Cercles: Heritage, Mill and Hiking

Anyone looking for a hotel in Cercles can include historic buildings and a hike when choosing their destination. Local highlights range from the Moulin des Terres Blanches to a fortified church, a manor house and a château. The Boucle de Cercles adds a circular forest walk. When planning your trip, consider whether your main interest is architecture, a visit to the mill grounds or a walk.

Moulin des Terres Blanches: history and grounds

The Moulin des Terres Blanches dates from the 14th century and was restored in 2007. The grounds are open to visitors free of charge all year round. There are hiking trails and picnic areas, and flour is also sold on site. Visitor information about access may change, so check the latest notices before your visit. If a picnic area or buying flour is important to your plans, also confirm the latest information about these respective offerings in advance. Depending on your interests, a visit to the mill grounds can be combined with a hike, a break or buying flour.

Église Saint Cybard and its history

The Église Saint Cybard is a 12th-century fortified church in Cercles and has been listed as a Monument historique since 1840. An imposing crenellated keep stands west of the church. The church and keep offer contrasting architectural features: the church is described as a fortified religious building, while the keep, with its crenellations, is a striking defensive landmark. An old cemetery lies beside the church. The church grounds were also once home to a priory affiliated with the Abbey of Saint-Cybard d’Angoulême. The church, keep, former priory and adjacent cemetery provide different points of reference for understanding the site’s history.

Manor house and château

La Bernerie is a 17th-century manor house in Cercles. It has two square towers with pointed, four-sided roofs covered with flat tiles. In comparison with the Église Saint Cybard, the architectural focus shifts: the church dates from the 12th century and is fortified, while La Bernerie is described as a 17th-century manor house and stands out for its towers and roofs. The Château de Fongrenon adds another architectural landmark. It is considered an exceptional, unprotected heritage site in Cercles. Here, the emphasis is on its distinctive heritage classification.

Hiking trails in Cercles

There are hiking trails on the grounds of the Moulin des Terres Blanches. The Boucle de Cercles is another option for a walk: it is an easy, 8.5-kilometre circular hike through a forest. Its circular route, length and difficulty provide concrete points of reference if you want to choose a route based on its characteristics. The trails on the mill grounds and the Boucle are different hiking options, not the same route. As trail conditions can change, check the latest route conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: La Roque-Gageac, Sainte-Foy-De-Longas, Fonroque, Jaure, Sainte-Trie, Calès, Soulaures, Lempzours

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