Angles-sur-l'Anglin

Angles is a village of pale stone below a ruined castle on a cliff over the Anglin, with a mill and a weir below and the classic view from the far bank. Its other distinction is underground history: at the Roc-aux-Sorciers, a rock shelter downstream, a frieze about eighteen metres long was carved in relief into the limestone around fifteen thousand years ago, showing bison, horses, ibex and three female figures, and it survived because rockfall sealed it. The original is closed for preservation; an interpretation centre in the village presents a full-size facsimile. The village also has a tradition of drawn-thread embroidery called jours d'Angles.

What you actually see

• The Roc-aux-Sorciers facsimile - a full-size copy of an 18-metre carved frieze.
• The castle ruin - broken walls and towers on the cliff above the village.
• The river view - the classic composition from the far bank and mill.
• The jours d'Angles - the village's drawn-thread embroidery tradition.

When to go

April to October; the interpretation centre closes over winter. The village is small and quiet, walked in an hour or two. Summer weekends bring visitors from Poitiers.

Honest expectations

The original carvings cannot be visited and are not open to anyone but researchers, so the centre shows a facsimile. The castle is a ruin without interior access. Facilities are limited.

Nearby

Saint-Savin lies north; Poitiers is northwest.