East of Jonzac to the Montalin woods

The car park is located at Place Saint Exupéry or the adjacent Rue du Lycée.

(S/E) Leave the car park heading towards the Lycée Jean Hyppolite. Walk along its left-hand side, on the western side. At its northern end, there are toilets on the right. Continue straight on towards the Seugne, passing the campsite on your left. The path turns to the right. Take the bridge to cross the Seugne and continue towards Place du Château.

(1) Before reaching the houses lining the square, turn left onto a path that runs along the southern side of the houses, leading to the Medieval Garden. About 120 metres further on, turn right into a narrow alley which opens out at the junction of Place du Château and Rue James Sclafer. Turn left to follow Rue James Sclafer, which runs alongside Place de la République on your right. Turn right to cross the western side of Place de la République and take Rue du Tourniquet on your left.

(2) Turn right onto Rue Sadi Carnot. After about 150 metres, at a pedestrian crossing, take the narrow medieval Rue de Champagnac on the right. Follow it until it opens out onto Place du Château next to the Tourist Office. There are some beautiful old houses all along this street. Head to the Place du Château in front of the majestic entrance with its two towers.

(3) Turn left onto Rue du Château, which crosses the square, passing between the two towers. Admire the architecture of the château, now occupied by Jonzac Town Hall on the left-hand side and the District Sub-Prefecture on the right-hand side.

(4) Turn right onto Rue du Château d’Eau, which slopes downwards. The route now follows the GR®360 – GRP® de Saintonge. At the bottom of the slope, at the three-way junction, take Rue Emon on the left. At the end of this street, turn right onto Avenue Joffre. About fifty metres further on, cross Boulevard René Gautret carefully (there is a pedestrian crossing on the right) and continue straight ahead uphill along Rue du Bourg Nouveau.

(5) After about 150 metres, turn right onto a path that heads through a wooded area. Follow it until you reach the Route du Bois du Fief des Chailles. Turn right and follow this road downhill for a good 60 metres or so.

(6) At the bend in the road, take a path leading off to the left towards the area known as Fief de la Chaille. The path then climbs the hillside through the vineyards. At the next T-junction, turn right and, after about one hundred metres, turn left onto a well-maintained farm track. Follow it to the hamlet known as Chez Piaud.

(7) At the crossroads in the centre of the hamlet, take the street on the right and then immediately the one on the left to reach Rue du Bourg Nouveau. Turn right and follow this road eastwards. Pass the Chemin de Chez Garnier on your left and continue straight on. You will then cross an intermittent stream at the path known as L’Hôpital on your left.

(8) Two hundred metres further on, leave the GR®360 by turning right onto a path that runs alongside a vineyard on the right and a field on the left; this path is two hundred metres before the road leading to the hamlet known as Les Maisons Neuves. The path climbs towards a wood in the Montalin area. Go round the wood on the right, staying on the main path. About 100 metres past the woodland, turn left onto a path heading towards the D2 road.

(9) Follow it to the right to reach the lay-by on the south side of the road, some forty metres further on, which requires you to cross the D2 road with care. Pass the road known as Chemin de Chez Marchand on your left, then turn left onto the farm track about thirty metres further on. Just before the woodland, turn right and follow the edge of the woodland. Cross an intermittent stream and immediately turn left to enter a clearing between two woods. About one hundred and fifty metres further on, take the path on the right which climbs into the woods towards La Morpannerie. When you reach the edge of the woods at the top of the hill, turn right onto a farm track which leads to the hamlet of La Morpannerie.

(10) Follow the road westwards. Pass the driveway leading to the Château de la Dimerie. Continue straight on through the hamlet of Casse Coie, then, after the last house, turn left onto a farm track heading towards the vineyards, initially running alongside the property’s garden on your left. The track bends as it reaches the edge of a small wood. Follow it to the Cluzelet Windmill. There is a lovely view of Jonzac and the surrounding area from the windmill site.

(11) Continue along the downhill track that runs alongside the woodland on your left, heading towards Les Terres du Moulin.

(12) Cross the D142 road with care and continue straight ahead into Rue de Beaulieu. After 150 metres of a gentle descent, turn right to reach the Antilles car park (at the motorhome parking area). Keep to the left of the car park to head towards Chez Bret, where there is a watermill.

(13) Immediately after, at the crossroads, take the path leading straight ahead towards a small pond. Go round it on the right for about 100 metres before turning right onto a good path, then left towards the Seugne. Cross the first branch of the Seugne, then continue along the boardwalk which winds its way towards the second branch of the Seugne. Cross it and climb the zigzagging staircase towards Rue de Guiffier.

(14) Turn right to follow Rue de Guiffier back to Rue du Lycée and Place Saint Exupéry, where the car park is located (S/E).

The route follows good paths and a variety of minor roads away from the town’s streets. Nevertheless, it is best to wear suitable footwear.

This walk presents no difficulty in terms of navigation. It is only partially signposted. In addition, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst also using your ability to read the landscape. The waypoints, with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point, provide useful guidance for walkers exploring the route for the first time.

