COULÉE VERTE

The Coulée Verte is a small path running for over twenty kilometers along the Charente River, from Nersac to the lake at Saint-Yrieix, passing through the center of Angoulême on the Ile de Bourgines. A former towpath, it was used to pull boats from the riverbank. The walk is dotted with locks, vestiges of the heyday of river navigation, and large buildings set in lush natural surroundings. In case of heavy rain and rising water, the path is impassable.

It's a soothing discovery at the gateway to the towns it passes through.