Angoulême's markets
At the heart of the upper town, the Halles Centrales — an 1880s ironwork covered market hall — open every morning of the week, Sunday included. Around them orbit open-air and neighbourhood markets that provide, throughout the year, access to the finest Charentais local produce.
Les Halles Centrales: the daily market
Angoulême's Halles Centrales occupy a cast-iron and glass building constructed in the 1880s, typical of the utilitarian architecture of the Third Republic. The hall is open every morning, Monday through Sunday, from early morning until the early afternoon. It is one of the few covered markets in the region to operate seven days a week, making it as much a food landmark for residents as for passing visitors.
Inside, the stalls are arranged in a broadly consistent order: artisan charcuterie (ham, rillettes, Charentais sausages), cheeses (local and regional — fresh goat's cheese, Brie, tommes), seasonal fruit and vegetables often grown within fifty kilometres, fish from river and sea, and a few fresh flower stalls. On Sunday morning the market is especially lively: market gardeners and small producers from neighbouring communes join the hall's regular traders.
Around the hall, several bistros and small restaurants open early to welcome market traders and customers: coffee, buttered toast, simple lunch menu. It is one of the most pleasant ways to start a morning in Angoulême.
The Victor Hugo market: the main weekly market
A few minutes' walk from the Halles, the area around the place Victor Hugo hosts a large open-air market on several mornings each week. This market, larger in scale than the daily covered hall, draws market gardeners from across the GrandAngoulême area and neighbouring regions — Dordogne, Gironde, Périgord. Stalls of fruit, vegetables, eggs, poultry, honey, jams and fine food products line the aisles. You will also find producers of Pineau des Charentes and eaux-de-vie selling direct to customers.
Neighbourhood markets
Beyond the two main markets in the upper town, Angoulême has small neighbourhood markets in its residential districts. The L'Houmeau market, in the lower town not far from the station and the L'Alpha media library, is held on fixed days of the week and offers a concentrated selection of market garden produce, eggs and small local producers. These neighbourhood markets meet a demand for local convenience: less spectacular than the Halles, they reflect the daily life of Angoumoisins more authentically and allow visitors to meet producers in a very informal setting.
What to buy: the products not to miss
Cagouilles and charcuterie
Cagouilles (local snails, petit-gris) are sold live or prepared at certain stalls. Charentais charcuterie — country ham, rillettes, boudin — is one of the best reasons to stop at the Halles.
AOP Charentes-Poitou butter
AOP Charentes-Poitou butter, made from lightly acidulated matured cream, is one of France's great butters. It appears at several stalls in the Halles, often sold by weight, and is the key ingredient in the galette charentaise.
Charentais melon and summer fruit
From June to September, Charentais melon with its orange flesh and intense scent fills the stalls. Taste with a glass of chilled white Pineau — the reference pairing of Charentais gastronomy. Spring strawberries and autumn plums complete the season.
Galette charentaise: a souvenir to take home
The galette charentaise is a buttery, lightly puffed biscuit with a melting texture and a pronounced butter flavour. It is found in all the city's bakeries and at several market stalls, packed in film or in a metal tin — ideal as an edible souvenir. Some artisan producers at the market offer their own recipes, with citrus or fleur de sel variations. Visitors typically bring home a whole galette or a packet of small Charentais shortbreads as a travel gift.
Markets on the map
Location of Angoulême's three main markets: the Halles Centrales in the upper town, the Victor Hugo market and the L'Houmeau neighbourhood market.