Villebois-Lavalette cycle route - Discovery trail 54B

The village of Villebois-Lavalette is perched on a hill overlooking a vast undulating plain, where its imposing medieval castle dominates. A thousand-year-old castle with an impressive enclosure bristling with seven towers, it has a rich history. From the old 17th-century market halls, home to the weekly market, listed as a Historic Monument since 1948, to the narrow streets steeped in history, you'll see beautiful Charentais houses with Renaissance-style decorations on their facades. You'll discover little architectural gems such as the majestic church of Saint-Romain, just below the citadel, which brings the village to life, as well as the "cornuelles", little triangular Easter shortbreads with a hole in the centre, a speciality of the local bakers, whose name, registered since 2011, makes the village the capital of the Cornuelle. Next, you'll head for Magnac-Lavalette-Villars, where you'll be captivated by the Château de la Mercerie, a gigantic work of art with an impressive 220-metre-long façade. Known as the "Little Versailles of the Charentes", it is the fruit of the boundless imagination of brothers Alphonse and Raymond Réthoré, and was built by around twenty workers, all from the region. Finally, you'll cross the moors with their pine and chestnut trees on your way to the pretty village of Gardes-Le-Pontaroux, where you'll come across the rock known as "le Champignon".