Saintes

Sitting on the Charente river in western France, Saintes carries one of the region's most substantial Gallo-Roman, medieval, and classical heritage records — enough to earn it membership in France's Towns and Lands of Art and History network since 1990. The town was the first Roman capital of Aquitaine and later the capital of the province of Saintonge, and its Abbaye aux Dames now houses a European centre for musical research and practice. A walkable centre with cafés and restaurants sits within easy reach of Cognac-country vineyards.

• Population29,512
• Nearest water from center0.4 km
• Nearest mountain from center46.2 km
• UNESCO within 50 km1