The Charente - Poitou Charentes Vendée

The Charente

The Charente is a department in the SW of France named after the Charente River – the most important river in the department. The department’s two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are situated adjacent to this river. The Charente is one of the 83 departments first created during the French Revolution from the former province of Angoumois and it mostly forms part of the Aquitaine Basin. Follow the links below to learn much more about this beautiful region of France.

Introduction ~ Main Towns ~ History ~ Sport & Leisure ~ Food & Wine

Charente Maritime Introduction

The Charente-Maritime is a French department located in the Poitou-Charentes region on the Atlantic coast of western France. The department covers an area extending from just north of La Rochelle to the Gironde estuary (north of Bordeaux) to the south. (Above: the towers of the medieval port of La Rochelle) As this department is situated more or less halfway down the country, you could say it marks the point at which southern France begins. The coast of this region is famed for its very warm … Read more