Cognac
The brandy capital on the banks of the Charente, home to the houses of Hennessy, Rémy Martin and Martell, with Roman towns and France's comics capital nearby.
Cognac lies in the Charente department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France, with the Charente River flowing through town. It is the world-famous capital of brandy. "Cognac" is both the name of the town and a protected appellation: only brandy made from grapes grown in this area, double-distilled and aged in oak casks, may be called cognac. The headquarters and cellars of big names such as Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin, Otard and Camus are spread along the riverbanks of this small town and in the surrounding villages, and the old walls are often blackened by the fungus that feeds on the "angels' share" evaporating from the casks.
The best time to visit is April–October, when most houses run tours every day; the grape harvest takes place in Sep–Oct, distillation season starts in November, and in winter some houses switch to booking-only visits or shorter opening hours. Highlights: tour one to three cognac houses (tours cover the cellars, cooperage and a tasting; book ahead on their websites, with sessions in English and Chinese), stroll the old town and the Château de Cognac where François I was born, and take a replica flat-bottomed cargo boat on the Charente. Along the way, visit the Courvoisier house in Jarnac; about 40 km east lies the walled town of Angoulême (France's comics capital, with its International Comics Festival in January), and about 25 km west is Saintes, with its Roman amphitheatre and triumphal arch.
Getting there: take the TGV from Paris to Angoulême (about 2 hours), then a TER train to Cognac (about 45 minutes); from Bordeaux it's about a 1.5-hour drive. The town is easy to explore on foot, but a car is recommended for the vineyards and nearby historic towns. Plan to stay 1–2 nights. Don't drive after tastings—France's drink-driving limits are strict.
Top sights
- Hennessy Cognac House – Headquarters of the world's best-selling cognac brand. Tours of the cellars on both banks of the Charente River and tastings make it the nu…
- Old Cognac & Saint-Léger Church – Stone-paved alleys, half-timbered old houses, and walls blackened by the 'angels' share.' The Romanesque Church of Saint-Léger and the Port…
- Rémy Martin Cognac House – The Rémy Martin estate, which uses only grapes from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne areas, with vineyards, cellars and a Louis XI…
- Martell Cognac House – One of the oldest great Cognac houses, with cellars in the old town, the founder's residence and guided tastings
- Château de Cognac (Baron Otard) – A medieval castle where King François I was born, now the Baron Otard Cognac cellars, where you can visit both the historic halls and the c…
- Courvoisier, Jarnac – The Napoleon (Courvoisier) cognac château in Jarnac on the Charente River, telling the brand's history and its ties to Napoleon
- Camus Cognac House – The largest independent family cognac house, offering small-group tours in the old town and the chance to blend your own cognac
- Musée des Arts du Cognac – A museum that introduces cognac systematically, from grape growing, distillation and cooperage to bottling and advertising. A brand-neutral…
- Gabare Cruise on the Charente – A ride on a replica flat-bottomed wooden barge along the Charente, reliving the river transport history when barrels of cognac were shipped…
- Angoulême Old Town & Ramparts – A hilltop walled old town with ramparts overlooking the Charente valley, its streets filled with comic book murals
- Cité internationale de la bande dessinée – Europe's largest comics museum, holding many original European comic artworks and housed in old wine cellars on the banks of the Charente
- Angoulême Cathedral – A 12th-century Romanesque domed cathedral whose facade is covered in Last Judgment reliefs, a masterpiece of Romanesque art in southwestern…
- Saintes Amphitheatre – A Roman amphitheatre built in a valley in the 1st century AD, once able to seat about 15,000 people, and one of the oldest amphitheatres in…
- Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes – An 11th-century Romanesque abbey with a distinctive scale-patterned pinecone bell tower, now a Music City and venue for the summer music fe…
- Arch of Germanicus – A Roman double-arched gate built in AD 19, originally standing at the end of a bridge and moved as a whole to the riverbank in the 19th cen…
- Basilica of Saint-Eutrope, Saintes – One of the World Heritage components of the Camino de Santiago, with one of France's largest Romanesque underground crypts
- Château de La Rochefoucauld – A Renaissance castle known as the 'Pearl of Angoumois', the millennium-old ancestral home of the La Rochefoucauld family, with an elegant c…
- Hôpital des Pèlerins, Pons – A medieval pilgrims' hospital on the Camino de Santiago World Heritage route, with graffiti left by pilgrims still visible on its walls
- Bassac Abbey – A Benedictine abbey on the banks of the Charente, its Romanesque bell tower and 17th-century monastic buildings tucked away among the viney…
Where to eat
- Les Foudres – A one-Michelin-star restaurant in the former aging cellar of the Chais Monnet hotel in Cognac, where guests dine among…
- Poulpette – A popular creative bistro recommended by locals. One chef runs the open kitchen alone, it is listed in the Michelin Gui…
- Notes (La Nauve Hotel) – A one-Michelin-star restaurant with only twenty seats inside the La Nauve hotel. Chef Anthony Carballo cooks with produ…
- Le Bistro de Claude – A traditional bistro on Rue Grande in the old town of Cognac. Seafood from La Rochelle and cognac-braised veal sweetbre…
Itineraries
- Poitiers to Bordeaux Atlantic Family Trip – Head south from Futuroscope through the marshes, La Rochelle, Île de Ré and Cognac to Bordeaux.