Press Pack Charente Tourisme

Transcription

Press Pack
Charente Tourisme
What's on in the Charente 2011
PRESS CONTACT
Laure THOMAS
Tél. +33 (0)5 45 69 48 63 – [email protected]
What’s on in the Charente 2011
Press Pack
1
Summary :
► Jurassic Park – the Charente's giant dinosaurs
Excavations in local quarries have revealed that the Charente is
home to Europe's most important dinosaur site.
►Home comforts –the charm of Charente's holiday
accommodation
Romantic or stylish B & B's, cosy or luxurious hotels, the area
boasts many different kinds of accommodation and opportunities for
health and pampering breaks.
►Food and drink – the Charente's winning flavours
The freshness, creativity and richness of Charente cuisine delight
everyone who tastes it
►The Charente back to the future – how the vintage look is in
Formica kitchens, Tam Tam stools, tulip chairs...a passion for style
and design from the 1950s to the 1980s has taken over the shops,
B&Bs and bistros of the Charente
►Charente – getting away from it all
If you've only got a few days or even a few hours, there's plenty to
do in the Charente, from river trips to taking a journey back in
time...
►Charente – fêtes, festivals, exhibitions...
From comic strip art to food, and music and dance to cinema, there
are events to suit everyone!
►Charente – a lesson in slow-shopping
Take your time as you admire the wonderful creations of the many
artists and artisans who have come here and been inspired by the
area's tranquillity
Press contact : Laure Thomas – tél : +33 (0)5 45 69 48 63 – [email protected]
What’s on in the Charente 2011
Press Pack
2
Summary...
►Charente – on the nature trail
With its rivers, forests, lakes and protected nature areas, the
Charente is full of natural delights. Green tourism activities give
visitors a chance to experience this beauty at first hand.
►Charente – the Cognac Experience
Ever since the 17th century the destiny of the town of Cognac has
been irrecoverably linked with that of the famous brandy of the same
name. A chance to get out and experience some of this stunning
landscape that has more than a hint of Tuscany about it...
►Charente – lights, camera, action!
The department has 80 businesses linked to the visual image
industry including 20 animation studios, plus seven colleges
teaching 700 students.
Angoulême is France's second most important centre for animation
production and teaching after Paris
Photo credits:
Musée d'Angoulême – Château de Maumont – JB Degez – L'Yeuse – Quai des Pontis – Logis du Paradis – La
Grange aux Oies – La Ribaudière/DX com – Conserverie Fleuriet – Terre de Saveurs – Cueillette Fabulette –
Julien Chamoux – Épicerie de Venat – Charente Tourisme / S. Laval – Rive de France – Gilles Plagnol - OT de
Rouillac – Club Marpen – Via Patrimoine - CIBDI – FIBD - Festival de Confolens – Musiques Métisses – G.
Manuel – Fête du Cognac – Fête médiévale de Dignac – Coupe d'Europe des Montgolfières – FFA/Yoann
Bonnet – Festival Polar de Cognac – Circuit International des Remparts / Baudin – Gastronomades – Pôle
régional des Métiers d'Art – Logis de Puygaty/ – Cartons de Lilibulle – Aure.Li – Sara Bartko – Florence
Margerit – Pascal Renoux / Le Studio Photogaphique – Drevelle - - Ville d'Angoulême/P. Blanchier - Jardin
Respectueux /Rémy Marcotte - Charente Tourisme - Parc Archéologique de Cassinomagus - Magelis – JD
Guillou -Le Chambon – Camping des gorges du Chambon – Association du Grand Fief – MACO – EDPC –
Les étapes du Cognac – Courvoisier - Dx communication –
Jurassic Park –
the Charente's giant dinosaurs
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Recent excavation work in
quarries at Angeac-Charente
has revealed the existence
of the most important site
for dinosaur remains in
France.The first digs carried
out in 2010 unearthed more
than 400 remains that are
135 million years old. The
most important is the femur
of a giant sauropod – the
large plant-eating dinosaurs
– measuring 2.4 metres
long. It's the biggest ever
found in Europe! This
creature was 35 metres long
and weighed about 40
tonnes.
The most important palaeontological deposits in France
Though the presence of important prehistoric remains had long been suspected, it was not until
2010 that excavations showed that the Audoin
quarries at Angeac-Charente, west of
Angoulême, were one of the most important
dinosaur sites in France.
The deposits consist of a layer of clay from the
Lower or Early Cretaceous period (about 130
million years ago) buried under later Quaternary
alluvium deposits. The first digs were carried out
over a period of 20 days in 2010 by a team
coordinated by the Museum of Angoulême and
the GeoScience laboratory at Rennes, part of the
CNRS – the Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique (National Centre for Scientific
Research). Around 20 scientists from the CNRS
and France's Natural History Museum were
involved.
These initial excavations revealed more than 400
remains, of which more than 200 are of great sci- The digging up of a dinosaur femur at Angeac
entific interest. They include at least three species of dinosaur and three species of crocodile,
as well as turtles.
Jurassic Park –
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It's huge!
A 35 metre dinosaur weighing 40 tonnes
been a wet area, with marshes and rivers,
where dead trees and the corpses of land and
aquatic animals were deposited. .
The most impressive remains found are
undoubtedly those of the biggest Sauropod –
plant-eating dinosaur – yet known in Europe. Its
femur bone, which is still intact and at the site, is
2.4 metres long. This would suggest the dinosaur
weighed around 40 tonnes and was 35 metres
long. By way of comparison, an elephant's femur
measures barely one metre!
The presence of small plant-eating dinosaurs
has also been revealed by the discovery of a tooth.
But by far the most numerous remains found in
2010 belong to a meat-eating dinosaur that
measured 9 metres long when fully grown. The
remains of no fewer than 5 individuals, young
and adults, are in the site, judging by the number
of femurs unearthed. The scientists are surprised
and delighted by how well-preserved the bones
are, with some of them still showing signs of where
they were bitten by predators!
Unusually, the palaeontologists have also found
fossilized wood, leaves, pollen and seeds, which
has allowed them to recreate the environment in
which these animals lived. Didier Néraudeau,
palaeontologist at the GeoScience laboratory at
Rennes, says: 'It's extraordinary, at Angeac we
The largest Sauropod femur yet found in Europe, at
have the elements to reconstitute an entire
ecosystem, a landscape that must have resembled Angeac-Charente during the excavations in 2010. At
the Okavango Delta [in Botswana].' It would have 2.4 metres it's a record!
Stop press!
In mid-November 2010 the Angeac quarry revealed yet more dinosaur remains. Among them
was the head of a femur bone of a Sauropod 130
million years old. It is 70 centimetres wide. In
comparison, the head of the record 2.4 metre
femur bone found previously was 50cm wide. So
this is an even bigger specimen! The excavation
site at Angeac now extends over several hectares
and the excavation work will last between 10 to
15 years.
Jurassic Park –
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A long-awaited discovery hide or even destroy remains, the or specific events during 2011..
quarryman and his sons have
www.angouleme.fr/museeba/
chosen to work with scientists. As
with all the extracted material,
the quarry owns the fossils. The
owners want to donate them to
the Museum of Angoulême,
where they will become part of
the 'Collections of the Museums
of France'.
|This close collaboration between
the quarryman and the scientist
The Charente Valley is an area led to the excavation in 2004 of a
fossilised elephant skull from
rich in prehistory and quarry
activity had already revealed a 120,000 years ago and the
discovery in 2008 of an entire
number of discoveries. For
intact elephant’s tusk. In 2010
several years quarry owner
the quarry's diggers unearthed
Jean-Marie Audoin and Jeanthe first dinosaur vertebrae.
François Tournepiche, the
curator of the Museum of
Some of the items, such as the
Angoulême, have worked
tusk, are on display at the Muclosely together, and the
seum of Angoulême, while others
smallest discovery has been
reported. Whereas some might will be shown during conferences
A plan to open the site to the public once the
next excavations begin in 2011
The dinosaur site is currently being studied with a view
to allowing the public to see the excavation work.
Visitors will be welcomed into a building covering the dig
areas and be able to see dinosaur bones being
excavated and then being processed at a field
laboratory. The visits will take place under the aegis of
local heritage professionals, coordinating with tourism
offices, when the digs resume in August 2011. Next to
the excavation site will be a tented area designed to
welcome groups of children for educational and
recreational activities based on the excavations, geology
and dinosaurs. Run by events experts at the museum,
these activities would be designed by members of the
national education department.
www.angouleme.fr/museeba/
Home comforts – the charm of Charente's holiday
accommodation
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Romantic or stylish
B & B's, cosy or luxurious
hotels, the area
boasts many different
kinds of accommodation
and opportunities
for health
and pampering breaks.
Here are all the
addresses you need to
arrange a relaxing
weekend of your own!
wood, stone, terracotta and limewash walls fit perfectly with
the furniture and simple objects found at local bric-a-brac
markets. This little flat, which
is ideal for a couple, is in a lovely garden shaded by a huge
fig tree. From the bedroom
window you can see the shallots drying under an awning or
Philippe preparing the barbecue on summer evenings.
La Petite Maison
Mellow pleasures and great food at Rouillac
Françoise and Philippe Fleuriet, who are passionate about cooking,
have built their own workshop to can and preserve food at their
home in Rouillac. Here they produce quality condiments, sauces
made with old varieties of vegetables – which they grow themselves
– and a wonderful Confit de pomme au sucre candi et à la fève tonka (Confit of apple with sugar candy and Tonka beans). They invented Pineau vinegar – pineau is a popular local aperitif – which ages
quietly in barrels in their storeroom. In their garden they have
www.conserverie-fleuriet.com
converted a building they call the 'Petite Maison' or little house, the
name it was given by the family's children when they were younger.
