A route through vineyards and stone walls

Start from the car park at the cultural centre on Rue de la Mairie.

(Start/End) From the car park, head towards the town hall. At Place François Mitterrand, take the Route des Chaumes on the left. A few dozen metres after the bend, turn right, then walk past the tennis courts to reach the school car park. Turn right onto the Route d’Hiersac

(1) Immediately turn left onto the Chemin de la Croix du Chat, leaving the war memorial on your right. Continue straight ahead along the white track, passing the blocks of hewn stone. Pass under the power lines and reach a crossroads.

(2) Go straight on and continue down the slope towards the N141. After the tunnel and a bend to the left then to the right, you’ll reach a crossroads.

(3) Turn right until you reach the path that climbs to the left, with a view of the hamlet of Tarsac. The Paris–Bordeaux high-speed rail line (LGV) can be seen on the horizon. Ignore the side paths and continue to a Fork in the road.

(4) Turn right just behind the hedge. Head down towards the road, which you follow to the left to climb up to the village of Tarsac via Rue des Écoliers. Continue to the junction with Chemin des Vignes.

(5) Turn left, then immediately right onto Rue des Charmilles; at the end of this street, turn right again onto Rue du Puits. Discover the Charente farmhouses with their characteristic porches, as well as the roofs of the ageing cellars, blackened by ‘Torula compniacensis’, the microscopic fungus that feeds on alcohol vapours (see also ‘During the walk or nearby’). Reach the end of Rue du Puits, after the right-hand bend.

(6) At the crossroads, continue straight on along the Route de Tarsac. Carry on for a further 200 m or so after the left-hand bend to find a path on the left.

(7) Leave the road and follow this path down into the valley of the Fontguyon, a tributary of the Nouère. After the stream, turn right onto a lovely shaded path that climbs towards the ridge.

(8) At the top, take the white path along the ridge to the left. It runs alongside vineyards on either side. Enjoy the view. Further on, cross the D96 and continue straight on until the next junction.

(9) Leave the path that climbs and head down to the left into the woods. Cut across the D96 to take the path opposite. Continue straight on into the valley; after a right-hand bend, cross the Fontguyon and climb back up the hillside. (See ‘During the walk or nearby’.)

(10) Turn left at the junction, then carry on straight ahead after the right-hand bend. The village of Tarsac comes into view on the left. Ignore the paths branching off to the left. Cross the Route du Temple and carry on straight ahead along the path that descends towards the N141, following it as far as the tunnel.

(3) Return to the junction of the main circular loop and go back through the tunnel you took on the way out. Walk uphill to the four-way junction of the short circular loop.

(2) Turn right to follow the green-marked path which runs alongside the fields for about 1.2 km. You’ll reach the Route de Hiersac (D41) at a place called La Croix du Fils.

(11) Cross the road carefully and walk alongside the buildings until you reach the Chemin de Mouillac, which you take to the left. Follow the road to the village, where you can admire some fine porches, including the three-sided gateway of the old Mouillac farmhouse with its slate roof. Enter the village.

(12) At the entrance to the hamlet, follow the yellow markings to the left and continue until the next right-hand bend.

(13) At the bend, leave the road and take the path that climbs into the woods, flanked by a beautiful dry-stone wall. As you emerge from the woods, admire the magnificent Château Maillou on your right with its imposing keep.

(14) Continue straight on along the road. Further on, pass under the power lines, cross a junction and reach the D41. Follow it to the right and, as on the way out, pass by the school car park, which takes you back to the centre of Saint-Saturnin and the car park (S/E).

Markings: Red from (1) to (9); Green from (9) to (11); Yellow from (11) to the finish.
Little shade.
Not recommended for families.

Contact details: Town Hall: 05 45 96 92 66 / Tourist Office: 05 45 95 16 84

Extract from the Saint-Saturnin walking trails, courtesy of the local council.

In Tarsac: visit and tasting of Bourgoin cognac by appointment. Off the route, see the old temple built in 1852 at the western entrance. At the end of Rue du Puits, head down towards the village exit on the left.

(10) Off the route: at the top on the right, you can see ‘La Maison des Abeilles’, which houses an orientation table; this rest stop is open to all walkers.

Sights along the way: Saint-Saturnin Church, the blocks of hewn stone, the village of Tarsac, the Charente-style porches and farmhouses, the Cognac vineyards, the Fontguyon valley, and Château Maillou