Hike completed by the author on¹ June 2026

Jonzac
Jonzac Castle.

Built on one of the two hills on which the town was founded, Mont Balaguier – the other hill being Mont-Guimard. In the Middle Ages, the town was a fortified market town; its centre and castle were protected by the houses that formed a rampart on either side of the two town gates. Two castles were built; the first was completely destroyed during the Hundred Years’ War, and the present-day castle was built under Arnaud de Sainte Marie, Count of Jonzac, at the end of the 15th century.

From this period, the town retains, in addition to the remodelled castle, medieval alleyways, one of the town gates and the Cloître des Carmes.

The towers and postern gates are listed as historic monuments, whilst its esplanade and certain decorative features (the fountain and the Napoleon III-style theatre décor) are also listed as historic monuments.

A symbol of the town, the castle majestically overlooks the Seugne valley. Transformed in the 17th century into a beautiful stately home with refined ornamentation, it now houses the Town Hall and the Sub-Prefecture.

The part of the castle belonging to the town has also undergone a 20-year programme of external and internal restoration, which was completed in 2024.

The historic centre
The historic centre of Jonzac has been the focus of particular attention. This has included the restoration of the medieval alleyways of Champagnac and the Galeries Noires, as well as the enhancement of the castle esplanade and the main squares.
The Baltard-style market halls are among the most remarkable in Charente-Maritime. They stand next to the Romanesque church, whose artistically designed forecourt evokes the Merovingian cemetery unearthed in 2009; the play of light that enhances the forecourt and façade has been recognised by the guide to the ‘100 Most Beautiful Detours in France’. Also not to be missed – day or night – is the former convent of the Carmelite Friars to the west of the town, now a cultural centre; it stands next to the beautiful Haute Saintonge media library and leads to the Maison des Artistes. Finally, there is the Protestant church.

Preserved natural areas
The Seugne
This tributary of the Charente flows peacefully through Jonzac; it blends so seamlessly into the townscape that one hardly even realises it is the town’s main thoroughfare and the source of its charm.
On its banks, old tanneries can still be seen, remnants of the time when the industries linked to the Seugne flourished: those of the tanners and weavers, which once enabled the town to achieve its economic prosperity.

The Jonzac region offers a wide variety of landscapes. At the foot of the castle, the Seugne valley boasts a unique flora and fauna: wet meadows, ash groves, alder groves, pollarded trees, willow thickets, water irises…

The Mail de Seugne Arboretum.

The Floral Park
Situated behind the Antilles de Jonzac, it provides a relaxing outdoor space. Here you can admire plants from all over the world.
Some are in full sun, whilst others are sheltered by large arbour-like structures. Succulents, green plants, flowering plants, and more…

The Tropical Greenhouse at the Antilles de Jonzac.

The Jardin des Douves, known as the Medieval Garden.
It was created in 2014 by the Friends of Jonzac.

Exhibition Centre.
It is situated below the castle, behind the Jean Hyppolite secondary school.
It is a meadow where benches have been installed so that visitors can enjoy the surroundings; footpaths and cycle paths have also been laid out there.

Sources: the town’s official website and the Jonzac Tourist Office

The Cluzelet Windmill

The Cluzelet windmill stands on the hillside, offering a remarkable panoramic view of the town of Jonzac and the valley. You’ll learnt all about harnessing the wind and the mill’s mechanisms. You’ll also gain an understanding of the processes involved in making traditional white and wholemeal flour.

Nearby, a heritage vineyard has been planted opposite the ‘Les Antilles de Jonzac’ aquatic centre. With its information board, it serves as a reminder of the Saintonge wine-growing tradition.

The Chez Bret watermill

The watermill produces one of the region’s finest^first-press cold-pressed walnut oils. A 30-minute exhibition reminds visitors that Jonzac is a town born of the river (featuring accounts from archaeologists, geologists, local figures and millers, amongst others). In the room housing the paddle wheel, mechanisms and cogs, the miller explains how water provides the driving force and how the wheel works. She then explains the production of walnut oil and its benefits, not forgetting the tradition of catching eels as they migrate downstream.

In addition to the exhibition layout, a display of various artefacts bears witness to the presence of a Gallo-Roman villa situated between the mill and the Antilles de Jonzac. Tools, building materials, work utensils and jewellery serve as a reminder of the wealth and refinement of this civilisation, which had already settled on the banks of the Seugne some 2,000 years ago.

Anyone can bring their own walnuts (without the shells!) to have them crushed and make their own oil!

Les Ateliers de la Corderie

In the former rope-making workshop in Jonzac, at 25 Rue Ruibet-Gatineau, a number of craft workshops have set up shop.

Several artisans work their various materials using traditional methods. You can watch them as they create their pieces, ask for advice, buy their work and sometimes even try your hand at their craft. Indeed, many of them offer to share their expertise through workshops and introductory sessions. Some of them even carry the ‘Creative Tourism Friendly’ label.