It's a very mellow building, a bit like the owners themselves. The
accommodation
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Le Château de Maumont...
romantic paradise just outside Angoulême
off a two-night stay in one of the
château’s suites, with intimate
fine dining by candlelight in
front of the fire blazing in the
huge chimney place, and
breakfast served at the time of
your choosing.
Price: €115 per person.
Relaxing weekends
When Minka created the
massage room, she already
had lots of therapeutic ideas in
mind. One is a relaxation
weekend for two that includes
two nights with breakfast, fine
dining at the château’s dining
table, plus either an hour's
ayurvedic massage with warm
This magnificent 16th century property sits in the middle of two hec- sesame oil to really help you to
tares (just under five acres) of grounds at Magnac-sur-Touvre, close unwind or a toning Chinese
to Angoulême. From the 15th century tower and typical 16th century massage with essential oils for
each of the guests, followed by
façade to the music room and the grand entertaining room where
Minka Alas-Luquetas organises gastronomic evenings...everything at mint tea and cakes, and a hour
the Château de Maumont is just perfect for romance! There are five of Pilates.
bed and breakfast guest rooms including two suites (which have a Price: €285 per person.
Gîtes de France rating of 4 épis) of enormous dimensions. They are
all on the entirely renovated first floor of the château. Each has its
own personality and they ooze character. In the grounds, meanwhile,
the bamboo garden is the setting for romantic dinners, the little
tower with its pepper pot roof conceals within a circular chapel, while
the view of the River Touvre with its wild swans lends Maumont a
sense of timelessness. To pamper her guests even more – if that
was necessary – Minka has also just created special breaks themed
around health and relaxation, romance and fine dining. Come and let
yourself be taken care of
Romantic breaks at Maumont
This is the ultimate lovers' weekend. Everything has been thought of;
a discreet and friendly welcome (with champagne and sweets) kicks www.chateaudemaumont.fr
Macaron weekends at the
own handiwork! The once-aChâteau de Maumont
month workshops take place
This short break, in which the
from April to October in 2011.
guests get involved in cooking, Four to 8 people at a time.
includes one night at the
Price from €96 per person, inchâteau with a 'macarons' after- cluding the accommodation,
noon in the château’s kitchen
breakfast and the workshop..
run by patisserie expert Isabelle www.chateaudemaumont.fr
Métayer. Guests leave with their
© JB Degez
accommodation
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garden which extends to the banks of the River Charente.
The garden, which was designed to be in harmony with the wet valley landscape, contains both artistic creations and a kingfisher observatory made from an old barrel in which the scent of old cognac
still lingers. Below is the vegetable garden known as the Snail Vegetable Plot or Potager de la Cagouille laid out in the form of a
snakes and ladders game, and which is intended to be both educaL'Yeuse, a four-star hotel and
th
restaurant in a 19 century folly tional and fun. The wild plants – wild garlic, stinging nettles,
butcher's broom, hellebores...) and herbs are grown and used in the
at Châteaubernard near
kitchen by the restaurant’s chef Pascal Nebout.
Cognac, has in recent years
Wild plant cooking breaks
become one of the must-stay
Everyone knows of one or two wild plants or berries that are edible,
places in the Charente.
but how many have ever really tasted them? This two-day, one-night
break starts with a walk along the banks of the River Charente and
a guided tour of the Respectful Garden by its creator Rémi
Marcotte, who knows the uses of all the plants in this protected wet
area. After the plants have been gathered the cooking and tasting
starts. In the evening there is a gastronomic dinner with ingredients
from the garden, cooked by Pascal Nebout.
L'Yeuse
Wild food cooking breaks
and relaxing weekends at the
château
Price: From €357 for two people in a double room on half-board.
Rémi Marcotte, the creator of
the Respectful Garden and
Pascal Nebout, the L'Yeuse's
chef
Below the château, landscape
designer Rémi Marcotte designed and built the Respectful
Garden (Le Jardin respectueux), a one-hectare
(about 2.5 acres) terraced wild
Relaxing weekend breaks
This break gives guests free access to the relaxation area at
l'Yeuse (Turkish bath, sauna, jacuzzi and outdoor pool) as well as a
one-hour session with a professional masseur. Guests can choose
between a hot stone massage, candle massage or one using herbs
and spices. To finish off this pampering there's fine dining in the
restaurant.
Price: From €373 for two, including a night in a double room, two massages, two dinners (not including drinks) and access to the relaxation
area.
www.yeuse.fr
accommodation
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Weekend health break with fitness coach
The trainer starts working with
the group on Saturday morning
at 9.30am with a warm-up
session followed by a hike
punctuated by various exercises.
After a lunch break, you're off
again! The afternoon session
includes a bike ride through the
beautiful landscape of vines,
woods and moors.
At 5pm there is a 1 hour 15
minute massage/relaxation
session for the women and a
muscle-toning session for the
men...or the other way round!
In the evening the guests can
tuck into a healthy and delicious
meal.
The following morning sees
another fitness session which
ends at midday to give people
some free time for the fitness
activity of their choice. This might
be aquagymn exercises or step
and abdominal exercises in the
fitness room, according to the
time of year.
This programme is also open to
children – the coach will suggest
suitable forms of exercise.
Circus breaks
As mum and dad aren't always
on holiday at the same time,
Sylvie Abadie is offering a week's
break with a difference during the
Easter holidays. The programme
includes circus lessons for the
kids and relaxation for the
parents. From 10am to midday,
Monday to Friday, the trainers
introduce the youngsters to the
circus arts: juggling, balancing
acts, acrobatics and clowning
around! For mums – or dads –
there is an hour of healthy
relaxation while the youngsters
are occupied. Everyone spends
the afternoon at the spa and
leisure centre at the Etang Vallier
Resort.
Weekend health breaks or
circus training at the Grange
aux Oliviers
The Grange aux Oliviers is in
the converted corn exchange of
a 15th century traditional house
or logis at Berneuil in the south
Price: from €185 per person
of the Charente. This 4-star
accommodation has been
www.grenier-des-saveurs.com
renovated with careful attention
paid to tradition and the
environment, and has a
contemporary, warm feel to it. It
has three comfortable rooms
with either a therapeutic bath or
shower with hydro jets, a large
children’s sleeping area, a fullyequipped kitchen, a living
room…in all, 350m2 of charm
Price: From €145 per person based
and comfort that can cater for
on 6 people in a gîte and the coachup to 12 people. The renovation ing sessions.
has been carried out with an
emphasis on using
environmentally-friendly
materials and it is expected to
be awarded the label ‘Ecogîtes’ in 2011.
Sylvie Abadie organises
themed breaks suitable for
couples, large groups and
families.
accommodation
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Dream cars
at the Logis du Paradis
owner of the property, loves receiving guests – and also loves
classic cars!
He offers guests something original in the Charente – discovering
the vineyards of the Cognac region behind the wheel of a classic
car. The guests can choose between one of three MG roadsters,
an MG TC, a Lotus Élan or even a 2CV! The vehicles can be
hired for a day or for a week. Nicholas will prepare the itinerary,
book the restaurants and...even supply the hats!
www.logisduparadis.fr
The Logis du Paradis is a haven
of peace nestling in the south of
the Charente, near Barbezieux.
This typical charentais logis or
traditional house with its stone
walls and old lime trees was built
in the 18th century. It has five
luxury guest rooms and two
separate houses offering
accommodation. Nicholas
Brimblecombe, the very British
Sleep in a traditional caravan
next to the River Charente at
Cognac!
Valérie and Eric Emiel have set
up four traditional caravans – all
built by Eric – on a strip of land
almost entirely surrounded by
the River Charente near the
Saint-Jacques Bridge and the
centre of Cognac. Magnolias,
chestnuts and hundred-year-old
cedar trees shelter this 1.5 hectares (about 3.7 acres) of land
where a box-making plant once
stood. The caravans - which
aren't mobile because of their
size, 8.2 metres by 3.2 metres –
comfortably take four people.
They have all the facilities – kitchenette, hydro-massage
shower cubicle, toilet, barbecue,
and air conditioning. Bed linen
provided.
Romantic weekend in a traditional caravan
Valérie has created a romantic weekend break next to the River
Charente. The two-night stay includes a romantic dinner with
champagne, and the caravan is decorated with flowers and lit by
candles.
Price: - weekend from €280 for two people.
Caravan prices: from €75 a night for two people, breakfast included. Week-long stays from €450. www.quaidespontis.fr.
Food and drink – the Charente's winning flavours !
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On 16 November 2010 the
French 'gastronomic' multicourse meal was added to the
world's 'intangible heritage' list
by UNESCO.
Here in the Charente,
meanwhile, the freshness,
creativity and richness of the
local cuisine delights everyone
who tastes it!
CHEF PROFILE
Pascal Pressac
a chef and his garden
Pascal Pressac, chef at the
La Grange aux Oies restaurant, has created his own organic vegetable plot in the
grounds of the Château de
Nieuil.
Pascal Pressac
Having worked for 20 years
alongside Luce and Jean-Michel
Bodinaud at the Château de
Nieuil, Pascal Pressac and his
colleague Patrice Devaine, the
restaurant's resident wine expert,
created La Grange aux Oies restaurant in the château’s former
stables, with food that comes
straight from its own vegetable
plot. Meet the chef-gardener...
Fifteen years ago Pascal decided to create his own organic vegetable garden on a one-hectare plot in the château’s vast grounds.
The only fertiliser allowed here is the manure from his horses.
