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Pont des Chouans on the Thouet – Saint-Médard Church of Thouars loop from Saint-Varent

Pont des Chouans on the Thouet – Saint-Médard Church of Thouars loop from Saint-Varent

Moderate

riders

Pont des Chouans on the Thouet – Saint-Médard Church of Thouars loop from Saint-Varent

03:58

95.3km

600m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: May 12, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 84 m for 66 m

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Parking

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9.15 km

Pont des Chouans on the Thouet

Highlight • Bridge

The Chouans bridge on the Thouet is a medieval bridge which crosses the Thouet river between Thouars and Saint-Jean-de-Thouars. The bridge was fortified in the 15th century and witnessed the passage of the Vendée army during the French Revolution. You can admire the architecture of the bridge which has two arches and triangular spouts on the piers. You can also enjoy the view of the river and the castle of the Dukes of La Trémoille on the hill. The bridge is classified as a historic monument and has been restored several times.

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9.82 km

Breathtaking view

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This bridge allows you to cross the Thouet and reach Saint Jacques De Thouars. The view there is magnificent! There is a good hill to climb after the bridge, be careful when choosing the pinion!

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10.3 km

Prtty view on the Thouars's castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

In 1635, Marie de la Tour d'Auvergne, Duchess of La Trémoïlle, demolished the castle that was on the site and built this more modern castle. His family then moved to Paris and abandoned him. Since then it has been used as barracks and prison. It is now public property and was restored in the 1990s.

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10.7 km

Saint-Médard Church of Thouars

Highlight • Religious Site

All information about this big city can be found here:

tours.fr

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10.8 km

Thouars

Highlight • Other

(taken from Trip Advisor although I would agree with everything in the following description) Thouars is one of those pretty French towns that few people have ever heard of... It has many beautiful old houses and streets, a wonderful chateau, a lovely river, the best market in the area (Friday mornings) - but only French tourists seem to visit.

Thouars is just off the tourist track - and that is part of its charm. Visitors do come into town during the summer months from more popular areas for the renowned Friday Market but otherwise the place is almost a tourist-free zone. However, it is a really good place to use as a base. Situated between the larger towns of Saumur and Poitiers, Thouars is a perfect setting-off point for visiting the Loire Valley, the Limousin, The Poitou Maritime region and the Vendee, the roads are comparatively quiet, parking is plentiful (and free) and you get a sense that you are seeing the real France. Very few people speak English but are very friendly and welcoming.

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12.4 km

La Chapelle Jeanne d'Arc art center

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The contemporary art center of national interest, La Chapelle Jeanne d’Arc de Thouars, is today a leading venue for contemporary art in the western region. Along with the Château d’Oiron and the Syndicat Mixte de la Vallée du Thouet, which runs a program of public commissions for contemporary works, the art center's work is carried out in partnership across the entire territory of the Pays Thouarsais community of communes and, more broadly, in the northern part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Within the region, the art center is a recognized player in the Astre plastic and visual arts network.

Developing an artistic project that takes into account its geographical location and its architectural envelope, a neo-Gothic chapel, the art center maintains a privileged relationship with the heritage of Thouars. Guest artists, hosted for residencies or exhibitions, appropriate the chapel space by creating an original work designed for the venue. They also bring their perspective to the city, urban planning, landscape, and rural areas of the Thouars region and the Thouet Valley. Since 1993, nearly a hundred artists have been invited for residencies or exhibition projects. In recent years, the art center has paid particular attention to emerging artists from art schools, particularly those from the regional Le Grand Huit network.

In addition to its programming, the art center also engages in outreach activities in the form of off-site exhibitions, workshops, and events (meetings, lectures, and workshops). A mobile device, La Mar(g)elle, was created in 2015 by the artist Marie-Ange Guilleminot to offer interventions in partner locations, particularly within schools and structures in the social and medical sectors. For its educational action, the art center benefits from the action of the municipal art school of Thouars, to which it is connected within the visual arts department of the City of Thouars.

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