The best cycling routes around Fléac

Peaceful and relaxing place

Pleasant and easy trail. Ideal for families.

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de La Couronne is an exceptional monumental complex, composed of the remains of the old abbey church and the convent buildings. A major building representing the introduction of Gothic in Angoumois at the end of the 12th century. In the 12th century, the Abbey of Notre-Dame de la Couronne was founded (from 1118, laying of the first stone). The work was carried out quickly and on March 12, 1122, the monks (of the regular order of Saint Augustine) settled in the presence of Bishop Girard de Blay and the Count of Angoulême. From its creation, the abbey was a great success: a new church was built at the end of the 12th century (choir and nave: 1171-1194; the end of the work was slowed down by wars, famines, etc.): it was dedicated in 1201, in the presence of the Archbishop of Bordeaux. The convent buildings were also renewed at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century: cloisters, dormitory, refectory, infirmary, etc. A surrounding wall surrounded the abbey. During the 13th century, the furnishings were enriched, the Saint-Nicolas chapel was built and the bell tower was built. During the Hundred Years' War, the monks were dispersed and the bell tower collapsed (1450). At the end of the 15th century, the abbey was reborn: part of the collapsed church was rebuilt, a new abbey building was built (the work was completed after 1514). The Wars of Religion affected the abbey again: it was pillaged in 1562, part of its furniture was burned. The convent buildings were restored in 1571. At the beginning of the 17th century, the abbey, which now had only eight monks, was united with the Jesuit order; it was then placed under the obedience of the congregation of Sainte-Geneviève in 1644. In the 18th century, a final campaign of works (1750-1778) transformed the convent buildings. During the Revolution, the abbey became national property. It was sold in 1807, used as a quarry and was gradually dismantled and divided into several properties. This religious establishment is now in ruins and inaccessible to the public. But it is possible to imagine it thanks to a virtual reality tour with the Legendr application. Municipal website: https://www.lacouronne.fr/abbaye-notre-dame 3D reconstruction: https://www.rendr.fr/portfolio/reconstitution-3d-abbaye-notre-dame-la-couronne Heritage of Charente: https://patrimoine16.lacharente.fr/sites-du-departement/la-couronne/

Arched bridge over the Charente, with views to the west over Ile aux Vaches, and to the east over Ile Marquet.

In 1982, the Ministry of Culture, under the leadership of Jack Lang, launched the operation "Des murs en France", which consisted of having 13 painted walls created in 13 cities in France by 13 different artists. In Angoulême, it was the Icelandic artist Erró who created a huge mural representing a multitude of comic book characters (Batman, Tarzan, Tintin, etc.). Abandoned for years, the mural was renovated in 2013. It is now considered the first painted wall in Angoulême. It was during the 90s that the production of painted walls accelerated, driven by a municipal policy called the "painted walls program". The aim was to show that Angoulême is indeed the "international capital of the ninth art" (comics). In 2021, we can admire 27 painted walls, as well as the whole that covers the building of the departmental archives of Charente. In 2013, it was Michel Ocelot who proposed a fresco of "Kirikou".

Old towpath that runs along the Charente River for nearly 20 km. A pleasant, easy route, but very popular on sunny days with hikers and cyclists.

Originally, the Fleurac mill – on the Charente, at the foot of the castle of the same name – was a wheat and oil mill from the 16th century. It was almost entirely rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, transformed into a paper mill in 1978, then purchased in 1983 by the General Council of Charente and transformed into a paper museum. Abandoned for several decades, it was transformed into a paper mill in 1978 by Mr. Lacombe, descendant of a family of papermakers for four generations. Faced with financial difficulties, this attempt was taken over by an association “Les amis de la tradition papetière d’Angoumois et des provinces voisins” which relaunched the activity of this mill, where paper was made in a vat from linen and cotton using 18th century techniques. The manufacturing equipment and the water wheel were rebuilt. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1984. Today, the Moulin de Fleurac is private property but the site of this mill on the banks of the Charente remains a very popular place for tourists.

"Kirikou" by Michel Ocelot, fresco created in 2013, at the corner of rue St-Cybard and rue de Saintes.