The capital of Charente in south west France is Angoulême, a city overlooking the river Charente and as such, has earned the nickname the ‘balcony of the south west'. The city of Angoulême is soaked in culture and there are plenty of sites to see all around the city.
Car hire from Angoulême is highly recommended as it makes travelling across the city easier. Highlights of any visit include the Domaine de Boisbuchet, which currently houses an exhibition on architecture and is definitely worth a visit.
Most famously, the city is home to one of the world's most famous comic book festivals, The International Comics Festival, which attracts high profile creators and artists from around the world every year. If you like to get your geek on, you'll want to look into hiring a car in Angoulême and driving to each location for the festival, soaking it up and getting the most out of it.
The Musee de Alfred de Vigny is definitely a place for the book worms amongst visitors, being the former home of the famous poet of the same name. You can take a tour around it, or simply walk around, discovering the places he may have written his poems.