in this house. This is the "little story", the one that allows us to understand the construction of François Mitterrand, his attachment to his own, his roots, those little things that contributed in a certain way to make him the adult, the man and the President he became later on.

Bicycle service area with picnic area at Pointe de Grave, on the edge of the estuary, an exceptional break with a view of the Gironde estuary

The Pointe de Grave is the extreme north of the Médoc, between Bordeaux and the Atlantic Ocean. It is located at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary, opposite the town of Royan. This geographical configuration, unique in France, makes it of great ornithological interest during pre-marital migration: the "funnel" effect concentrates the birds that migrate along the coast and those that, further inland, are reluctant to cross the estuary and follow the bank to its end. These two flows then converge above the Pointe de Grave before crossing the estuary in the direction of the Charente-Maritime and, beyond, towards Northern Europe and Siberia LPO Aquitaine coordinates the scientific monitoring of the migration, carried out every year from March to May. More than a hundred species are observed during the three months of monitoring.

Discovery of headlights and tags through models, animated maps, 3D animation, old documents, markup material. From the top of the tower, magnificent magnificent views of the coast and the Cordouan lighthouse. In the garden featured boatman relief from the lighthouse of Cordouan.

Discover the fauna and flora that thrive in the reclaimed marshes.

Discover the fauna and flora that thrive in the reclaimed marshes.

Get to know more about the Gironde Estuary and the phenomenon of fish and bird migration, in the capable hands of members of the CURUMA association.

Small village restaurant, warm welcome and concerts

A beachside brasserie where you can eat with your feet in the water!

As a former student of the nomadic cuisine training of chef Thierry Marx, I offer you a quality catering service and take care of everything for your birthday, wedding, wedding day, baptism, company meal, house-warming party, family meal ... adapting to your budget and your tastes! Delivery is also possible. Try the original and trendy experience of a food truck in your garden.

For sea lovers, for aficionados of regional products, for Sunday strollers and families, welcome to La Cabane du Douanier! Situated on the port of Saint-Christoly-Médoc, we offer a selection of local products, an alliance between land and sea as well as a selection of Médoc wines.

Open all year round, Monday to Friday for lunch and Friday evening. Saturday noon, June to September. Evenings and Sundays upon reservation for groups.

Street Food

Do you like unusual sites? Then come and discover the Maison de Grave. On a territory of the Coastal Conservatory, 200 meters from the beach, this magnificent site offers 32 beds in two forms of accommodation: rooms or dormitories (cells for 2 people). Cut from the world, in the heart of the forest, you will live in communion with nature. For more comfort, the Maison de Grave will welcome you, if you wish, in its restaurant where you will taste a subtle homemade cuisine. Possibility of privatizing the place.

Enjoy exciting moments while staying at the Sunêlia La Pointe du Médoc, an outdoor resort from April 1 to September 10, 2017. Here, everything is calm and grand, from all-inclusive accommodation to spacious and intimate locations. 6.5 hectares is a true natural setting for a successful family vacation. Careful services are available to enhance your holiday: spa, grocery, children's clubs, heated swimming pool, playground, fitness or mini-golf. On this peninsula haven of peace, you will have the leisure to discover all the richness of the soil and to devote yourself to festive activities and sports: paintball, tree climbing, surfing. Our partners: Château Tour Castillon for wine tasting and boat trip Bohemia to discover the lighthouse of Cordouan. Our leitmotiv: conviviality and the art of the all included.

At the tip of the Médoc, the Estuaire residence is located 1.5 km from the village centre, with its lighthouses and traditional ports, 1.5 km from the beaches of the Gironde Estuary and 2.5 km from the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The residence offers a wide choice of sports and leisure facilities. The + Privilege: its apartments with large terraces or private gardens.

The gites de la Fontaine welcome you in a quiet and green environment, ideal for nature lovers. At Marie's, you will appreciate the terrace facing the meadow and the poplars, inside the large dining room and the games room with bar, ping-pong and table football. On the ground floor, a bedroom and a bathroom are accessible for people with reduced mobility. Twinned with the gîte Flavie (the two gîtes can be rented together, with access from the inside through the games room and the small museum situated between the two)

Ideal for a stay with family or friends, the gîtes de la Fontaine welcome you in a quiet and green environment. Chez Octavie, a pretty stone house, located in a hamlet, on the edge of the river and near the forest of Chizé. You can enjoy the arbour in summer and relax by the fire in winter Nearby, hiking trails, Baudet du Poitou farm, Château de Dampierre sur Boutonne, Zoodyssée, Aulnay Romanesque church, Terra Aventura geocaching course. 30 mn away, Marais Poitevin, Melle silver mines, Niort and its keep. One hour from La Rochelle, Cognac, Futuroscope.

Ideal for a stay with family or friends, the gîtes de la fontaine welcome you in a quiet and green environment, facing the meadow and the poplars. At Flavie's, you can enjoy the large wooden terrace with a pergola on the south side. In winter, you can enjoy the wood fire in the fireplace. For people with reduced mobility, there is a bedroom and an adapted bathroom on the ground floor. The Flavie gîte can be twinned with the Marie gîte. These two gites can be rented together (access by the inside through the games room and the small museum located between the two). Nearby, hiking trails, Baudet du Poitou asinerie, Château de Dampierre sur Boutonne, Zoodyssée, Aulnay Romanesque church, Terra Aventura geocaching trail. 30 mn away, Marais Poitevin, Melle silver mines, Niort and its keep. One hour from La Rochelle, Cognac, Futuroscope.

Live to the rhythm of the tides in our comfortable gite with a large living room with a fully equipped kitchen, dining area, lounge area, opening onto a terrace and private garden, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.