The small town of Nontron in the Dordogne, in Aquitaine, is located in the green Perigora, in the center of the triangle, the tops of which form Limoges, Perigee and, slightly further, Angouleme . These are beautiful places with green valleys and forests, far away from civilization, the local nature is beautiful and virgin . This definitely attracts travelers who are hungry for immersion in the very heart of France: to the nearest major city with an active life and good transport connections, Bordeaux, hence more than 150 km . A Nontron itself with its population of people -only in 4 thousand . a person - an almost ordinary town that does not stand out at all . Almost, because something is still famous, and this glory is assigned to the town from the Middle Ages . Here they make excellent knives @ .@@
How to get to Nontron
By plane from Paris to Limoges (70 km from Nontron) or to Bordeaux, then by car. The second option is by train TGV to Angoulême and by car from there (47 km)
Search for tickets to the city of Bordeaux (the nearest airport to Nontronou)
- Call at Brantome and visit there the Michelin restaurant "Monastery Mill" (there are no such frills in Nontron.)
- Buy a knife, of course.
Best hotels 5 *. Paris. Disneyland. Vacation with children.
Cote d'Azur: Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Saint-Tropez.
Rent of aircraft. Transfers by helicopter. VIP service
СОДИС - 25 years of impeccable work.
Residence Tourotel 3 * from 21.03. for 7 nights from 50,717 rubles.
Altis Val Vert 3 * from 07.03. for 7 nights from 51,503 rubles
Residence Le Cheval Blanc 3 * from 07.03. for 7 nights from 55 574 rubles
We have been working for you since 1929! Book a tour online!
Chamonix from 35 285 rubles. for 8 days
Brides-les-Bains from 37,760 rubles. for 8 days
Tinh from 47 510 rubles. for 8 days
A bit of history
Since the second millennium AD Saracens and Normans have come to the local places in raids and before them, presumably, the Romans - but for a long time did not stay long . At the end of the 19th century a railway station was built in the city, but more meaningful and interesting Nontron did not become of it . What much more influenced its development is the discovery of deposits of iron ore that they began to mine here in the Gallo-Roman times and continued until the 19th century inclusive . In Nontron worked smithies , then - blazes blasted . In The Middle Ages masters from Paris and the whole country came to the city to learn the skill . The first mentions of the knives of nontron reached us from the middle of the 17th century .
In 1992 . manufacture of knives Nontron was bought by the famous company "Lajol" . A knives from Nontron are now considered to be one of the oldest and most traditional in the country . The way they are done in the city today differs little from how it happened five hundred years ago . Every "right" knife from Nontron - this is the result of the manual work of the master and almost Art practice . In Nontrona a factory works, but this is a tiny building where a small number of artisans still use almost antiquarian tools . This is the oldest of the ever-working enterprises in France .
Blades of nontron knives harden , and then gently cool in iron-rich water Perigora. The tree for the arms is extracted exclusively here, in the region, and dried naturally for at least five years. A tree under the hilt is cut down only when its age reaches 40-50 years. On each knife a special marking with ancient symbols is put with the help of pyrography. Over time, the handle is covered with a beautiful amber patina, which distinguishes nontronic knives from others.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Nontron
Nontron is a very nice, albeit very small town . However, small, and even vice versa - the largest in the Green Perigora . The old part of the city is built up by low houses made of stone and wood; especially half-Fahrhever buildings on the streets of Ecole and Pico . Meet here also the buildings of the Renaissance: for example, the building of the hotel "Albre" on the street Shabanyo . The center of modern retail life of the city - the square of Alfred Agar in front of the Town Hall, and on Saturdays it opens the market - in general the usual picture . The Nontron castle was built in the 18th and 19th century on the site of an older, "real" castle with a moat and a lifting bridge . At the end of the 20th century it was listed as a historical monument . Around the castle a beautiful landscaped garden is is called the Garden of Arts . Sad goes to the Bundiat valley and has a beautiful view of the town .
The Church of Our Lady was built on the site of an older one, dated 1625. The present church building was completed in 1889. when a huge bell weighing 900 kg appeared on the tower. Inside the church was installed a large Merklin organ weighing more than 12 tons, which Jean-Pascal Villar reconstructed in 2006.
In the street of General Leclerc, one can see a kind of city symbol: a strange square tower (" La Tour Kare ") . It is curious even not so much by itself as by its history: despite the medieval appearance, the tower was built only in 1905 . as a private house . The building permit was requested and issued by four more years earlier, then recalled for reasons not the need to preserve the integrity of the medieval city image . Then the permit was issued again, but on condition that the city council can tell the owner what the building should look like .
An interesting adventure will be visiting the non-trumpet knife factory . In 2001 .the production was moved to a modern building designed by the designer Philippe Starck . The construction is made of mixed wood and stainless steel materials - the materials making the knives - and on its flat roof the turf is laid and the grass grows . Today in the city two factories were opened, one on Rue Carnot, 33, the other on Agara square . At the first, a boutique museum is opened where specialists conduct excursions and presentations, during which you can get acquainted with all the stages of manufacturing unique non-tront products . In addition , Nontron is a center of contemporary decorative arts and crafts . And another small knife factory with a boutique opened in Brantome .
Nontron is located virtually in the middle of the national park Périgord-Limousin. This is a large green area, which is protected by the state as an object of natural beauty. Nearby you can find several beautiful castles and even prehistoric objects. Those who are ready to travel around the neighborhood are strongly advised to start from Brantome
Brant
Brant - a picturesque village 20 minutes away from the city, if you follow strictly south . Every day from Nontron go here buses (approximately 35 minutes away) . Once in Nontron, it's just necessary to visit Brant . This village is called Venice of Perigord: in fact it lies on a tiny island in the channel of the Dronn River, where charming arched bridges are located . More In the 8th century, King Charlemagne founded here o Benedictine abbey, which later destroyed the Vikings . In 1850 the . monastery was restored, and some of its fragments date back to the 11th century - as, for example, the church bell tower, one of the oldest in the country .
Walking along the village, you will find enough samples of medieval and Renaissance architecture, and if you want you can ride a boat in the neighborhoods . Brantom is surrounded by parks and gardens, and behind the abbey is the famous cave of troglodytes that the monks used as a dwelling . Here you can admire the rock scene of the Last Judgment . Not so far away is the dolmen Pierre Leve . And a little further from Brantome is Villar Villaus, one of the most impressive cave systems in all Perigora with prehistoric rock paintings .
Events
Last year, twenty years in Nontrona, the August holiday of knives takes place . This inferiority event is inferior in brightness and populousness only to salons in Trier and Paris . In addition, in the spring, the city organizes a traditional merry carnival of blacksmith's fur, which focuses not so much on fur as on trying to grab somebody's hem . The tradition of the festival dates back to the Middle Ages and has survived to this day only in Nontron and Saint-Claude . It was believed, that on this day it is necessary to expel the devil who hides in clothes: in particular, under the hem of women's skirts and cassocks of clergymen . Therefore, participants in the carnival dress on this day are dressed in white, in order to emphasize that the unclean has nothing to catch, and the furs serve for in order to "blow it out" from the folds of clothing .
Book popular Nontron hotels at the best prices
| Grand Hotel Pelisson from 4 132 rubles Nontron 3 Place Alfred Agard | Motel Grill Les Coursaux from 3 787 rubles Nontron Augignac |