Each morning he meets with the two gardeners to find out the
latest on the vegetables, flowers and herbs that are ready to be
cooked or about the new crops to be started. He started the vegetable plot for several reasons. First of all, Pascal was brought up in
the countryside, and in his youth there was always a vegetable plot
'at the back of the house'. Then there were the requirements of the
chef who is a perfectionist, who wants to work with high-quality vegetables that have been picked in the morning and are ready to be
cooked the same day without going into a chilled room. Finally,
there is the spirit of creativity that led him to create his own garden.
Pascal delves into seed catalogues to grow original, ancient and
unexpected varieties: small coloured squashes, yellow courgettes,
red chard, pear tomatoes, and then pick them at just the right size
and stage of maturity to suit the desired dish.
And then...the vegetable garden itself became a source of inspiration
The infinite variety of flavours, colours and textures of the garden
vegetables naturally led Pascal to create a vegetarian menu, updated every six weeks. Lovers of great food know what they like,
and now some customers come specially to taste this vegetable
cuisine. And if a particular a crop should sometimes surpass expectations? Pascal simply invents a recipe, guided by the garden
and its produce. What was to be done with all those beetroot? Hey
presto - an astonishing beetroot crème brûlée now graces La
Grange aux Oies' menu!
Pascal's colleague Patrice Devaine has himself caught the growing
bug. The sommelier has planted 600 vines on which he is working
with Charente winemaker Henri Jammet. And 2011 will see the first
crop of Grange aux Oies wine, to be called 'Fenêtre sur la Grange'.
Www.grange-aux-oies.com
Press contact: : Laure Thomas – tél : +33 (0)5 45 69 48 63 – [email protected]
2
Chefs' schools
Several chefs in the Charente
are holding their own cookery
courses where people learn
new recipes, cooking techniques, how to taste and how to
find the best produce at markets, all in a friendly atmosphere.
Cooking and market visit lessons in the Restaurant du
Château at Jarnac
Ludovic Merle, the youthful chef
at the Restaurant du Château
at Jarnac, started out at the
Pierre Hotel in New York. He
runs cookery lessons that start
with a visit to Jarnac market.
Under Ludovic's guidance the
students choose the produce
'Star' lessons at La Ribaudiére that they want to work with.
They then return to the kitchen
in Bourg-Charente.
to discover the recipes;
chocolate soufflé with
chocolate-cognac sorbet,
venison with cacao beans and
snails with parsley and garlic
garnish. Ludovic, who runs the
workshop himself,
demonstrates the techniques
and then the students, helped
by a member of the team of
chefs, have a go themselves.
Thierry Verrat, the only MichelinFinally the chef joins the
starred chef in the department,
students for lunch.
holds cookery lessons in his
Market, lesson and lunch (all instylish restaurant La Ribaudiére cluded): €95 per person.
at Bourg-Charente, near Cognac. www.restaurant-duThe lessons are for individuals or chateau.com
groups and cover the preparation
of a starter, a main course and a
dessert. Thierry Verrat puts great
emphasis on preparation and on
produce. Having dispensed his
tips and advice, he then shares
lunch with his pupils.
Lesson, aperitif, lunch (wine and
coffee included): €110 per person.
www.laribaudiere.com
Cookery lessons with produce from the garden at
l'Yeuse at Cognac
Pascal Nebout worked in various Michelin-starred establishments before coming to the
Château de l'Yeuse, a 19th century folly near Cognac. He likes
to revisit classic recipes from the
Charente such as cagouilles en
coque croustillante sur velouté
d'ortie (snails in crispy breadcrumbs with cream of nettles) or
financiers au basilic (cakes
made with ground almond and
egg white with basil). The chef
uses produce from the Respectful Garden created by Rémi
Marcotte at the château. Pascal
holds themed lessons for adults
and children which include special lessons on foie gras and
truffles but also on using plants
from the vegetable garden, and
even cooking with 'weeds' from
the garden. At the end of the
lesson the students eat their
own creation while admiring the
view of the Charente Valley from
the restaurant terrace.
Lesson with lunch (not including
drink): €90 per person.
www.yeuse.fr
3
especially because of the many
land and river routes that allowed
Saffron in the Charente this product - which was mainly
flower power!
grown for export – to be sent
easily to the French capital and
the countries of Northern Europe.
Saffron production began to
decline in importance from the
start of the 18th century, before
finally disappearing around 1765
following a particularly severe
winter that destroyed the majority
of the Crocus sativus bulbs. The
land was then used to plant vines
instead. Today a handful of
(Légende) Saffron is a spice that farmers and aficionados have
is small in size but big on num- joined together to help revive this
'luxury' crop. The S.A.F.R.A.N.
bers...160,000 flowers are
needed to produce just 1 kilo of Champniers association and its
president Maïté Bardoux
dry saffron and the price can
organise numerous events and
each €30,000 a kilo!
activities based around saffron.
Tel: +33 (0)5 45 69 99 09
In around 1550 saffron
production in the PoitouCharentes was among the
biggest in the world. The region
was producing up to five tonnes
of this mysterious spice. And
when you consider that it takes
150 to 200 flowers to produce
one gramme...
Production of this flower
developed in the Charente
because of its climate, soil and
syrup, pear coulis with saffron
and shallot preserve with saffron. Marion has already won a
special prize from the jury at the
Regional Flavours of PoitouCharentes competition in 2009.
One her land there is also a 3épis (the grading systemic used
by Gîtes de France) gîte, the
Demeure de Roumillac. During
harvest time – October to
November – guests can join
Marion in the coolness of the
early morning as she harvests
the precious Crocus sativus.
Marion Babinot
The saffron grower from
Javrezac
Marion Babinot, 26, has been
growing saffron for three years
at Javrezac, near Cognac. She
grows, harvests and sells her
saffron, but also creates original
http://safrancharente.canalblog.com
recipes. These include saffron
The truffle market at Jarnac
The Charente is a traditional area for growing truffles and has around 700 hectares
(more than 1,700 acres) devoted to their
production. The chalky-clay soil that is so favourable for growing vines is also good for
the production of this delicacy. Each year
Jarnac, near Cognac, becomes the Charente capital of the Tuber melanosporum. A
blast on a horn at 9.30am sharp marks the
start of the Truffle market at Jarnac, which is
held each Tuesday – from December to March – at the Hôtel Renard.
Dozens of buyers, professionals and amateurs, come here throughout
the season. But watch out, business is swift; within less than an hour it is
all sold! Jarnac Tourism Office Tel: 05 45 81 09 30
Meet-the-truffle farm
At Rouillac, the Domaine de la
Brousse opens the doors of its
Ferme de découverte de la Truffe
where visitors can discover more
about this delicacy on the estate's 18 hectares (about 45 acres) of
truffle-producing land. The visit,
enthusiastically guided by JeanMarie Doublet, who is president
of the Poitou-Charentes' regional
federation of truffle growers, unearths the secrets of the truffle
and how it is grown.
www.truffieres-labrousse.com
4
Coup de cœur produit
EVENTS
Beaume de Bouteville – balsamic vinegar made in the
Charente...
Jacques Buffet created the Vinaigrerie du
Château in the peaceful village of Bouteville
nestling in the heart of the vineyards of prime
cognac country. It's here, in a landscape that
has a feel of Tuscany about it, that Jacques
Buffet performs the miracle of transforming
grape juice into 'Charentais balsamic vinegar'.
The idea of making balsamic vinegar in the
Charente came from his Italian son-in-law who
told about him the tradition of winemakers back
in his country who, at the birth of a daughter,
make 100 litres of balsamic vinegar and let it
age for 20 years in barrels. Twenty litres of this very old Aceto
Balsamico Tradizionale is then given as a dowry for when the
daughter gets married. So at the birth of his first grandson
Jacques Buffet decided to do something similar. His first
attempt quickly proved a success and the Beaume de
Bouteville was born. The Baume de Bouteville is a very mild
condiment – it doesn't reach the 6% acetic acid per volume of
ordinary vinegars – made from a mixture of strong white wine
vinegar and the must from Ugni grapes grown in the Grande
Champagne (the leading 'cru' in the cognac-producing area).
Made in October at the time of the grape harvest, the Beaume
is aged for a minimum of 18 months in oak barrels that have
contained cognac.
But can you have a balsamic vinegar from the Charente?
As with traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena, the Beaume
de Bouteville is made with grape must and not wine, which
gives it a bitter-sweet flavour and ensures it is not too acidic.
The two products come from the same grape varieties, Ugni
blanc, the main grape grown in the Cognac area. The production methods are also similar; the grape must is heated until it
reaches the correct concentration and then mixed with strong
vinegar and aged for a minimum of 18 months in barrels. The
aromas and flavours from the old cognac casks blend into the
Beaume to give it its rich aroma. A number of chefs, such as
Christopher Coutenceau and Thierry Verrat, now use it in their
cooking. It can also be found at the delicatessen Bio Prestige
in Paris's 17th arrondissement and in Bordeaux..
www.vinaigre.net
Les Gastronomades
25-26-27 November 2011
Angoulême
Created in 1995 in Angoulême, Les
Gastronomades now attracts
100,000 visitors and has become
one of the leading French culinary
events open to the general public.
On the last weekend of November
cooking 'in all its forms' descends
upon the town centre. Fifty chefs
from all of France help bring to life
three days of cooking, culinary
jousts, book signings and themed
workshops.
Alongside these renowned chefs Les
Gastronomades has always looked
to showcase the young chefs of the
future. In this way chefs such as
Frédéric Coursol, Cyril Lignac, Yves
Camdeborde or Fabrice Biasiolo
have taken part to measure themselves against their peers.
Local chefs are also in evidence,
helping to promote local produce.
The producers' market, the Saveurs
de Charente ('flavours of the Charente'), and the Gastronomades
Farm are also both important parts
of this popular gathering.
www.gastronomades.fr
5
The sin of gluttony...
