The department of Charente is crossed from east to west by the river Charente which gave it its name. It borders the Dordogne, the Charente-Maritime, the Vienne and the Haute-Vienne. This territory, hilly and lined with small towns and villages, is marked mainly in the west by the presence of vineyards that stretch as far as the eye can see like an ocean. They produce pineau and above all a jewel of the French heritage, the world famous cognac. Some of the names of the communes are very specific: Cognac of course for its brandy and its great cognac houses, Jarnac, birthplace of François Mitterrand, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, one of the most beautiful villages in France (the only one in Charente) for its underground church, Angoulême, which has become the world capital of the image industry thanks to its comic book festival and the Magelis Center, the Cassinomagus archaeological park and its well-preserved Gallo-Roman baths, or the castle of La Rochefoucauld, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Renaissance-style castles in France. The Charente offers many possibilities for canoeing, kayaking, gabare, houseboat and riverboat trips. You can also walk or cycle along the river on an old towpath of 20 kilometers between Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente and Ners. The department is a gourmet destination where you can take the time to dine on Charentais melons, snails called cagouilles, veal from Chalais or capon from Barbezieux. The tourist guides indicate good small tables to taste all these products.
When to go ? The Charente is not yet a very touristy destination despite its rich heritage and its proximity to Paris by high speed train (1h40 on average between Paris and Angoulême). As a result, the prices between low and high season do not vary much, except for the train, especially during school vacations. All the periods of the year allow you to discover this department with a rather temperate climate, summer being more favorable to walks on the water and hikes in the nature. Some sites often close from October to April but the big cognac houses open their doors almost all year round, as do the small producers. However, it is better not to visit them during the harvest (end of September/beginning of October) as they are very busy. Festivals punctuate the year in Charente. Some of them revolve around cognac such as the Distillerie en fête in Cognac between December, January and February, the Fête du cognac at the end of July, the Mardis du cognac from June to September. The whole world of comics meets in Angoulême at the end of January for the International Comics Festival which always welcomes star authors. Two fairs are important in the Charente: the one in Cognac, which is held on thesecond Saturday of the month from 8 am to 6 pm, and above all the fair in Rouillac, descended from an ancient Gallo-Roman horse market. It takes place on the 27th of each month in a very festive atmosphere with many local producers.
The Charente enjoys a mild weather thanks to its oceanic climate. The winters are relatively mild and rainy and the summers are often dry and hot with storms that can be devastating for the vines, especially when accompanied by hail. The sunshine is quite important all year long. West and south-west winds dominate but it is rare to see big storms. Temperatures in Charente vary on average from 5° in low season to 25° in high season.
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