It is easy to guess what the Charentean city of Cognac is known in the world. The drink produced here is the foundation of the city's fame and prosperity, and many relevant establishments and industries annually host thousands of tourists from all over the world. In Cognac are the enterprises of Hennessy, Martell, Camus, Remy Martin. But even if you are a small admirer of strong alcoholic beverages, you will like Cognac, like the old provincial French cities like everyone.

Cognac is a small city, but it is located in such a way that you simply will not be able to see it on the way to a larger tourist center. In Cognac go specially, persistently, with a purpose specifically formulated in mind, but at the same time its streets are surprisingly quiet and few people (if compared with the same Bordeaux, for example). Perhaps, hanging here, the tourists just hastily disperse to the manufacturing enterprises.

How to get to Cognac

Alas, the constant passenger traffic with neighboring cities Cognac is not connected. In the suburbs there is a small airport, but it does not accept regular flights. Thus, you can get to Cognac either in an organized bus tour or on the highway yourself, for example, from Angouleme (about 25 km).

A bit of history

The history of the city begins around the 9th century, when there appeared defensive fortifications, and Cognac received the status of the city in the beginning of the 13th century . In the 15th century, Francis I, a native of Cognac, gave the city the benefit of the salt trade, which led to the construction of a port on the Charente River and the subsequent economic recovery. In the 17th century, the city received new indulgences from the king himself as a stronghold of the loyal monarchy of citizens, and since that time the cognac manufactories were able to develop here in full force.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions Cognac

In Cognac, there is no sense to look for transport for local displacements : you will walk well here on foot . The central modern city square is named in honor of Francis I - hence you can start a city tour . Or finish, because it is here that most of the restaurants, boutiques and wine terraces are located . The square is adjacent to the park of Francis with a rose garden, and on the Armory Square in the neighborhood is opened a busy indoor market . The quarter of medieval houses starts from the gates of Saint-Jacques with two thick round crenellated towers and walks along the river to the Roman church of Saint-Léger - building of 12-16 centuries of construction, decorated in the style of flaming Gothic . The houses in the center of Cognac were preserved mainly from the 15th and 18th centuries, the streets were narrow and paved with cobblestone . Central city street in the Middle Ages and up to the 19th century, the Ryu Grande, zastro (house number 7), the most famous in the city - it was built in the 15th century, and a century later the residence of Lieutenant-General Cognac was arranged .

You can easily get to the river port of Saint-Jacques of the 15th century. The church of Saint-Martin with its medieval graves preserved on its territory is also attractive. You can see the central gate at the entrance to the city, erected at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. Even interested in looking at Saint-Gaben, the production of glass bottles and casks for brandy.

Having started talking about the sights of Cognac, you must inevitably switch to the list of the most famous cognac houses that are open here . The main city attraction is the castle of Valois, where and the birth of King Francis, today is the headquarters of the Otar cognac house .The medieval castle was built in the middle of the 10th century, then almost completely destroyed in the 12th century, but three centuries later it was rebuilt from scratch . Here in the Shlem hall Philip, the son of Richard the Lionheart, celebrated the wedding with the princess de Cognac . The Feast Hall the castle was created according to the project of the great Leonardo da Vinci .

Another brandy house - Hennessy - occupies a more modern castle built in the 19th century, right by the river, and its red flag proudly reets over the waterfront. To visit his cellars guests are sent on a boat to the other side. And the house "Remy Martin" rolls tourists on a special train that goes through the vineyards. It should be borne in mind that all cognac houses, without exception, accept tourists not all the year round, but only in certain seasons and most often by prior agreement.

In the very center of Cognac is the city garden, one of the few public gardens in France designed according to the pattern English park . The park was formed as a result of the merger of two neighboring gardens: the town hall and museum . The dominant of the park - Otar la Grange mansion, from 1892 . - the hotel de Ville, and now - the municipality . To it is a monumental marble staircase, near which in the diving pond swims swans and ducks . A The Museum of Art and History occupies an elegant mansion of the Dupuis family built in 1838 . Here several collections are collected, including the archaeological with the Neolithic canoe, as well as sculptures, furniture, ceramics, glass containers of fine work and art canvases . There is also one work of Rodin, and a collection of glass art nuovo, and Delft porcelain, and the work of Flemings and Italians of the 16th century .

A small museum of cognac was opened only in 2004 on the territory of the Old City, week Leko from the waterfront. The museum exhibits medieval mechanisms for cultivating the land and processing grapes, an impressive selection of bottles of the most iconic brands, barrels, bottle labels, glasses and other. Here you can see the oak press of 1760, the semiautomatic mechanism for making bottles in 1898, and also appreciate the aromas of many samples.

Neighborhoods

If you still have enough energy after a thorough acquaintance with Cognac (and cognac), you can travel by vicinities by car . Near Cognac, there are a lot of old castles and monasteries - though mostly they are in a state of ruined or dilapidated . Less than 10 km from the town there is a place called Saint-Brice . Here is the abbey of the Assumption of Bogorod s, the former Augustinian monastery founded in the 11th century . In the 16th century the abbey was badly damaged during the religious wars, but the western façade has survived to this day, like the arched fir-trees with carved friezes . In addition, in Saint-Brice it is possible admire the parish church of the 12th century and the castle of the 16th century - all three objects are among the historical monuments .

Events

To ensure that guests are not bored, many events are held in Cognac every year. This is the festival of detective films in late June, and the blues festival in July, and, of course, a large-scale celebration of cognac in the middle of summer. In September in Cognac is a festival of street art, a separate company organizes a variety of cognac tours around the city.