The Fleuriet's prize preserves
Françoise and Philippe Fleuriet have lived in the Charente for more
than 25 years. Passionate about cooking, regional produce and old
varieties of vegetables, they have created their workshop to can
and preserve food and make vinegar at their house at Rouillac.
Their star product is pineau vinegar made with pineau aged in oak
casks for four years in the house's storehouse. This vinegar is used
by many chefs – the latest to succumb is the Maison Troisgros
restaurant at Roanne near Lyon. It's even sold at the Fairway
Market and Eli Zabar in New York!
On a neighbouring one-hectare
(about 2.5 acre) plot they have
planted old varieties of fruit
trees. The apple trees include
Reinette Grise de Saintonge,
Fenouillet Gris, Transparente de
Croncels, Signe Tillish, CourtPendu Gris. There are also
Bourgeault variety quince trees,
Belle Magnifique and Griotte du
Nord cherry trees and Ronde de
Bordeaux fig trees. More trees
will be added in the future to
complete the range of trees that
provide fruit for the couple's
cooking.
Since the launch of the pineau vinegar the couple's range of
products has grown larger. In their gleaming workshop they have
created 40 astonishing recipes. These include quality condiments
such as onion confit, sweet and sour shallots, appetisers such as
cream of carrot with orange of saffron, cream of pumpkin with
vanilla or ginger, glacis with rosemary, raspberry or star anise, and
fruit confits with candied sugar and tonka beans...
The orchard and the garden – a vintage collection
The couple are passionate about vegetables of the past and have
a 3,000m2 vegetable garden where they grow old varieties that
they use in their recipes: brandywine and black Aisberg tomatoes,
red sun shallots, Crapaudine beetroot, butternut squash, Red Kuri
pumpkin and so on...
Tasting evenings with
Françoise and Philippe Fleuriet
These began with a few friends who were fans of the
couple’s culinary creations. Soon, however, their reputation grew beyond their circle of friends and now
Françoise and Philippe organise groups of between 8
and 14 people for tasting evenings in their cheerful dining room. Everything is carefully made, from the aperitif
to the coffee, and the atmosphere is so friendly that the
customers become friends.
Cost: €40 per person, all included. Tél. 05 45 21 72 75
6
Gragnano and wonderful LeThe chefs' grocery stores onardi balsamic vinegar – the
best in the world according to
Thierry Verrat – fill the shelves.
There are 40 different spices
from suppliers Spice your Life,
and saffron from the Charente,
Sturia caviar and olive oil, plus
also excellent local products
such as the Beaume de
Bouteville balsamic vinegar,
pineau vinegar, conserves from
the Conserverie Fleuriet,
pineau, cognac and Charente
wines. Thierry Verrat scours the
L'Economat at the Ribaudière world for the best producers and
restaurant.Thierry Verrat, the
has exclusive deals with some
Michelin-starred chef of La Rib- of them.
audière restaurant at Bourgwww.laribaudiere.com
Charente, near Cognac, has
opened his own grocery store in
Le Bon Marché des Saveurs
the village's former bursary office where he sells the products The Bon Marché des Saveurs
delicatessen was established at
that he himself uses. To visit it
Aigre in the north of the Charyou have to ask for the key at
ente in 2007. It was set up by
the restaurant before opening
the door to a food lover's para- Christophe Labonne and Philippe Lhomme, the owners of the
dise; a seawater fish-tank is
home to lobsters from La Cotin- gastronomy restaurant Le Cheval Blanc at nearby Luxé. The
iére on the Île d'Oléron and to
shop has a somewhat English
Papin oysters, while Serrano
and Iberico hams hang from the feel to it, and offers a range of
ceiling, and Pasta Gentile from table decorations and accessor-
ies as well as of course highquality food products. Christophe choose the items himself
from artisans and producers in
the Poitou-Charentes as well as
Périgord and Provence. Many
of them are used by chef Philippe Lhomme in their restaurant.
Products include Marco Zanier
pasta, Moutard Violette from
Brive, risotto rice, dried mushrooms and a wonderful range of
spices, a particular weakness of
the chef!
Tél 05 45 91 36 92
www.terredesaveurs.com
The food lover's portal in the Charente...
The website terredessaveurs.com is the internet portal for local pro
duce from the Charente and also has recipes from chefs across the
region. Built by the development agency Charente Développment, it
has a detailed list of producers and their products as well as a mass
of other useful information; points of sale, markets, shows and so
on. There is a section dedicated to organic producers and those
who focus on cutting down on food miles. There is also information
on culinary art, chef's recipes, healthy eating tips and useful addresses. www.terredesaveurs.com
7
Guillaume and Guillaume
Vegetable lovers who are
two of a kind!
Angoulême, where locals pick their own vegetables fruit and
flowers..
Both men love the land, herbs, flowers and vegetables. The
young chef likes aromatic plants and particularly chive flowers
which enliven his creations and also miniature vegetables – he regularly chooses tiny courgettes and carrots!
The Cueillette Fabulette offers a wide choice - around 50 different
products at any one time, apart from during the winter months.
Lovers of fresh vegetables regularly come in the week to pick their
food. And as they don't have far to come from Angoulême this is
environmentally-friendly – neither customer nor vegetable travels
very far!
Guillaume Veyssière (photo),
who has worked at La Ruelle
restaurant for two years, is a
young chef with a rising reputation in Angoulême. He is a
real wizard when it comes to
combining strong flavours and
textures.
Good for flavour and low in carbon emissions!
The young market gardener and his wife also like to show off their
gardens to various groups. They organise gardening workshops for
schools, and hold concerts and shows, as well as exhibitions. Under their covered marketplace you can also buy some remarkable
charentais products, including flour from the Moulin de Verteuil water mill and walnut and hazelnut oil from the Vergers du Marquis nut
farm, in the south of the Charente.
Guillaume Gabard runs the
Cueillette Fabulette, a 6.5
http://cueillettefabull.canalblog.com
hectare (just over 16 acres)
www.restaurant-laruelle.com
market garden at Soyaux, near
The Charente back to the future – the vintage look is in
1
Formica kitchens, Tam
Tam stools, tulip
chairs...a passion for
style and design from
the 1950s to the 1980s
has swept the shops,
B0&Bs and bistros of
the Charente. It's a
vintage experience!
The café and B&B at Venat
Chez Cax:
Vintage second-hand store in
Angoulême
When you enter Chez Cax,
which is THE vintage
secondhand store in
Angoulême, you could be
mistaken for thinking you've
stepped into somewhere in
Paris's chic 11th arrondissement. Photographer and secondhand
goods dealer
© J. Chamoux
Julien Chamoux has created his store in a former butcher's shop
in rue de Montmoreau. It has a wide range of goods on display
with a particular focus on lights and small items of furniture that
the owner restores himself. Chez Cax also has a full website with
all the items and their prices on show. The site even has a 'sold'
section to show you what you've missed! www.chezcax.com
2
The Épicerie de Venat
Vintage bed and breakfast
At the heart of the village of
Saint-Yriex Venat, near
Angoulême, Monique Marchives
has converted what was the old
village grocery store into her
home. What started out simply
as the desire to cherish an old
building in need of work, grew as
Monique got to know the old
grocery and its history from local
old-timers, and so she decided to
awaken this sleeping princess.
Her passion for secondhand
good sales markets or brocantes
and the remains of the old jadegreen paint on the walls led the
new owner – almost without her
realising it – to restore the
building in a vintage style.
First of all there is the wonderful
Formica kitchen and a veritable
patchwork of doors and drawers.
The large coffee table, found at
an antique dealer's, is one that
used to be in the old village café.
You can still read the names of
local families that have been
carved with a knife! The living
room, which opens out on a
small courtyard draped with
wisteria, contains modest works
of art, items recovered from the
1960s and toys which possess
charm of times past.
to people as 'the grocer' – opens
the doors; card tournaments,
table football competitions, the
sale of local jams and produces
from local producers, they all
bring the place to life.
On the first floor, meanwhile,
three pretty guest rooms have
been created; all meticulously
planned
and
yet
© Epicerie
deequipped
Venat
remaining very natural in mood.
The bathroom suites and the
tiles, also bought secondhand,
are of the same jade-green
colour as the converted grocery
Next door Monique has
store!
converted the old grocery,
This house certainly has a story
keeping the original shelves and to tell – and it tells it beautifully.
containers. It's this room, too,
www.lepicerie-de-venat.com
that has helped the old building
become part of communal life
once more. As soon as there is
a local event the owner – known
3
Playtime et Zazous:
Coffee, snacks and vintage
goods
Former restaurant owner Alain
Merle has been an avowed fan
of secondhand goods for 30
years. Now, opposite his old
restaurant in Angoulême, he
has just opened a 'concept
store' called Playtime et
Zazous. This establishment is
part vintage secondhand store,
part delicatessen and part
bistro. In the bistro – where
everything is for sale! - you can
sit on the compass chairs or
scooby doo seats surrounded
by lamps and vintage furniture.
Tuck into Spanish dishes or
grillons charentais (a type of
spicy pork dish), cheese from
the local market and each day
the tarte d'Agnès made by the
nearby Les Artistes restaurant.
The products in the delicatessen
include local wine and an oldfashioned traditional lemonade,
while the shop itself has a selection of goods for all the family.
www.playtimeetzazous.com
© Charente Tourisme
Charente – getting away from it all
1
If you've only got a
few days or even a few
hours, there's plenty
to do in the Charente,
from river trips
to taking a step
back in time....
Taking it easy on the water...
© S. Laval - Charente Tourisme
From Angoulême to the Atlantic
Ocean, via the rich landscape of
cognac country, the River Charente winds its way through 160
km of vineyards, green pastures
and rows of poplar trees. The
many landing stages are an
open invitation to stop and explore the villages on the banks
of the river or simply have a dip!
