The Charente – Holidays, Places to Visit and Tourist Attractions
The Charente is one of the four departments that make up the Poitou-Charentes region - the other three are the Deux-Sèvres, the Vienne and the Charente-Maritime on the Atlantic coast. Until a decade ago the Charente languished in almost complete obscurity.
Even some French people could be a bit hazy about exactly where it was! That has begun to change a bit in recent years as its reputation for lovely countryside of fields of grapes, nodding sunflowers and forests of towering oak trees and turreted châteaux perched high above winding rivers, has become known.
The Charente is also the place to visit if you’re after a slice of traditional French rural life – here age-old traditions are still strong and the Charentais pace of life is decidedly gentle. In town squares flat-capped old men play boules (the French equivalent of bowls) and market days are not just for shopping but also for lingering over a glass or two of wine with friends.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
But there is also a modern side to its tourist attractions. Once known for its rather unfashionable paper and slipper industries, the Charente is now home to a growing film, graphic design and audio-media industry, as well as being the unofficial French capital for cartoon and comic strips or bande dessinée – a highly regarded considered art form in France.
So what does the Charente have to offer as a holiday destination?
First there are its wonderful old towns, which are great places to visit on a day out or for longer stays. The roots of Charente’s capital Angoulême go back to the 6th century AD and it’s a place full of history with its old town walls, magnificent cathedral and winding cobbled streets. Best of all for the visitor, its old town is packed with good bars and restaurants.
The best-known town in the Charente is without doubt Cognac – historic rival to Angoulême – whose name is synonymous with the famous cognac drink that is produced in the surrounding area. As well as enjoying the town’s historic buildings, bars, restaurants and hotels, visitors can also take a trip around one of the town’s many cognac producers. It can be an intoxicating experience…
Other towns well worth a visit include Barbezieux, Chalais and Villebois in the south of the department, the beautiful Aubeterre and its famous underground church, Confolens with its old bridge straddling on the banks of the River Vienne, Montbron, historic La Rochefoucauld and Ruffec.
BEAUTIFUL RIVERS
But the Charente is equally well-known for its beautiful villages, unspoilt countryside, sprawling forests – and its rivers. For example the River Charente – from which the department gets its name – flows through Angoulême and Cognac and is an excellent river for boat trips and longer boat cruises, or simply to see kingfishers plying their trade on the water.
The large River Vienne also flows through the Charente, and again offers plenty of opportunities for water sports – as do some of the department’s many natural and man-made lakes.
The geography of the department is very varied. The west is dominated by the undulating vineyards of the cognac area, the north by beautiful rolling fields and woodland. The Charente-Limousine to the north east is different again, its hills and darkly-wooded forests, buttercup-filled meadows and Limousin cattle marking this out as the start of the Massif Central – the large area of high ground and mountains that dominates the heart of France. This area is also known for its walks and lakes – the Lacs du Haute-Charente. It also boasts an adventure park at Massignac that was frequented by Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their children!
To the east the terrain is dominated by forests, the rivers Bandiat and Tardoire, picturesque villages and lots of restored water mills – many now producing bread, walnut oil or even beer. Meanwhile the south of the department is slightly drier – though no less attractive - and the flora and fauna changes slightly as you move towards Bordeaux.
One thing all these areas have in common is that they are popular with visitors seeking a break away from it all in natural harmonious settings, with plenty of outdoor activities such as cycling, walking, canoeing and kayaking. There are also some excellent golf courses. All parts of the Charente are dotted with châteaux large and small, public and private, well-maintained and crumbling. The best-known is the large château at La Rochefoucauld, ancestral home of one of France’s best-known aristocratic families. Chalais in the south also boast a fine if somewhat dilapidated château.
COGNAC AND PINEAU
Of course one cannot discuss the Charente without mentioning its food – and especially its drink. It was cognac that made Cognac and its area wealthy and the many beautiful châteaux there testify to this drink’s enduring importance. Though the industry is dominated by a few major brands there are also plenty of less well known make who are well worth discovering, well as local grape growers whose wine is used to make the precious liquid. Many larger producers also offer a chance to learn about the fascinating history of the drink, and how it was once transported to the sea down the River Charente on flat-bottomed boats known as gabares. But the Charente isn’t just about cognac.
A drink that deserves to be much better known is pineau, a delicious aperitif that comes in red or rosé form. Then there is the underrated wine –local producers make whites and reds that compare favourably with some better-known regions.
As for the local food, there’s plenty to choose from. The Charente is known for goats’ cheese, its butter, honey, poultry, and of course its Limousin beef. For the more adventurous there’s also the local delicacy the cagouille – the Charente word for the grey-shelled snail that people here love to eat. Great with butter and garlic…!
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Golf courses in Charente
Official tourism site for the Charente
Words: Michael STREETER
Photo: Fotolia