Barzan walks

A very refreshing hike along the Gironde estuary.

A very pleasant walk with magnificent scenery. You will pass along fine sandy beaches, close to magnificent fishing huts and sumptuous limestone cliffs in which real troglodyte cities have been carved out (Regulus and Matata caves). A visit to the seaside resort of Meschers will precede your return through the Suzac forest.⚠️ 16/04/2025: Route modified on the hike sheet due to passage through private property.

The old Crazannes quarries offer a surprising landscape of steep stone cliffs and narrow gorges. The resistant white stone has been used to build or restore monuments such as Fort Boyard. Les Lapidiales offers visitors a free, open-air museum, where the excavations left by the quarrymen give the impression of being in the middle of a giant labyrinth, and where the sculptures are a delight to discover.

Bordered to the South by the Charente river, theSaint-Laurent area consists of a small town gathered around its church and its 11th century portal, several villages spread across the valleys and the hills as well as farms and secluded dwellings.

Located at the confluence of the Né and Charente rivers, the Merpins commune has been permanently occupied by men from very early times: arrowheads, pottery shards, and later an imposing medieval fortress, an 11th century church and an abbey dating back to the 12th century are the living proof. These fertile lands are home to meadows, cereal fields and a Grande-Champagne listed vineyard.

Saint-Sulpice-de-Cognac is pleasantly located between the marshlands of the Antenne River and limestone hillsides. There, are hidden the remains of the Agrippa Roman road as well as forgotten local railroad. Cherves-Richemont is graced with the Antenne River and offers an unexpected diversity of landscapes. Its historic heritage is particularly rich: Romanesque churches, Château Chesnel, watermills, manor houses….