Sarabande – Course Nature de la Vallée du Thouet

It’s in the New Aquitaine region, in the Deux-Sèvres department, more precisely in Airvault, where your next athletic challenge will take place📍. And it’s in June 🗓️ that the Footing Airvaudais Trail association Footing Airvaudais Trail invites you to the Sarabande - Trail Run in the Thouet Valley. So expect a favorable forecast 🌤️ to welcome you in the 15 hectares that make up the Soulièvres Prairie 🌾. If you look closely, you might find the little house of the Ingalls family. 👨🏻‍🌾

Prairie that once housed the Château de… ? Soulièvres 🏰, well done, sometimes you don’t have to look far. Demolished 💣 in 1848 and rebuilt 🛠️ in 1951, the castle was finally demolished 🤕 in 1955, with only the hunting lodge 🐗 and the chapel ✝️. The place is a steep climb if you want to offer a quick prayer 🙏🏼 before tackling one of the three trials of the day. 9 km to warm up, 15 km for 400mD+ to get things heated 🥵 and finally 24 km for 500mD+ to really burn (in the thighs) 🔥. And since a castle may hide another, you may encounter, depending on your route, the one at Piogé, perched atop a crag overlooking the Cendronne stream 💦. The rocks 🪨 will also be steep at the ford and later at the shepherd’s shelter of Caillas 🐑. Because a ford may hide more… no, we won’t spoil it every time even if you do step over the Thouet 🐟, the true backbone of the event, via the Prélioux ford and a bit later via the Monts footbridge. Shared by all three routes, it will also let you discover the railway bridge 🚅. We hope you’ve kept your soles because the last challenge is a climb that will take you to the finish line 🏁. Not so fast; don’t leave without visiting the beautiful town of Airvault to discover the market halls 🏪, the Notre-Dame Church, the underground fountain

If you’re keen to extend your weekend, Poitiers, about 1h away by car, is a city to explore 🚗. You can head to meet Notre-Dame-la-Grande Church ⛪️, listed as national monuments since 1840 and the Cathédrale (Roman Catholic) Saint-Pierre. Continue your stroll, and the area will be ideal, at Parc de Blossac ⛲️. Covering no less than 9 hectares, Poitiers’ largest park is one of the most beautiful public spaces in France 🇫🇷. It features gardens 🪴: French formal, English, shade and light, and rock gardens. It also includes a dedicated space for animals 🐇 ! Finally, you can end your excursion at the Sainte-Croix Museum (very diverse) Sainte-Croix 🖼️ with archaeology 🦴, sculpture 🗿 and painting 🎨. For a culinary 🍽️, you’ll be surprised to discover the region’s often overlooked specialties. Poitou gastronomy is a treasure 🏴‍☠️ with, inside its chest, the AOP Poitou-Charentes butter 🧈, the Chabichou made from goat milk 🐐, the Tourteau Fromager 🧀 or sweet treats like Nougatine or the Broyé du Poitou. 😋

That’s about what Poitou has to offer, so—are you ready to join us? 😉