Discovering Cognac and Comics in Angoulême, France

Angoulême is enclosed in ancient city walls that crown the hill on which the city rests. The ramparts, dating before the Middle Ages, divide the Old Town from the suburbs, which cascade down the hill and out into the luscious river valley below. The Charente River was once used to transport salt, wine, paper, and lumber, among other products, making the city a key commercial center historically. Today it is known as the international comic strip and cartoon capital, and hosts the International Comic Strip Museum in a former warehouse on the banks of the river.