Punctuated by 21 locks – 19 of
them manual – the Charente is
a large and tranquil river where
navigation is child's play. There
are now four boat hire firms on
the river – based at Sireuil,
Fléac, Jarnac and Cognac –
and it is easy to take out a boat
with accommodation on board
without the need for a licence.
Easy to manoeuvre, these boats
can cater for between between
two and ten people for breaks
as short as a day or as long as
two weeks.
www.lacharente.com/Decouvrir/Loi
sirs-et-activites-de-nature/Sitesnature/La-vallee-de-la-Charente/Lappel-de-l-ocean/Sur-le-fleuveheureux
2
The boat hire firm Rive de France
recently set up in Cognac and
has completed its fleet of boats
with a new vessel that can be
hired by the day – La Patache.
You don't need a licence to pilot
the boat, which is designed for
family trips and picnics. It can
take up to 12 people on board
and has a removable awning
which provides plenty of shade.
After a quick introduction to the
boat and its controls the guests
can leave to discover the
peaceful pleasures of the river!
Hiring a boat for a day's picnic!
From €100 per half-day.
www.rivedefrance.fr
© Rive de France
Gabarre..did you say gabarre?
These curious flat-bottomed
boats up to 30 metres long have
a long history on the River Charente and until the coming of the
railways were used to transport
wood, cannons, stone, paper...
and of course cognac! All these
were destined for the countries
of Northern Europe once they
reached the ocean. On the way
back they brought spices, fish
and salt. There are still two
gabarres on the Charente and
which now carry passengers. At
Saint-Simon, which is an old
gabarrier village – you can still
see the sailors' graffiti on the
quayside – La Renaissance
takes passengers out during the
summer (see photo). At Cognac
the Dame Jeanne allows passengers to explore the picturesque banks of the river from
Cognac to Saint-Brice.
www.lacharente.com/Decouvrir/Loisirset-activites-de-nature/Sites-nature/Lavallee-de-la-Charente/L-appel-de-locean/Sur-le-fleuve-heureux
3
New
Imperial cult, which explains the
presence of a sanctuary made up
Romano-Gallic theatre site of four temples in the Celtic
tradition. The new Espace
at Les Bouchauds
d'Interprétation du GalloThe Bouchauds site at SaintRomain opened for the first time
Cybardeaux north-west of
in 2010 and is just 300 metres
Angoulême contains the
from the ancient theatre. It is
remnants of a huge theatre
dating from the 1st century AD, essentially a way of helping
visitors interpret what they are
which with its capacity to hold
nearly 7,000 people was one of about to see at the theatre itself
the biggest in Ancient Gaul. Its and understand its importance. It
has interactive and fun displays
diameter of 105 metres is in
that show the sanctuary, the
fact the same as that of the
often-cited theatre at Orange in theatre and the archaeological
discoveries unearthed at the site;
the south of France. It was
bronze coins, statues, fragments
dedicated to religious
of columns.
ceremonies linked to the
The site is open at weekends
and on bank holidays from 3pm
to 7pm from Easter to the end of
May. It is open every afternoon
from 3pm to 7pm from 1 June to
mid-September. Admission is
free.. www.rouillac-tourisme.fr
The Romano-Gallic theatre at Les Bouchauds as it would have looked in its glory days
4
Cassinomagus
Romano-Gallic archaeological park
coveries that are still constantly
being made by archaeologists.
Each summer the attraction
stages shows, visits to the baths
Situated on the famous Via Agrippa that linked Lyon to Saintes, or Greco-Roman wresting comCassinomagus – now Chassenon petitions.
– was an important settlement
www.cassinomagus.fr
that reached the height of its
prosperity in the 2nd century AD. It
was set over 25 hectares and
contained temples, a theatre, an
aqueduct and a vast spa complex. The spa's enormous proportions – it extends over one
hectare and is on three levels –
and its exceptional state of preservation makes it one of the
most remarkable such complexes from Ancient Gaul. There
are swimming pools, heating
rooms, brick ovens and a network of aqueducts. Guided visits
and audio guides are available to
help visitors make the most of
their visit and understand the disThe Marpen Club is based at the
Archaeological breaks for Maison de Patrimoine – the
House of Heritage – at Tusson,
youngsters
just a short distance from the fascinating remains of the medieval
priory that have given this village
in the north Charente its reputation. The association, whose selfstated aim is to make the public
aware of local archaeological heritage, works with the Museum of
Angoulême to hold short archaeological breaks. These twoand-a-half day stays are aimed at
youngsters aged 8 to 13 and take
place during the half-term school
holidays. Accommodated in a local gîte, the young archaeologists learn archaeological
techniques and about the way
of life in Neolithic, RomanoGallic and Medieval times.
Photo Club Marpen
The 2011 programme:
'In the era of dinosaurs' for the
February half-term holidays.
'Become a knight in the Middle
Ages' in the spring
'Live as they did in prehistoric
times' in the autumn
Price: €125 all included.
The club's 'archaeological Wednesdays' are also open to
youngsters aged 8 to 13, and
these are run all year. Here the
Indiana Jones wannabes are introduced to the techniques of excavation, shaping flint, medieval
cooking or Romanesque frescoes. All for €5 a time – snack included!
www.clubmarpen.org
5
Discover Angoulême as a proved a big success.
family with Little Marguerite or by candlelight
La 'Petite Marguerite' ('Little
Marguerite – a reference to
Marguerite de Valois of the old
French royal dynasty) is the
mascot for little children. Thanks
to her riddles and her treasure
hunt the youngsters will discover
the former count's palace and
Monsieur Georges' keys!
Via Patrimoine is an association
that exists to promote the
heritage of Angoulême and the
Charente as a whole. Their
themed or unusual visits have
At nightfall on Tuesdays during
the summer candlelit visits
allow visitors to sample the
atmosphere of the Town Hall, the
Charente Archaeological and
Historical Society, the SaintAndré church or Saint-Pierre
Cathedral. A guide recounts the
history of the town and of each
building.
Via Patrimoine's guides are always keen to share their passion
for history with the public. In 2010
they started the first dramatized
visits of the Haunted Mayor's
Building. It was such a hit it's being repeated in 2011...!
www.via-patrimoine.com
The mural tour – when comic
strip art meets the walls of
Angoulême
You can't miss them. As soon as
you arrive in Angoulême you see
some of the 20 murals painted
in the town, a homage to the
capital of comic strip art (or
bande dessinée or BD in
French). Big names in BD –
which is regarded as the 9th art
form – have worked with a group
from Lyon to create the largescale frescoes which can cover
up to 260m2! Here you'll find
characters such as Lucien, a
character of the BD artist of
Frank Margerin, Boule and Bill,
Lucky Luke, the Daltons or
The Extraordinary Garden by Florence Cestac
Blake and Mortimer.
The tourism office for the Pays
d'Angoulême publish a map to
help people explore these murals
on their own, while Via Patrimoine organise guided visits.
www.via-patrimoine.com
www.angouleme-tourisme.com
Charente – fêtes, festivals, exhibitions...
1
From comic strip art to food,
and music and dance to
cinema, there are events to
suit all tastes throughout the
year.
Just ask for the programme!
PARODIES,
A sideways look
at comic strip art
Exhibition until 24 April 2011 at the
Musée de la Bande Dessinée
d'Angoulême
The international centre for
comic strip art and images in
Angoulême - La Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et
de l'image d'Angoulême (CIBDI)
- is staging its new major exhibition at the town's comic strip art
museum (Musée de la bande
dessinée d'Angoulême). Parodies – la bande dessinée au
second degré features 230
works – including originals and is devoted to self-satire; in
other words, comic strip art
sending itself up. This includes
gently making fun of the some
of the super hero myths so prevalent in the art form. The exhibition is made up of works
from the CIBDI's own collection
as well as those loaned from
other museums or direct from
artists and collectors..
www.citebd.org
2
Pirate Island!
Exhibition from 25 June to 6
November 2011 - Musée de la
Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême
Freebooters, corsairs, buccaneers, Vikings...the pirates sail in
from the seven seas and drop anchor in the Charente to stage
an assault on the comic strip art museum for this eclectic
exhibition for all the family during the summer of 2011
Pirates have become the stuff of legends, moving between fact
and fiction, but always in the quest for buried treasure. Images of
their old ships, of terrifying attacks and cut-throat boardings of
other vessels that come from literature, paintings, the cinema and
of course comic strips remain lodged in the collective memory. The
exhibition covers the main themes linked to piracy and takes the
public on a journey meeting historical and fictional characters alike,
including Redbeard, the French corsair Robert Surcouf, or Francis
Drake...
The exhibition has more than 80 original works, items from
Musée de la marine, film shots and cartoons. At the heart of the
exhibition the island of the little pirates promises a treasure
trove of games, disguises and a reading area full of classic titles.
Events, workshops and treasure hunts give everyone a chance to
have their first taste of piracy... www.citebd.org
this year from 27 to 30 January.
Close to 220,000 passionate fans
of bande dessinée or BD as it is
usually known in France will flock
to the centre of town. The president of the event this year is the
renowned BD artist Baru, and an
exhibition of
his art devoted
to working culture – a core
theme of his
work – will be
staged at the
festival. There
are lots of events throughout the
weekend, indoors and out, including an exhibition on Troy at the
town hall and another on Snoopy
International Festival of
and Peanuts – celebrating their
Comic Strip Art at Angoulême 60th anniversary – at the BD mu27 to 30 January 2011
seum, where Parodies – la bande
The 38th edition of the Festival dessinée au second degré, a
International de la Bande dess- satirical look at comic strip art, is
inée d'Angoulême takes place
also being held. There are also
areas devoted to concerts,
theatre, publishers, young people
and Japanese comic strip art
known as Manga.
www.bdangouleme.com
3
Musiques Métisses
10 to 12 June 2011
Angoulême
Musiques Métisses ©Charente Tourisme
Les Sarabandes
24 and 25 June 2011
Blues Passion
5 to 9 July 2011
Rouillac
Cognac
Live shows, concerts, lights, art
installations, local heritage, exhibitions...for 13 years the Sarabandes have been putting on
their travelling show in the west
of the Charente, where the accent is on mood and atmosphere.
