For a stay in Aujac, the “Sur les chemins d’Aujac” hiking route provides a clear timeframe: it is 9.53 kilometres long, rated easy, and returns to the starting point. The stated duration is 2 hours 45 minutes. Along the way are the Église Saint-Martin and the Moulin Grelat. If you would like to combine hiking with local history, you can use this combination as a starting point for planning your day.
Hiking on “Sur les chemins d’Aujac”
The route follows the Auriou through woodland and along the edges of agricultural plots to the source of the watercourse known as the Gour. The circuit therefore includes varied landscapes as well as the named buildings. Returning to the starting point makes it easy to plan as a standalone hike. The stated duration applies to the circuit; you can allow extra time for breaks. The roads and paths used on this route are accessible year-round and well maintained. Nevertheless, check their current condition before setting out.
Église Saint-Martin and its architectural history
The Église Saint-Martin is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th century. It was rebuilt several times after being damaged during Arab invasions. An intricately decorated entrance portal was uncovered during work on the church. The north portal is classified as a historic monument; the rest of the church was listed as a historic monument by decree of 2 February 2006. Its history thus spans the Romanesque origins and later alterations; the uncovered portal and the different protection statuses add to this historical context. The hiking route passes the church, linking the route with the architectural history of the village.
The landscape around Aujac
Aujac’s landscape consists of 77.7 percent Charentais wine-growing areas and 22.3 percent western plains. The commune also has 31.10 hectares of wetlands and around 10.9 kilometres of watercourses. The type 2 ZNIEFF area “Vallée de l’Antenne” covers 5.7 percent of the commune. A tree in Aujac is listed among the remarkable trees of Poitou-Charentes. Thus, in addition to wine-growing areas and plains, the landscape includes wetlands, watercourses and a named natural area.
An event from local history
Another chapter in the area’s history is the crash of a German mail plane on 20 January 1945. After engine trouble, the aircraft hit several trees and crashed in Aujac. This event adds a 20th-century connection to the architectural history of the Église Saint-Martin. Together, the hiking route, the church and the landscape offer different points of interest for exploring Aujac.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Genis-De-Saintonge, La Ronde, Saintes, Loiré-Sur-Nie, Thézac, Boisredon, Soubran, Foulerot.
For the main travel overview: Charente-Maritime.
