Angoulême, Prefecture in Charente, France
Angoulême is a prefecture in the Charente department of southwestern France, positioned on a limestone plateau above the Charente River. The elevated old core is ringed by fortification walls, while newer neighborhoods spread across the valleys below.
The settlement developed on the high plateau in Gallo-Roman times as a protected position above the river. During the Middle Ages it was besieged repeatedly and switched between French and English control, until it became definitively French in the 15th century.
Visitors notice comic strip murals on building facades year-round, reflecting the town's dedication to the ninth art. The pedestrian streets in the upper town maintain a calm rhythm where cafes and bookshops cluster near the cathedral square.
The upper town is best reached on foot, with narrow lanes running from the town hall to the cathedral. Drivers find parking in the lower neighborhoods, from where elevators and stairways lead up to the rampart level.
A network of stairways and elevators connects the plateau with the valley neighborhoods, allowing pedestrians to cross height differences of up to 80 meters (260 feet). These vertical pathways were built in the 20th century to link urban expansion in the valleys with the historic core.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