Soul, blues, jazz, swing and gospel…for five days and nights Cognac comes alive to the sound of
Afro-American music. Established artists and up-and-coming
talent appear on stages spread
through the town. In 2010 the
stars included Seal and Barbar
Hendricks. This year Jamie
Cullum, Moby, Raphael Saadiq
and Cocoon are among the top
acts. There are also lectures and
music master classes.
www.lapalene.fr
The Musiques Métisses festival
has been running for more than
30 years, playing host to some
Medieval fête at Dignac – the
of the best world music around
enchanted village
3 July 2011
('Métisse' mean mixed-race).
Dignac
Youssou N'Dour, Angélique
Kidjo, Carlinhos Brown and Mahmoud Ahmed were among the
stars at the 2010 event. The 36th
event this year takes place on
the Île de Bougines in
Angoulême in June..
www.musiques-metisses.com
www.bluespassions.com
La Fête du Cognac
28 to 30 July 2011
Cognac
For the 14th consecutive year
the annual celebration of
cognac, the Cognac Fête, will
transform the town’s river quayside area into a place to party.
The three days of festivities are
© Fête médiévale de Dignac
organised by local young farmFalconers on horseback,
ers and include bars where visittroubadours and magicians,
ors can sample cognac in all its
knights and Medieval-style flag many forms, fishing shacks
throwers, barbarian camps and where people can buy all sorts of
nocturnal shows...In all there are local specialities and two con20 professional groups who,
certs each evening to get people
alongside the coin makers,
dancing through the night!
crossbowmen and manuscript
www.lafeteducognac.fr
artists, will cast a spell over the
village of Dignac for its 15th medieval fête.
www.fete-medievale.caddignac.info
4
17th Hot air balloon European
Cup
3 to 7 August 2011
Festival de Confolens
9 to 15 August 2011
Confolens
Festival du Film Francophone
24 to 28 August 2011
Angoulême
Mainfonds
FFA 2010 - © Yohan Bonnet
© Festival de Confolens
© Coupe d'Europe de Montgolfières
In France, 2011 is a year
devoted to the history and
culture of Mexico. So it's only
natural that this annual festival
devoted to folk and traditional
music and dance from around
the world will this year welcome
Mexican groups as guests of
honour. The opening evening,
however, will have a Celtic
flavour, with Carlos Nunez from
Galicia, and Dan Ar Braz from
Brittany.
In just there years the Festival
du Film Francophone or FFA has
become an unmissable occasion
for French-speaking actors and
directors. For its fourth year the
FFA, created by actor Dominique
Besnehard, artist Marie-France
Brière and Patrick Mardikian, will
put before the jury a selection of
French-language films competing for the Valois d’or prize.
The 17th European hot air balloon cup and the women’s World
www.filmfrancophone.fr
Cup take place in the Charente
skies this August, setting off from
Mainfonds, south-west of
Angoulême. This internationallyrenowned event will bring together 60 balloonists from 15 different countries. In between the www.festivaldeconfolens.com
official competitions there will be
Festival « Art et passion
aerial demonstrations, balloon
du bois »
rides and shows. A display of
26
to
28 August 2011
classic aircraft will, as usual,
Bréville
bring the event to a close.
The
ninth
staging
of the Art et
www.hotairballooneuropeancup.co
passion du bois festival at
m
Bréville will take as its theme
what is known as le Compagnonnage – the traditional
system in which young workers
used to travel around France
learning their trade. For three
days the village will play host to
woodturning competitions, exhibitions, demonstrations, conferences, shows and a host of other activities. www.breville.org
5
Coup de Chauffe
Piano en Valois
2 to 4 September 2011
10 to 23 October 2011
are different prizes for different
media, including comic strips,
Cognac
Angoulême
novels, posters, cinema and TV.
The title of this annual music
During the festival there will be
festival in 2010, 'Play Listz',
films, lectures and author
announced what was to come – signings. www.cerclenoir.com
both last year and this. This 18th
version will again be a homage
to Listz to mark the bicentenary
Littérature Européennes
of his birth. The festival will, as in
17 to 20 November 2011
the past, bring a variety of
Cognac
leading pianists to the town.
For more than 20 years this festwww.piano-en-valois.fr
ival has worked to promote
Once a year the Théâtre de l'AvEuropean literature by focussing
ant scène at Cognac takes to
on meetings between authors
the streets – and this is the resFestival Polar de Cognac
and the public. Over four days
ult! The Coup de Chauffe is a
14 to 16 October 2011
there are debates, exhibitions,
major street art festival which
Cognac
films and of course meetings with
takes over the town at the start of
The Festival Polar de Cognac is the writers. www.litteraturesSeptember. It's full of energy,
dedicated to all aspects of crime europeennes.com
daring, a little bit crazy....and
and detective fiction, and is a
great fun!
place to meet authors from
www.avantscene.com
L'Imprévu Festival
Montemboeuf
For ten years the Imprévu
Festival has taken place in the
centre of Montemboeuf. It
features around 100 artists,
some of them with mental
disabilities, and puts the
emphasis on a light-hearted
atmosphere. It is held in
partnership with the disability
organisation the ADAPEI, and
features satire, humour, theatre,
song and dance.
France and abroad. The 2011
www.lacharente.com
festival will pay tribute to the
father of the crime novel, the
American writer Dashiell
Hammett, to mark the 50th
anniversary of his death. There
6
Circuit International des Remparts
Angoulême
their beloved motors. Bugattis,
tri-cars and many vehicles are on
display. During the three days
there is also a contest for the
best-looking cars, a drive
through the countryside and exhibitions of old vehicles.
www.circuit-des-remparts.com
© Baudin / Circuit des Remparts
Angoulême has staged one of the most important events in the vintage car-racing calendar since 1939. The Circuit international des
Remparts is a series of races around the route of the old town’s
walls involving passionate vintage racing car fans at the wheel of
© Baudin / Circuit des Remparts
Les Gastronomades
25 to 27 November 2011
Angoulême
Created in 1995 in Angoulême,
this has become one of the
most important culinary events
in France for the general public,
attracting 100,000 visitors. On
the final weekend of each
November cooking in all its
forms takes over the town
centre. Fifty chefs from across
France arrive to take part in
cookery lessons, culinary
jousts, author signings and
themed workshops.
www.gastronomades.fr
© Gastronomades 2010
Charente – a lesson in slow-shopping
1
Take your time as you
admire the wonderful
creations of the many
artists and artisans
who have been
inspired by the
tranquillity of the area.
Here are several ideas
on how to discover the
Charente at your
leisure, stopping
atwhichever shops
take your fancy and
indulging in some
'slow-shopping'
Sorti de Grange
Creations made at the Logis
de Puygaty
In an old fortified farm dating
from the 15th century at Chadurie,
a few kilometres outside
Angoulême, Pierre and Max have
created a sumptuous bed and
breakfast.
Pierre made all the furniture from
wrought iron and the guests
loved them so much that he hired
an iron craftsman to producer a
complete range for sale at the
Logis de Puygaty itself as well as
via the internet. There are
arbours and braziers that light up
the courtyard on summer
evenings, stylish rust-coloured
chimneys and shelves and a
whole range of modern
fashionable furniture.
www.sortidegrange.com
2
Lilibulle's cardboard
creations
Joëlle Lemaire – Lilibulle to her
friends – took to making furniture
out of cardboard boxes because
she fell in love with the creative
process, having discovered it on
the internet. Never one to do
things by halves, she took
herself off to Paris to do an
intensive course with the
inventor of the 'crosspiece'
system - the secret to creating
furniture with gentle curves. Her
imagination has done the rest.
Armed with her jig saw, a
Stanley knife and warm glue,
she designs, creates and
decorates furniture from
cardboard; curved armchairs,
jewellery boxes, bookcases.
All her works are full of style,
such as her child’s armchair
covered in patterns. The
cardboard is very light but very
strong - it can take weights of
140kg per m2. You may hesitate
before sitting down on the little
'Schtroumpf' armchair but you
quickly realise it's as solid as a
www.les-cartons-de-lilibulle-16.fr
wooden one!
As a result of the public's
passion for her work, Joëlle
Lemaire is now organising
three-day training courses of
her own. In a warm and friendly
atmosphere the students learn
what ideas work, how to cut and
put in place the crosspieces and
then how to decorate their piece
of furniture.
Cost: €250 for a three-day
course, breakfasts included
(€180 for students and the
unemployed).
3
La Porte Bleue
Craft shop at Angoulême
The aim of this regional centre
for arts and crafts in PoitouCharentes is to promote the
work of local artisans. The
centre has set up five shops
around the region, giving
professional craftsmen and
women a permanent place to
exhibit and sell their work.
The Porte Bleue du Palais – the
Palace's blue door – is the arts
and crafts shop at Angoulême
and brings together 18 artisans
in one place. Their work includes
sculpture, fashion and
decorative accessories, leather
goods, pottery and jewellery. All
of which means the shop has
become a popular destination for
shopping fans! A few examples...
collection is based on silk paper, breaking the glass to grinding it,
with lace, chiffon, paste, tulle or and then threading it on silk
ribbons.
thread, Sara Bartko's pieces are
a model of refinement and detail.
