Cycling on the Green Line from Châtellerault
Nature escape, Children love it, Living History
©Agence Zebrelle Hop on your bikes and get ready for a family-friendly cycling getaway! The old railway line between Châtellerault and Loudun has become a cyclist's paradise! Émilie, Antoine, and their two children, Lily and Roméo, will take you on a rolling adventure. Cycle with complete peace of mind through nature and charming villages.
Take the start!
Welcome to the Châtellerault–Lencloître line, a former railway line that has become a cycle path, and above all: 100% car-free and stress-free. Since 2017, it has proudly borne the name Sylvain Chavanel, the local cycling champion. Don't panic, you don't need to be a world champion to take on the green Line ! No timer here, no hills to climb: perfect for a family outing!
©Zebrelle136 years of history under our wheels!
136 years separate its inauguration in September 1886 from our cycling journey. Each landscape crossed bears witness to the past of the line which, until 1980, the date of the last convoy of goods by rail, enabled the development of these territories through the commercial exchange of local products:
- Du wood came live from Monts-sur-Guesnes
- The market garden produce of Lencloître
- Du wine from Berthegon
©Agence ZébrelleAfter adjusting the saddles and inflating the tires at Chatellerault, starting point of the line, we are ready. As the kilometers go by, information panels, installed along the old track, gradually reveal this history and provide information on natural heritage that surround us.
The goat orchid, blood dogwood, lantana viburnum or, sycamore maple, will have no more secrets for Lily and Romeo.
Through the plant tunnel!
Just after your visit to Besse, dive into a green tunnel, the perfect cool spot after all that sport! As you exit, be careful: cross the D725 to head back towards Scorbé-Clairvaux! Stay on the lookout... between the branches, you'll soon see the Château du Haut-Clairvaux, fortified by a certain Richard the Lionheart (does that ring a bell?). And at every road intersection, take your foot off the gas: safety first. Take the opportunity to spot the small gatekeepers' houses, which also tell a bit of history.
©Agence ZébrelleA break in the past…
An old sign, a train station that hasn't changed an iota in decades... and hey presto, we're stepping back in time! It's like being back in the days of steam trains. You can almost hear the "choo-choo" in the distance.
Spoiler: It was just a car. But shh, let us dream!
It's time for a snack break! And believe me, it's well deserved! Halfway along the way, several signs invite you to discover tourist sites... The Château de Scorbé-Clairvaux, the convent complex of Lencloître or the magnificent Castle of Monts-sur-Guesnes and his journey through time! Great excuses for our next walks!
©Agence ZebrelleCoupes du monde
After Lencloître, the route takes us to Berthegon by a long straight line sometimes wooded offering some surprises. For example, the view of the sublime XNUMXth century Château de La Plaineth century of Savigny-sous-Faye planted on a hillside.
The arrival at theold train station Monts-sur-Guesnes, particularly well preserved, reveals impressive silos. These silos bear witness to the grain trade that developed here in the 30s. This arrival also tells us that we are almost at the end of our journey.
At the sight of the small parking lot set up in La Roche-Rigault, the terminus of the Green Line! It's time for the final sprint: the children set off at full speed, as if the 37 km had no effect on them. We're happy to have "traveled" through time and nature, as if cut off from the world!
Zoom on…
©ACAP
©CG86