Thursday, November 8, 2012

Angouleme (Charente), France

Angouleme is a large fortress town and capital of the Charente Department. This ancient town, with wonderful ramparts, overlooks the Charente valley below. Angouleme has many good restaurants. Both international and French cuisine is served throughout the city.

Angouleme covers a hilltop between the Charente and Aguienne rivers. The town was the centre of the French paper industry in the 17th century, a tradition that carries on today: Angoulême remains the centre of French comic-strip production. Angouleme is split into two parts. The historical Angouleme sits majestically on a hill above the Charente, while the modern, industrial Angouleme lies in the valley below. It is in this bustling part of the city that you will find a rich labyrinth of winding alleys and streets. The writer Balzac wrote of Angouleme: “Up above the Nobility and Power, below, commerce and money. Two social zones that can’t stop viewing each other as enemies.”













 

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