Cognac
Listed as a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire, Cognac has a sense of elegance to match its location on the slowly flowing Charente River. Visitors enjoy strolling along the riverside promenade, which is graced by stately mansions. Near the Pont Neuf bridge, the Château de Cognac is a grandiose Historical Monument, which dates to the 10th century.
A few steps away from the castle is the Porte Sainte-Jacques, the entrance to the medieval Old Town, a maze of cobblestone streets lined with white-shuttered stone buildings. At the heart of the Old Town, the Eglise Saint-Léger has a simple Romanesque facade and a luminous Gothic sanctuary.
The countryside around Cognac has scenic nature trails for hiking or biking excursions. Several attractions are also within easy driving distance of Cognac.
The village of Châteauneuf-sur-Charente (27 kilometers away), with its lovely Romanesque church, and the 14th-century Château de Crazannes (45 kilometers away), which awes visitors with its dazzling Gothic architecture and storybook setting in eight hectares of luxuriant grounds.
The castle is open for visits as well as guided tours and offers bed-and-breakfast accommodations. Touristic boat rides along the Charente River begin in the little village of Saint-Simon (30 kilometers away).
There are lots of famous distilleries, who’s names you will recognize. Most of them offer tours and tastings.
Cognac is also home to the world famous blues festival “Cognac Blues Passions Festival”, held over 6 days every July.
Cognac is 74 minutes (97 km) from Puy-Leonard