Attractions and Places To See around Les Gonds - Top 20

The Chaniers ferry (Charente-Maritime) is one of the last traditional river ferries still in operation in France. It allows crossing the Charente River between Chaniers and Courcoury, a few kilometers downstream from Saintes. A crossing used for centuries History of the Chaniers ferry The ferry crossing at Chaniers is very old: it dates back to the Middle Ages. In the mid-17th century, it was already an important crossing point on the Charente. It was not only used to cross the river: it also allowed residents to access the meadows on the other side, particularly for agricultural activities. In the early 20th century, the Chaniers ferry was part of a much larger network of crossings on the Charente. In 1909, thirteen ferries were still recorded in Charente-Inférieure, including the one in Chaniers. Ferries were essential at the time before the proliferation of bridges. Why "chain ferry"? The principle consists of holding the ferry on a chain connecting the two banks. The ferryman uses this chain to move the boat forward and keep it on its course despite the current. In Chaniers, the current ferry is motorized, unlike the ferry in Dompierre-sur-Charente, which is operated manually. The Tourist Office, however, still describes it as a "chain ferry," and the municipality as the traditional crossing method connecting Chaniers to Courcoury. The ferry today The crossing takes place between Le Communal in Chaniers and the Courcoury bank. It is free and can transport pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized vehicles. Its operation depends in particular on the flow of the Charente River. The municipality of Chaniers officially presents "the port of Chaniers and its chain ferry" as an element of its local heritage. Important point: I am correcting my previous message: the Chaniers ferry is not simply a "19th-century ferry." The crossing has been attested since the Middle Ages; it is its mode of operation and its equipment that have evolved over the centuries.

I really enjoyed this ride. I’m 46, I did it on a 40 year old road bike, it’s more suited to a cyclocross bike!

The Abbaye-aux-Dames is built around the church of Sainte-Marie, built in the twelfth century. Famous for its facade and its characteristic "pinecone" bell tower, it is one of the emblematic monuments of Saintonge's Romanesque art. After several wars and fires, the place was restored in the 1970s and 1980s and is now a hotel. When you walk through the long corridors you feel like you have been transported back to the time when the abbey was still alive.

The Saint-Pierre Cathedral is located in the heart of the old town on the left bank of the Charente. According to tradition, the founding of this episcopal see goes back to Saint Eutrope. The construction of the first Christian building on the site of the current cathedral could not be dated with any precision. It probably dates back to the 6th century.

A former Benedictine abbey created in 1047, Abbaye-aux-Dames was the first women's monastery in Saintonge. These powerful women were nuns, that is to say, nuns living cloistered and having taken a vow of piety, occupying their lives in contemplation. They carried the crosier, in other words the pastoral staff of a bishop, and minted coins. Richly endowed, the abbey carried its influence well beyond the borders of the county and over time it became one of the most powerful women's monasteries in all of South-West France. With up to a hundred nuns at its peak, it was entrusted with the mission of instructing young girls, often from the French nobility, and counted among its most illustrious residents the future Marquise de Montespan, favorite of Louis XIV. The Abbaye-aux-Dames is structured around the Sainte-Marie church, built in the 12th century, famous for its facade and its characteristic “pine cone” bell tower. The premises were restored during the 1970s and 1980s and now house a Cité de la musique in which the Saintes Festival dedicated to classical music takes place each year. You can also stay in a wing of the building, the cells having been converted into hotel rooms, and leave your bike in a secure room.

A particularity is located in the gallery of arcature which overhangs the portal. Indeed it has three arched windows on one side of the central window and two semicircular on the other. Note that the two bays on the right occupy the same width as the three on the left. The bell tower, like many others in the region, has a pyramidal roof. Simple columns come to partition the two windows which cover each face. Inside the church, archival documents prove that the nave with two bays was originally vaulted with warheads. Unfortunately, this vault was destroyed during religious wars. Still according to archival documents, it would seem that at the beginning of the 20th century, a narthex, where the catechumens were held, leaned on its facade. Today, it has completely disappeared. The church was classified as a historic monument in 1913. The building underwent a complete restoration in 1935. To admire just next to the church a magnificent and majestic period residence.

The Church of Saint-Martin de Coucoury was built around the 11th century. It is a pretty example of a Romanesque church.

The current cathedral is the successor to an early Christian sanctuary built under Bishop Palladius in the 6th century (Wikipedia).