| HOLIDAY RENTALS IN CHARENTE AND CHARENTE MARITIME, SOUTH WEST FRANCE |
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| ABOUT CHARENTE AND CHARENTE MARITIME Cognac Cognac is situated on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella just 250 miles southwest of Paris. Francis I granted the town the right to trade salt along the river, which meant that Cognac had a strong commercial business base, consequently boosting the town's development as a centre of wine and later brandy. Cognac's medieval quarter "Vieux Cognac" contains many architecturally interesting buildings, built between the 15th and 18th centuries, situated in the narrow streets. Cognac is one of the world's best-known types of brandy or eau de vie and is made to strictly-defined regulations to be granted the name Cognac. Angouleme Angoulême is located 106 km (66 mi) northeast of Bordeaux. The best known export is Rizla+ cigarette roll-up paper! The Angoulême International Comics Festival takes place for a week every year in January and attracts nearly a quarter of a million international visitors. The town sits proud upon a hill with grand views of the Charente valley. La Rochelle La Rochelle, capital of the Charente-Maritime department, is on the Bay of Biscay. The city has carefully preserved its architecture, making it one of the most beautiful cities on the Atlantic. Its commercial harbour - La Pallice, includes a large submarine bunker built during World War II (not being used!), as well as the base for a large fishing fleet. La Rochelle also has the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe at Les Minimes, as well as a fair amount of boat building. Complementing this there is also a large aquarium, and the Jardin des plantes de La Rochelle, a botanical garden. Jacques-Yves Cousteau's ship - the star of TV shows "The Calypso is on exhibition at the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle. Come to La Rochelle for the "FrancoFolies", for a week of concerts and celebration on a grand scale. One of the place to go iis the "Vieux Port" ("Old Harbour"), at the centre of the city, colorful, pretty and filled with seafood restaurants. The city walls are great for an evening walk. Saintes Saintes is located on the banks of the Charente River, and interesting sights include Basilique Saint-Eutrope and the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre; the Roman Arch of Germanicus once built across the main Roman road that went across the Charente River (the arch has been moved from its original site); ruins of the Roman amphitheatre;and an aqueduct. |
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| Charente Guide | France Vacation
Rentals | Climate | South
France Guide |
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