The bas-relief creations of
Marie-Christine
To bring life to her paintings,
Marie-Christine Boutinon spends
a long time 'sculpting' the canvas
before painting it. But for this
artist the most important element
is 'bringing a dreamlike quality,
poetry, carefree attitude and a
sense of the ludicrous that are
all too rare in everyday life'.
Florence Margerit's clothes
Having worked for ten years as a
stage painter and decorator,
Florence now makes clothes for
women and children. She is
inspired by the fabrics she finds
at the market or in a secondhand
stall. Each item is unique.
www.metiers-art.com/boutiques
The jewellery of Auré.Li
Having studied fashion design,
Aurelie Lassoutière worked for
designers Isabel Marant and
Lolita Lempicka, and created
jewellery for the shows of
Christian Lacroix. Her jewellery
Sara Bartko's glass jewellery
Sara Bartko has created a
unique type of jewellery made
from ground glass. Her
experience at haute-couture
houses allowed her to perfect
her technique in assembling her
delicate creations. From
4
Pascal Renoux – Iron Man
Pascal Renoux was still only an
interior architecture student
when he discovered the joys of
the forge thanks to his father-inlaw. He finished his studies but
his mind was already made up;
he would become a blacksmith.
In 1996 he set up his own
company specialising in iron
work for historical monuments
and recreations of medieval
weaponry. Then the next step
seemed obvious – making
knives. After training with the
best knife makers at Thiers,
Pascal Renoux and his business
partner Jean-Marc Debai started
making their first penknife at
Barret in the Charente – the
barretois. Winner of the regional
arts and crafts prize in 2008,
Pascal Renoux made the
ceremonial sword given to
politician Xavier Darcos when he
became a member of the
prestigious Académie des
Sciences Morales et Politiques
in 2007. He has also created
new prestige knives himself
sculpted blade with a watery,
shimmering effect, making it a
work of art in its own right.
The secret knife
Pascal Renoux's great speciality, Training courses
and one which confirms him as
an artist, is his secret knife.
These knives, all unique, are
works of art. The opening and
closing mechanism is very
complex and unique for each
one; the secret is revealed only
to the knife's owner.
Pascal Renoux also runs
training courses for those
passionate about knives.
Discover the basic techniques of
the forge, how to put a knife
together, the Damascene
technique and engraving.
www.couteaurenoux.com
The Damascene blade
Another speciality of the knifemaker at Barret is the
Damascene blade. Here the
steel is forged and then bent on
itself or layered. The result is a
5
Thierry Drevelle
Wood designer from Cognac
Thierry Drevdelle comes from a
line of four generations of
cabinetmakers and wood
designers. After studying
cabinetmaking and specialising in
marquetry – decorative work –
under Pierre Ramond at the École
Boulle craft school, Thierry moved
into restoring old furniture before
committing himself to making
upmarket and contemporary
objects and furniture. A member of
the craft guild the Grands Ateliers
de France, Thierry focuses on the
exceptional and the unique in his
work. Precious and rare woods
feature strongly in his work: red
sandalwood, palm and Macassar
ebony are used, in keeping with
best practices in quality
cabinetmaking. His humidors for
cigars are renowned among fellow
professionals and the large
cognac firms have commissioned
him to make bespoke caskets.
Everything that he makes is
beautiful, functional and full of
character..
www.drevelle.com
A cigar humidor in precious wood © Drevelle
Charente – on the nature trail
1
With its rivers,
forests, lakes and
protected areas, the
Charente is full of
natural delights.
Green tourism
activities give visitors
a chance to
experience this
beauty at first hand.
Join the nature trail!
Massignac adventure park:
Tree-top fun!
The Aventure Parc® des Lacs at
Massignac offers a range of outdoor activities in the middle of
nature, surrounded by forests
and lakes. The 'accrobranches®' tree-top course is
for teenagers and adults, comes
in three different levels of difficulty and involves up to two
hours of climbing. There is also
a course designed for kids
from the age of six, where
youngsters can imitate the
grown-ups in complete safety.
The maxi-tyrolienne is a Tyrolean Traverse on which the intrepid can travel along a rope for
160 metres, dangling above the
waters of Lake Mas Chaban.
There's also bungee jumping
The new 'Pitchoun' course
This new course is specially designed for younger children and
means they can clamber over a
mini-course like the adults..but
just 60cm above the ground!.
www.aventure-parc.fr
© JD Guillou
2
four wheels and two pedals,
and can carry up to five people.
Charente-Limousine
You ride gently past woods and
fields, and over a 160m viaduct
Vélo-rail
that gives a great view of the
stunning countryside. Stopping
Vélo-rail combine the simplicity at level crossings and using the
of travelling on a rural railway
barriers breaks up the trip and
line with the pleasures – and ex- adds to the fun. The two trips
ertions - of cycling. On this old available are 9 km (Confolens
disused railway track in rural
to Manot) and 7.5 km (RouCharente-Limousine you can
mazières-Loubert to Manot). At
pedal yourself up and back the certain times you can travel the
17km between Confolens and
whole route, there and back (34
Roumazières-Loubert with a
km), or even ride at night! The
stop at Manot, halfway between vélo-rail also has access for the
the two. The machines have
disabled and a wheelchair can
easily be installed on one..
www.velorail16.com
© Gilles Plagnol
3
Cycling in the Charente
The department now has 26 different cycling routes, with rides
adapted to all tastes and requirements; family, touring and
so on. The 500km of routes on
quiet roads are complemented
by green paths where no motorised vehicles are allowed. For
the more sporty there are a total
of 50 different rides, again adapted to different needs such as
family or touring, split over 1,000
km of signposted routes.
www.lacharente.com/Decouvrir/L
oisirs-et-activites-denature/Sports-et-loisirs/LaCharente-a-Velo
Mission … Ecopossible!
It's in the magnificent setting of
the Open Air Centre at Chambon that the 'eco agents' set out
on their mission...to take the
EcoPossible path. The idea of
the activity is to introduce visitors to themes of sustainable de-
velopment and the environment
in an informative and fun way.
The game is played in teams of
two to five. The participants follow clues on the interactive
panels along the length of the 3
km path. Along the way, they
discover all about local species
and also about real environmental initiatives and solutions.
www.lechambon.org
Green Attitude à Nanclars
At the end of September each
year the association l'Echo-logik
organises the Fête de l'Ecologie
in the village of Nanclars north
of Angoulême. This environmental gathering welcomes 100
exhibitors and stages lectures,
forums, events and practical
workshops to introduce people
to cooking and eating wild
plants, gardening in harmony
with nature or how to make a
lime-hemp render to insulate the
inside of stone walls..
www.lechologik.fr
4
Camping des Gorges
du Chambon:
the only European
eco-certified campsite
in the Charente
The Gorges campsite
at Chambon in the east of the
department is the first and so
far only one in the Charente
to be awarded the European
Ecolabel. The site is set over
28 hectares in a bend of the
River Tardoire and has 120
places, of which the smallest
has a surface area of 150m2.
There’s plenty of nature and
space here! The most striking
aspect of the location when you
first arrive is the silence, followed by the sights of the forest
and rolling meadows. The
campers can explore all this
nature in the company of a naturalist and guide, as well as
hire binoculars to get a closer
look themselves.
To be awarded the European
Ecolabel a business has to
meet 36 mandatory criteria.
These include reducing energy
use, ensuring that 22% of electricity comes from renewable
sources, cutting water consumption, good waste management, carefully controlled use
of chemical products and staff
training on environmental issues. Owner Jacques Petit has
been working on these measures for many years. Now he
has been rewarded for his labour. www.gorgesduchambon.fr
between knights! In the 19th
adventure for fans of the
century it became industrialised Famous Five, is also home to
Historic walk on Marquet
when a water wheel was erected many species of birds.
Island in Angoulême
to extract starch from potatoes.
The Île Marquet is closed from
It later became a sawmill,
15 January to 15 April to allow
nesting to take place undisThe Île Marquet in Angoulême is cardboard factory and finally a
turbed
sandwiched between the comic plaster mill.
strip art museum and the comic In 2010 a walk with seven
stopping points was created to
strip art centre, La cité
help bring to life the history of
internationale de la Bande
this islet. Silhouettes of horses
dessinée de de l'Image. This
hide between the trees,
green 8-hectare (about 20
acres) islet – which is part of the photographs hanging from a
locally designated Natura 2000 washing line recall the times of
natural area of flora and fauna – the old washer boats and of
clothes drying in the sun on the
used to be the venue for duels
island. Marquet, a real island of
5
The Charente's windmills
The Moulin du Grand Fief at
Condéon
© EDPC – CDC de Cognac
This windmill was built in 1650.
Having been renovated over
several years by the passionate
members of the Moulin du Grand
Fief Association, it is once more
producing flour. Its so-called
Berton sails ( a style invented in
around 1840) are geometric and
made from wood, and capture the
smallest puff of wind. During
guided visits visitors can watch
the making of white or grey flour –
and then buy it.
In July and August it is open
from 3pm to 7p every day except
Monday. For the rest of the year
it is open on the first and third
Sundays of each month. Admission: €3.. Tél 05 45 78 59 43
The Moulin des Pierres
Blanches at Villefagnan
This windmill tower is the sole
survivor of 12 windmills that
used to stand in the place
known as Pierres Blanches (it
means 'white stones') near
Villefagnan in the north Charente. Built in 1801, it has been
entirely renovated, as has the
neighbouring miller's house. In
the summer a miller hosts
guided visits of the mill.
Contact the mayor's office in
Villefagnan
Tel: 00 33 (0)5 45 31 60 57
The Moulin du Grand Fief at Comdéon.
