Bonnes: Heritage, arboretum and walking trails

Bonnes offers several concrete starting points for planning your trip: the Romanesque Église Saint-André, Château de Touffou on the left bank of the Vienne, walking trails, and the municipal arboretum. Bonnes is also part of the Plateau de Bellefonds Natura 2000 site. This gives you the opportunity to explore architectural history, routes, and nature, and weigh up the different options for your stay.

Romanesque church and Château de Touffou

The Église Saint-André has preserved almost all of its Romanesque structure. Its façade, nave, tower bay, and apse date from the 12th century. The church is classified as a Monument historique; a decree dated 11 August 1906 established its protection. These architectural features give a tangible impression of how Romanesque architecture is expressed in the building.

Several architectural styles can be distinguished at Château de Touffou: the keep features Romanesque and Gothic elements, while the Tour Saint-Jean and the west wing show Renaissance elements. The protection status is also partial: the château is partly classified as a Monument historique and partly registered as a Monument historique. The protection therefore does not apply to the entire property. Both the different architectural features and the graded status are relevant to its historical context.

Routes and timing

The 17-kilometre “Touffou, entre terre et Vienne” route is rated easy. It takes about two hours by mountain bike and around three and a half hours on foot. Bonnes also has four walking trails, with an average duration of about three hours; this includes breaks and sightseeing stops. For planning purposes, distinguish between the two figures: three and a half hours refers to the walking time for this 17-kilometre route, while around three hours is the average for the four walking trails. Check the route information again before setting off.

The “Touffou, entre terre et Vienne” route passes through the Beaujean valley and the Les Saunières and Les Douces forests. It then reaches a plateau with diverse crops and livestock farming, before continuing to the Vienne. The route also passes behind Château de Touffou; along the way, you can discover the arboretum, a biodiversity area. Another route description, “La Vallée de Sanzelle,” mentions shady paths and several hamlets with restored houses that have retained their authenticity.

Arboretum and the landscape of the Plateau de Bellefonds

The municipal arboretum is at the entrance to Bonnes, between the road to Touffou and the banks of the Vienne. It showcases 15 native tree species and around 50 noteworthy tree species. Each tree has an information board. Alongside the walking trails, it offers a separate nature-focused experience that you can explore through the trees and their signage.

In the Plateau de Bellefonds Natura 2000 site, fields and meadows alternate with wooded areas, low hedges, ponds, wet hollows, and remnants of heathland. This combination of landscapes contributes to the area’s biological and avifaunal diversity. An ornithological survey recorded a total of 133 bird species, including 23 species of community interest listed in Annex I. The surveys were carried out between December 2011 and October 2012; the figures refer to this period.

Practical tips for your stay

If you would also like to visit the garden at Château de Touffou: the Jardin du château de Touffou appears on a list published on 31 March 2018 as a “Jardin remarquable.” Check visitor access separately before planning a visit. In Bonnes, a carpooling point in the Esplanade des fêtes car park is also available to all users. Check its availability locally.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Benoît, Maisonneuve, Saint-Germain, Moussac, Avanton, Glénouze, Montamisé, Roiffé.

For the main travel overview: Vienne.