In South-western France, in the Dept of Charente, lies Angouleme 'The City of Festivals'. Located 134 km or 83.8 miles N.N.E. of Bordeaux on the railway between Bordeaux and Poitiers Angouleme is easily accessible by rail, car and by plane.
Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, and from here fine views can been seen of all directions. Not regarded strictly for it's architecture, the city however has narrow streets and an 'old town' that has been beautifully preserved and pedestrianised. Today this area of the city, a charming cobbled quarter, boasts galleries and fine restaurants as well as charming boutiques that appeal to not only the tourists but the local residents as well.
The Cathedral of St Pierre dates from the 11th and 12the centuries and will please those fascinated by the Byzantine-Romanesque style of design. For art lovers the hotel de ville contains a museum holding works of art and archaeology.
Angoulême, along with paper and printing, has long been associated with animation, illustration and the graphic arts and hosts a number of very popular festivals throughout the year such as:
- the famous Angoulême International Comics Festival
- International Forum for Animation Technologies
- The Circuit Des Remparts motor racing event, with its historic street circuit around the ramparts
- the Gastronomades festival at Christmas, Music Metisse in May and Piano de Valois in October.
Truly a City of Festivals!
By train - 2 hrs 15 min from Paris Gare Montparnasse. From the United-Kingdom, take the Eurostar from London to Lille, then change to Angoulême. There is a train station at Terminal 2 at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. Take a direct train to Angoulême from there. It will take 3 hours to go from CDG to Angoulême by train.
By Plane - Bordeaux airport one hour; Bergerac, Limoges and Poitiers airports are one hour 30 minutes. From London you can also fly directly to Poitiers and Limoges.
Photo courtesy of Charente Tourist Board
