Circuit de Balzac

10 minutes from Angoulême, overlooking a wide meander of the Charente and its tributary the Argence, Balzac owes its rich agricultural land to the presence of water. From village to village, the countryside and its rich heritage are slowly revealed. (D/A) Picnic area RD737. Join the RD737 which you follow to the left for 50 m before crossing carefully to join the road opposite. Go through the gate of the business park on the right. Take the first left and go down to the end of the road. (1) Turn right and immediately left to follow the path down to the Argence valley. Continue to the right on the small road to Peussec. (2) Just after the last house and before the RD 105, take the chemin de la Vieille Montée, the wooded path that goes up to the Balzac plateau. Cross the Route de Vars to take the Chemin de la Croix du Merle opposite. (3) Follow the Route de l'Âge to the left, then the Route de Vindelle to the right for 200m. Turn right into Impasse du Champ de Frêne - off course, see the Mairie, post office, school and leisure centre 50m away. Be careful when crossing the busy Route de Vindelle to take the Route du Bois de Colas Rochier to the left for 500m. (4) Turn left onto the grassy path. At the end, follow the Route des Chabots to the left for about 200m and enter the wood on the right. Ignore the first path on the left, turn left twice and then right twice to leave the wood and go down through the crops towards the Charente. Off course, access to the river bank by going straight on. (5) Turn right. At the end of a long straight stretch, and after 2 large bends, go right up to the château - which can be visited in summer and in September for the European Heritage Days. (6) After the entrance to the château, take the Route de la Croix to the left. Off the route, see the church of St Martin behind the château. Turn right in front of the cemetery. Go through the village of Les Reigniers. The impasse de la Chapelle on the right leads down to an arm of the river. Continue along Rue de chez Souchet. At the next intersection, turn right for 60 m. (7) Take the path on the left. Come out onto the Route de la Terre des Prés, which you follow for about 900m. (8) At the intersection, go down to the left towards Vindelle and before the building, cross over to take the first path on the right that goes down to the river. Follow the canoe route and then the river for 200m. (9) At the yew tree overlooking the arboretum, cross the meadow to return to the hillside. Follow the path to the left, which makes a detour to go up to the picnic area on the Route de la Font Saint-Martin. (10) At the crossroads, take the Route de l'Âge opposite and take the path on the left after the fountain - in spring the song of the lark will accompany you. Turn left. (11) At the intersection, walk back and forth to see the Saint-Martin fountain on the hillside. Go back and follow the Route de la Gabote back to the starting point.