In which quarter house in Angouleme?

We leave to visit the New Aquitaine region! The Charente with its south-west airs: this is where to stay in Angouleme!

Préfecture du département de la Charente, et juchée sur un speron overlooking a meander of the Charente river and its confluents, the city of Angouleme is nicknamed "the southwest balcony" because of its topography. With a population estimated at 110,000 inhabitants in the urban area, Angouleme is a recognized city of art and history, enjoying an incredible historical, religious and cultural heritage.

Angouleme has long represented a major geostrategic point in the region, when it was an influential provincial capital – the Angoumois – under the Old Regime. Industrial, commercial and administrative city, with a university centre and an intense cultural life – which ignores the International Festival of the Band-dessinée and the Francophone Film Festival? – and illuminated by a generous sun all year round, Angouleme is a city where he makes good living in France.

Where are you looking to sleep in Angouleme? As usual, you should find accommodation in the city centre, if possible. Here is a mini-guide of the neighborhoods where to stay in Angouleme.

City Centre

Perched on a rocky grove, the city centre of Angouleme attracts many tourists because of its rich historical heritage. The inhabitants of the neighborhood are mainly young frames, with rather wealthy incomes, with – as usual – most monuments to visit: the ramparts that border the city – from the 9th and 13th centuries, historical monuments since 1958 -, the Hôtel-de-Ville, the market, the Saint-Pierre Cathedral – building in Romanesque art -, the Angouleme Museum, the Memorial Space of Resistance and Deportation, the Saint-Martial Church and the Archaeological and Historical Society of Charente .

The city centre has all the types of shops you will need to stay in Angouleme, as well as many bars where to party: art shops, games and culture shops, small cafés and trendy bars, organic products shops, green spaces where to stroll, cultural buildings – cinemas and theatres – : there is no doubt, it is a neighbourhood with a “boo” dominance. Certainly, "bourgeois-bohemian", but not less pleasant where to sleep in Angouleme.

Vieil-Angoulême

The old Angouleme is, as its name suggests, the ancient part of the city, and lies between the ramparts and the city centre. Located also on the plateau, the Old Angouleme is surrounded by the old bourgeois suburbs of the city, which once lived from the trade and river activities allowed by the river Charente.

Due to the population density, quite important, it can be expensive to stay in the Old Angouleme: you can find apartments of good standing and houses in bourgeois style in apparent stone, with views of the Charente and close to the centre, which will pay for the high price.

Saint Cybard

Located east of the banks of the Charente, Saint Cybard bears witness to an industrial and labour past. It is a popular neighbourhood that attracts young people and modest retirees. Close to the river and Marquet Island, find the Cité Internationale de la Bande Dessinée , museum containing 8,077 plates, 58,000 albums and 120,020 periodicals.

It is a quiet area where to stay in Angouleme, but a bit excited about the centre and the SNCF train station.