Charente – the Cognac Experience
1
Ever since the 17th
century the destiny of
the town of Cognac
has been inseparably
linked with that of the
famous brandy of the
same name. Here's a
chance to get out and
see some of this
stunning landscape
that has more than a
hint of Tuscany about
it...introducing the
Cognac Experience..
area. The Cognac area is itself
divided into six 'cru' – which include Grande Champagne, PeLa Destination Cognac labellisée
tite Champagne and Fins Bois –
« Vignobles et Découvertes » !
located concentrically around
Cognac itself. Spread over the
Charente and neighbouring
Charente-Maritime, the cognac
vineyards cover nearly 80,000
La Destina- hectares (about 200,000 acres)
tion Cognac in all, split between 5,230 differLabellisée ent producers. Four bottles of
cognac are consumed each
second in the world!
On 14 October 2010 the very first list of winners of the wine tourism www.experience-cognac.fr
accolade 'Vignobles & Découvertes' (Vineyards and Discovery),
created by the wine tourism ruling body the Conseil Supérieur de
l'Oenotourisme, was announced. Among the ten vineyard areas to
be awarded the accolade, there was only one producing grapes to
make spirits ... and that was Cognac.
This major tourism certification is a real coup for the cognacproducing area. The wine tourism label is managed locally by the
organisation Les Étapes du Cognac and applies to an area of 50km
around the town of Cognac itself. A total of 159 places meet the
tough criteria of the wine tourism badge; wine sellers, wine
merchants, restaurants, holiday accommodation, museums, historic
sites and regular events. The certification is the result 10 years of
hard work by those in the cognac vineyard industry.
Cognac is the leading European wine area when it comes to growing a single variety of white grape, and the second biggest AOC or
Appellation d'origine contrôlée wine area in France in terms of land
L'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé.
A consommer avec modération.
2
Le Musée des Arts
du Cognac
ILocated not far from the quayside at Cognac, the Musée des
Arts du Cognac – known as
MACO for short – tells the history
of cognac in a permanent exhibition covering more than 1,600m2.
The display, which starts with
several rows of vines in the museum courtyard, reveals the
secrets of how the most famous
brandy in the world is made.
Along the way visitors learn
about industrial history and the
economic and social story of the
town itself. As well as the permanent exhibition, the museum
also stages temporary cognac-
related events, guided tours of
publicity posters or bottles, and
sensory workshops for budding connoisseurs...
www.alienor.org/maco/
Espace Découverte
en Pays de Cognac
© EDPC – CDC de Cognac
The Espace Découverte en Pays
de Cognac (EDPC) provides another way of finding out about the
history of cognac, this time focusing on the emotions and senses.
This centre is on the site of the
oldest cognac firm or 'house',
which was founded in 1643
(Augier). Jointly owned by
MACO, the centre has an original
display and interactive terminals
that take the visitor back in time
along the River Charente, seeing
how the landscape was shaped
by nature and the vineyards, and
learning about the importance of
the ever-present Romanesque
art.
The EDPC also organises a number of events, notably nocturnal
heritage tours of the streets of
Cognac in summer, which are attracting more and more people.
www.espace-decouverte.fr
3
It's winter – time for a brew...
At the end of autumn the Charente undergoes a transformation and takes on the familiar
sounds and smells of brandy
being made. Inside distilleries
large and small dotted around
the countryside the stills are
heated day and night to produce the brandy – eau-de-vie –
that will eventually become
cognac. During the 'Distilleries
en fête' the vine growers and
distillers open their doors to the
public from 1 December to the
end of February. The programme includes taking breakfast at the foot of the still before
being shown the art of distilling
or seeing how the different
brandies are blended together.
There is also a chance to try
local food prepared by restaurateurs.
www.cognacetapes.com
Les Étapes du Cognac
With details on nearly 200 places to stop spread through different
villages, Les Bonnes Adresse du Cognac – a guide edited by Les
Étapes du Cognac – takes visitors on a whirlwind tour of vine growers and distillers in the cognac-producing area. Discover the secrets
of how cognac, pineau and local Pays Charentais wines are made,
visit barrel-makers, walk through a vineyard or take part in the wine
harvest. It's a full and varied programme! www.cognacetapes.com
4
© Musée Napoléon Courvoisier
Visit the cognac houses
To find out more about cognac,
visitors can also go on tours of
cognac store houses and barrelmakers, attend Master Blender
workshops to create their own
cognac, attend select tastings
and tasting workshops or even
take a train through the vineyards....
These are the attractions on offer
at the large cognac firms or
'houses'; Camus, Hennessy,
Martell, Meukow, Otard or
Rémy Martin at Cognac, and
Courvoisier and Hine & Co at
Jarnac.
www.tourism-cognac.fr
www.jarnac-tourisme.com
© Rémy Martin
© S. Ouzounoff
Charente – lights, camera, action!
1
The department is home
to 80 businesses linked
to the moving image
industry including 20
animation studios,
plus seven colleges
teaching 700 students.
Angoulême is France's
second most important
centre for animation
production and teaching
after Paris
MAGELIS
Angoulême's visual image centre
Founded in Angoulême in 1997, Magelis was the first centre for the
visual image created in France. The Pôle Image Magelis, to give it
its full name, is a pioneer in the development of industries related
to the visual image, and encouraging creativity is at the heart of its
strategy. It promotes the industry by helping companies set up, by
supporting companies, setting up training bodies, developing
research into the production of still and moving images, organising
international events and overseeing urban development that helps
develop the sector. By supporting colleges, businesses and artists
the Pôle Image Magelis has encouraged dynamism in the industry
and enabled the development of a unique knowledge base among
the various disciplines.
Today the Pôle Image Magelis oversees the creation or growth of
firms involved in areas as diverse as full-length animated films,
animated TV series, drama, multimedia, advertising, comic strip art,
video games, 3D...
www.magelis.org
2
Animated film studios,
the spearhead of the visual image centre
This dynamic sector based in the
Charente contains around 20
firms, who were particularly attracted to the area because of the
training locally in 2D, 3D and other techniques. Their output is very
diverse and varied; short and fulllength animated films and series,
spot advertising, special effects
and 3D films.
Full-length TITEUF film in
cinemas in 2011
TITEUF, the animation film written and directed by celebrated
comics strip artist Zep, will be
completed at the studios of
Angoulême production company
Moonscoop in 2011 and appear
in the cinema.
3
Filming in the Charente
There has been a growth in recent years in the number of dramas, films and TV series filmed in the
Charente. Attractions for producers and directors include a qualified workforce on hand, varied and
natural settings, huge film sets, equipment hire firms, post-production services and the presence of a
regional film bureau.
'Climates' – TV film directed by Caroline Huppert for France 2.
'Victoire Bonnot' – TV film
directed by P. Dajoux for the M6 Mon Voisin Productions
channel. VAB Productions
" 'Zarafa' – Full-length animation directed by R. Bezançon and J.C. Lie. Prima Linea
Productions
4
'Emilie Jolie' - Full-length animation directed by Philippe Chatel and Francis Nielsen.
Téle Images Kids
"'High 5' - Full-length animation for M6. B. Bligoux and S. dos Santos. I can
Fly and Telé Images Kids..
5
Aredi: the cinema centre of the Charente
The Aredi film studios in Angoulême occupy 10,000m2 of space and
constitute the leading film centre in the west of France. In this
renovated industrial complex, completely restored by the Greater
Angoulême council, there is a full range of facilities dedicated to the
world of cinema and all things audiovisual. These include the film
studios, set design workshops, production studios, dressing rooms
and storerooms.
The Charente at a glance
1
The department of the Charente is part of the region of Poitou-Charentes, which is bordered by the
Aquitaine (which includes the Dordogne) and the Limousin.
The biggest towns are Angoulême with a population of 42,000 (108,000 in the Greater Angoulême
area) and Cognac with 19,500.
Key figures:
►Population :
Total department population
347,037, with 151,500 of
working age
4,500 students, 60,000 school
pupils.
►Area – 5,956 km²
►Prefecture – based in
Angoulême
►Sub-prefectures –
Confolens and Cognac
► Administrative areas:
35 cantons, 404 communes –
three of which have more than
10,000 inhabitants
Six ‘pays’, one urban
agglomeration, 25 communities
of communes
►Transport:
219 km of main roads or routes
nationals
5,100 km of departmental roads
1 major railway station
(Angoulême-Paris 2hr10)
Sources : Conseil Général de la
Charente (2009)
Distance by road from Angoulême:natio
Bordeaux : 115 km
Lille : 680 km
Lyon : 450 km
Périgueux : 80 km
Nantes : 250 km
Royan : 105 km
La Rochelle : 130 km
Limoges : 100 km
Paris : 450 km
Poitiers : 115 km
Rouen : 490 km
The Charente at a glance
2
Key tourism figures
► Nearly 16,000 holiday accommodation beds
69 hotels
28 campsites including three farm camps
630 sites with furnished accommodation (353 with gîtes de
France, 54 with Clévacances and 255 with no affiliation)
321 certified bed and breakfasts (Gîtes de France 268,
Clévacances 53)
7 holiday villages
7 group accommodation sites
6 accredited group gîtes
3 hamlet-based accommodation sites
1 children’s gîte
► 112 sites with ‘disabled tourism’ label
► 162 km of waterways on the River Charente and its tributaries
for river holidays (66km in this department)
► 6,000 km of sign-posted footpaths and a route used by
pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela
► 1,000 km of marked cycle paths
► 18 cycle circuits
► 400 Romanesque churches
► 92 historic sites, museums and monuments
► 4 golf courses
(Chiffres janvier 2010)

Press Pack Charente Tourisme

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