This French cycling tour is unique and showcases the superb Limousin and Charente regions before it delivers you into the Black Perigeaux of the Dordogne. The cycling tour is based on the 12th century travels and battles of Richard the Lionheart, the Crusader king who fought military campaigns across the Middle East and Europe. Late in his life, he spent many years waging campaigns in the beautiful countryside of the Dordogne, Limousin and Charente, an area full of castles and chateaux that he fought, and ultimately died, fighting for.

The region is excellent for cycling, made up of lakes, quiet rivers and ancient honey-coloured stone villages linked with virtually traffic-free roads. In terms of a French cycling tour, it has it all: grottos, cave paintings, moated castles, Roman churches, martyrd villages and flamboyant Renaissance manor houses. The route also offers at least one fairytale chateau each day.

Discover France by bike while checking out vibrant summer festivals and daily markets that offer up mouth-watering specialties and picnic edibles. Lodging is excellent - 3 and 4 star fine country houses standing in their own grounds, a renovated chateau set among hundreds of landscaped acres and a converted mill-side country hotel famous for its gastronomic reputation.

Of course this is just to set the stage for the real star – the dining on offer. Regional duck and foie gras delicacies from the Perigeaux region, truffle based sauces, famous Limousin beef, fresh Atlantic fish and mouth watering desserts accompanied by wines from the near-by Bordeaux region are available. With the local Pineau de Charente or kir as an aperitif and Cognac to follow, meals are a gastronomic delight.