The sunbleached, stone villages sleep in the sun and seem quite deserted, until you find the bustling lunch time cafe

The wide open fields are filled with acres of summer sunflowers and dotted with spring poppies

The Romans were here for 400 years and you can sit on the steps of the amphitheatre and cycle along Aquilla’s road

Red and white pineau is offered as an aperitif, made from the Cognac grapes it is best drunk chilled

The distilleries along the Charente produce some of the most famous Cognac, but the local vineyards also have their own home brews, often very good and certainly worth a taste

The deliciously sweet Charente melons are a speciality of the region.

Our holidays start and finish at Hotel la Vieille Etable at Roullet St.Estèphe. Our regional hotels are *** and ****, châteaux and a **** chambre d’ hôte. Many of the hotels have pools, Champagnac has a Michelin starred restaurant.

Untouched by tourism and off the beaten track, Cognac & Charente is perfect for people who don’t do much biking but are tempted to explore. Easy cycling gives way to rolling countryside the further you travel.