Angoulême, in brief
Prefecture of the Charente, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Angoulême is a hilltop city of around 42,000 residents that became, in fifty years, the world capital of comics.
A human-scale prefecture
Angoulême is the administrative capital of the Charente department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-west France. The core city has around 42,000 inhabitants, but it anchors the GrandAngoulême agglomeration of 38 communes and close to 141,000 people. Life here runs at the scale of a substantial mid-sized city, with the services of a prefecture and the feel of a provincial town.
The city's defining feature is its topography: the upper town sits on a limestone promontory rising about a hundred metres above the Charente valley. It is on this walled plateau that the cathedral, the town hall, the market squares and most of the heritage are concentrated. Below spread the lower-town districts — L'Houmeau around the station, Saint-Cybard along the river — and the industrial suburbs inherited from the paper trade.
Two nicknames, one identity
Angoulême is often introduced as the “capital of comics” and the “city of the image.” Both phrases say the same thing: since the comics fair was founded in 1974, the city has turned drawing and the moving image into a development strategy. The International Festival, the Cité de la bande dessinée, the art schools, the animation studios of the Magelis cluster and around two dozen painted walls make it a European singularity: a mid-sized city with global cultural reach.
Administration & key markers
The postal code is 16000 and the INSEE code 16015. The commune is led by mayor Xavier Bonnefont, who also chairs the GrandAngoulême agglomeration. As a prefecture, the city hosts state services, the courthouse, the Girac hospital and a dense web of administrations. Its position on the Paris–Bordeaux high-speed line puts it around 2 hours from Paris and 35 minutes from Bordeaux, an asset now central to its appeal.
Why come
Angoulême is a walking city — a day for the essentials, a weekend to savour it. People come for the comics, of course, but also for the Romanesque façade of Saint-Pierre cathedral, the ramparts walk, September's Circuit des Remparts, Charentais gastronomy and the closeness of Cognac. It is an ideal base for the vineyards, the Charente valley and the Atlantic coast.
Angoulême: quick answers
Which department and region is Angoulême in?
Angoulême is the prefecture (capital) of the Charente department (16), in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-west France. Before the 2016 reform, the Charente belonged to the former Poitou-Charentes region.
Is Angoulême in the Limousin?
No. Angoulême was never part of the Limousin: it was the historic capital of the Angoumois province, then of the Charente in Poitou-Charentes. Since 2016, however, the Charente and the Limousin both belong to the same large region, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Limoges is about 1 h 30 away by road.
Is there an airport at Angoulême?
There are no regular commercial flights to Angoulême. The most practical airports are Bordeaux-Mérignac (about 1 h 15 – 1 h 30 by car, or a shuttle to Bordeaux-Saint-Jean then 35 min by TGV) and Limoges-Bellegarde. From Paris, the TGV takes under 2 hours. Details in Getting to Angoulême.
Is Angoulême worth visiting?
Yes, especially for a weekend: the Romanesque façade of Saint-Pierre cathedral, the ramparts walk and its views, around twenty comic-strip murals, the comics museum and proper Charentais food. Cognac is 45 minutes away.
What are Angoulême's residents called?
Angoulême's residents are called Angoumoisins (masculine) and Angoumoisines (feminine). The city has about 42,000 residents and its agglomeration, GrandAngoulême, about 141,000.