(S) Starting point from Saint-Brice church. Prior to departing, walk down Rue de l’Eglise towards the Charente River and Saint-Brice castle. Turn back and return to the church.
Facing the church, walk up Rue de l’Eglise to your left and walk past Rue Jacques Delamain.
(1) Carry straight on to Rue des Tilleuls. Walk past the cemetery to your right then take Chemin du Chêne Vert on your right. Once you get to Route de Gardépée (D157)(2), go to your left. Before the logis de Gardépée (manor house) on the left (3), follow the little white path on the right and turn on to the 2nd path to the left (4).
Go straight on for 600m, go left on Chemin des Cotes (cote 36) and after 50m, left again on to Chemin de Belair. Follow this path for 1km until you ragain Route de Gardépée (D157). Turn right and then promptly left on to Route de Julienne (5).
Take the white path on the left going through the vines and at the bend (cote 23), turn left towards Châtre Abbey (6).
Walk past the abbey and onto the path leading away from it. Follow the forest trail until you reach the mountain bike track on the left. Take the little path on the left which leads deep into the forest. Follow that path until you get out of the forest on to Chemin de Gassouillis. Turn right (7) , cross Nercillac road (D15) taking the little white path opposite (Chemin de Chez Bernet).
At the crossroads (8), turn left. Follow that track until Route de la Soloire then turn right. Walk for around 1km until Rue du Port de l’Echassier which you will follow as well.
After passing the last house (9), turn left. Follow that path for 1km, cross the D15 (Route de Nercillac) very carefully and walk straight on to Chemin du Moulin.
(10) Take "allée Catherine de Médicis" to your right then promptly turn left before the great gate of Saint-Brice castle. Walk straight on to rue Jacques Delamain. At the end of the street, turn right returning to your starting point in front of the church.
Saint-Brice - Sentier de l'Abbaye
Thanks to the natural beauty of its location and the richness of its heritage, Saint-Brice is one of the most picturesque areas of Cognac region. At the heart of the Charente and Soloire rivers valley, man has erected many symbolic buildings: dolmens, churches, abbeys, castles and manors, all expertly crafted.
Technical sheet
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 10.67 km -
Average duration: 3h 15 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Return to departure point: Yes -
Vertical gain: + 74 m -
Vertical drop: - 73 m -
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Highest point: 54 m -
Lowest point: 8 m
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Country:
France
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District:
Saint-Brice (16100) -
Start/End: N 45.687445° / W 0.27746° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 1632SB -
Hour-by-hour weather
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 19 m - Saint-Brice church
- 1 : km 0.15 - alt. 26 m - Intersection Rue Jacques Delamain, straight on
- 2 : km 1.3 - alt. 49 m - D157: turn left
- 3 : km 1.87 - alt. 54 m - Logis de Gardépée: turn right
- 4 : km 2.15 - alt. 47 m - Second path, turn left
- 5 : km 3.81 - alt. 40 m - Route de Julienne, turn left
- 6 : km 4.97 - alt. 18 m - Former Abbey of Châtres
- 7 : km 6.65 - alt. 38 m - Chemin de Chez Bernet
- 8 : km 7.07 - alt. 20 m - Intersection, turn left
- 9 : km 8.93 - alt. 9 m - Turn left
- 10 : km 10.15 - alt. 15 m - Turn right into Allée Catherine de Médicis - Charente (fleuve)
- S/E : km 10.67 - alt. 19 m - Saint-Brice church
Practical information
Follow the yellow waymarks. Path also suitable for mountain bikes.
In the nearby area
(S) :Saint-Brice church (12th century)
(3) : Logis de Gardépée (Manor house), built in the 16th century and remodelled in the 19th century. Nearby, a little bit further down route de Gardépée (away from the hiking trail), a dolmen from the Neolithic era.
(6) : Old Châtres Abbey where only the 12th century church still stands as well as the remains of the convent buildings.
(10) :Saint-Brice castle where the tower and part of the bailey are all that remain from the 14th century castle. The manor house dates back to the 16th century but was remodelled in the 19th century.
Reviews and comments
4.3 / 5
4.4 / 5
4.4 / 5
Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of walk : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
Pleasant route but not easy to follow
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Oct 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
We only did half of the route, on the La Chatre abbey side. The route is pleasant and varied, with views over the Charente valley, the Garde-épée estate and the old abbey. We particularly enjoyed the forest path after the abbey.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : May 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes
A lovely, very pleasant hike. However, the yellow markings are non-existent in places, so it's important to take a map or GPS with you. There are no markings from point 6 to point 7.
Thank you to those who have done this route.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of walk : Aug 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
Lovely scenery and a pleasant walk!
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Jul 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
A very pretty walk, very well signposted on the site, with shady sections that are appreciated in summer. It's a shame that the Abbey is closed on Sundays. Don't forget the little diversions to see the dolmen. We only looked at the map, not the signposts.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Oct 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
Hello,
Very nice walk.
On the other hand, the signs indicating the yellow route are often non-existent (especially after passing the Abbaye de Chatre). Fortunately the attached map is clear and easy to follow.
Thank you for a lovely walk in the Cognaçais.
Chris and JC
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Aug 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes
Walked in August 2022 in scorching summer temperatures: it's advisable to do this walk in the morning, ideally at 8am at the trailhead. The passage between the abbey and the Gassouillis path is not easy to follow: there are no clear, obvious markings.
After the abbey, the path splits into 2: the left-hand path climbs, and you have to take the right-hand path. Then, past the cycle cross circuit on the left, take the narrow path on the left. It then splits into 2, so follow the one to the right.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Mar 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
After starting out on the road, the walk becomes very pleasant from the Logis de Garde Epée. There's a lovely section through the Bois de Bourg, after a stop at the magnificent Châtres Abbey. Don't forget to make the short diversions to the dolmen.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of walk : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
We didn't see either the marker or the path on the left at crossing point 8; we carried on well beyond it and were able to find the circuit in St Trojan thanks to the guidance on our phone.
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Overall rating : 4.5 / 5
Date of walk : Jul 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes
The route seems to be up to date today (in the undergrowth of the abbey you have to take a slight left after the second crossroads and the bike cross course in the bracken).
On rereading the comments, a diversion to the dolmen is indeed missing (at the junction of the route de Gardeépée and the route de Julienne), but this is just a suggestion.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Jun 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No
Very good description, nice route with a variety of paths through the vines and undergrowth, pleasant when it's hot.
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Hello
This route is due to be re-marked in the near future, with a few modifications.
Thank you for your feedback.
With kind regards
GRAND COGNAC tourism department
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Sep 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Hello,
Very interesting walk, but as in previous messages, we got lost in the woods.
And we would have liked some historical explanations about the abbey.
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Hello,
Thank you for your feedback. This path is due to be re-marked in 2019.
Best regards - Tourism department
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Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of walk : Oct 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Poorly signposted route; lost in the woods as already reported, probably due to logging or building work
several points of interest
beautiful, varied landscape
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