Charentais Indian summer

Festival guide

Even though there are plentiful festivals from June through to the end of August, some organisers choose to keep the season going right through into September. This is the case of the Coconut Festival which, for five years, has been held right at the heart of the Abbaye Aux Dames. It offers a cutting-edge programme that blends afro-disco, vibrant pop and intoxicating electronic music. Not far away, the Limoges Recycling Party, Limoges' reggae event, will be entrancing visitors the very same weekend. The admission charge? A mere €9 and bring an old electrical appliance for recycling!

Where to sleep : at the hotelF1 in Saintes and Limoges.

Tips :
• Of the many monuments that grace the town of Saintes, the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre is more than worth a visit. After a snooze in the grass, be transported back to the gladiatorial combats that were once held here.
• Between Saintes and Limoges, you will find the world capital of comic strips and the graphic arts, Angoulême. Scattered across the city, you will discover twenty or so walls painted with vast cartoons. For genuine enthusiasts, the International City of Comic Strips is open all year round.

The amphitheatre of Saintes