Angoulême

Capital of comics

On your cycling trip along La Flow Vélo, make time for a stopover in Angoulême, an historic city that has become devoted to the world of comics. Discover life-size images, following the dedicated trail, the Balade des Murs Peints, through the city centre. Rising above the banks of the Charente, the Cité de la Bande Dessinée is a centre dedicated to the 9th art – comics –, a big draw for many! 

Take in the painted walls around Angoulême

Angoulême is now world famous for its Festival International de la Bande Dessinée, an annual comic festival that takes place in January. But don’t worry if you can’t make that event, as in this town, many pieces of architecture have been given an extra dimension they show off through the year, in the form of cartoons painted on monuments, on post boxes, on buses even! And note how the street signs are in the form of cartoon speech bubbles! 

Wandering around Angoulême’s streets, you’ll be surprised by the originality on display across many a city wall. These murs peints are veritable works of art. Take in the most popular of these frescoes, including La Fille des Remparts, behind the Halles (or covered market), and Mémoires du 20ème Siècle on Square Saint-André.

Pick up a map from the tourist office to follow the trail of these wall paintings, the Circuit des Murs Peints, or download the app, Murs BD Angoulême, so that you can locate them via your smartphone, as well as learning about the stories behind them and related anecdotes. Before continuing on your cycling trip along La Flow Vélo®, spend the night in Angoulême to appreciate, come nightfall, giant comics projected on one of the façades along Rue Pasteur.

Visiting Angoulême’s Cité de la Bande Dessinée

The Musée de la Bande Dessinée, devoted to comics, is faithfully guarded by Corto Maltese, the adventurous cartoon sailor. The museum contains the largest collection in Europe of comic strips and original cartoon drawings.

The whole history of French-language and American cartoons is presented across a dedicated space covering 1,300m2. Don’t miss the museum’s bookshop, boasting one of the world’s largest expanses devoted to comics, with over 40,000 items on offer!

Feeling peckish arriving in Angoulême on your cycling trip along La Flow Vélo? Why not enjoy a tasty break at the Cité de la Bande Dessinée’s brasserie, La Table à Dessin. Make the most of dining in the midst of the Vaisseau Mœbius, the part of the Cité boasting striking glass architecture. From the restaurant, take in magnificent views over the banks of the Charente.

Boating on the Charente River

If you have enough time before rejoining La Flow Vélo®, how about taking a boat trip along the Charente? Follow the banks of the river up to the little port of L’Houmeau. This lies at the start of the navigable stretch of the Charente River going from Angoulême to the Atlantic Ocean.

From Angoulême’s port, make the most of a mini cruise aboard the boat, La Reine Margot. Alternatively, consider going for an hour-long canoeing outing. Either way, enjoy a break on the water to recharge your batteries before rejoining the cycle route.