Description:

Geography and Transport

Chalais is a small market town (commune area of 17.58km²) situated in the extreme south of the Charente Department, close to the borders with both Charente Maritime and Dordogne (Aquitaine).  It is some 47km (29mi) from the departmental capital Angouleme, and the nearest larger town would be Riberac (Dordogne), which is 24km (15mi) away.  There are no major roads in the immediate proximity, and the town stands on the D674.  The RN10 can be accessed to the North West at Barbezieux Saint Hilaire (30km/19mi).  The village has access to the TER regional rail network, and this provides onward access to the TGV at Angouleme, where it is possible to connect to Paris in 2h20mins.  The nearest airport is also at Angouleme, but Bordeaux Merignac airport is also an option from here (100km/1h15mins).
See also:  Aubeterre sur Dronne, Brossac

Climate

The climate here is Maritime, with hot summer daytime temperatures of between 24C and 27C (13C to 15C night).  May and September also provide warm daytime temperatures (between 20C to 23C), with nights dropping to 10C to 12C.  Winter temperatures are typically 9C to 11C (3C to 4C night).  Wettest months are Oct, Nov and Dec (52mm to 59mm), and driest are Feb, Mar, July and Aug (32mm to 33mm).  Chalais is part of a zone which receives between 1750 and 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

This rural town is famed for its international four day show-jumping event ‘Le Jumping International' which takes place every year in August.  The Chateau de Tallyrand-Perigord is an 11^th century medieval castle, which opens for tours during the holiday season (Apr-Sept), and the town has a 12^th century church (St Martial).  The town is situated close to Brossac where there is a small lake, and there is swimming available from the river beach at nearby Aubeterre-sur-Dronne.  The town has a number of restaurants, including Le Relais du Chateau which offers a medieval setting and courtyard terrace.  There are many sports and activities available in Chalais, including football, golf and pony trekking.

Economy

The economy here is centred around agriculture and commerce.  Chalais is part of the Sud Charente economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 8.8%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).

Facilites

Chalais has most amenities, including a supermarket and a swimming pool.

Education

There is a state nursery, primary and secondary schools available in Chalais, as well as a private option at primary level.  For college (Lycee), the nearest is at Riberac (Dordogne) or Berbezieux Saint Hilaire.

Key Stats

Most of the properties in Chalais are main residences 83.4%, this is higher than the national average and 6.8% of properties are classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (39.7% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (31.3% vs 18.2%)  18.1% of the population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer males than females resident here (45.3% vs 54.7%).

Key Facilities and Services:

Know Chalais better than we do?  Leave a comment below.