From the owner: Sortie culturelle en bord de Sèvre. C'est Henri II Plantagenêt qui fit construire le château de…read moreNiort à la fin du XIIème siècle. Cet ensemble de donjons jumeaux romans est l'un des plus beaux de France. Le Donjon est classé monument historique. Converti en musée depuis la fin du XIXème siècle, il abrite une section sur l'histoire de la ville et du monument et des collections d'ethnographie et d'archéologie. Beau point de vue depuis la terrasse (fermée par temps de pluie).

The steph had my tail do an excellent job. How can you find the taste for your pallet. We will most…read moredefinitely come back and visit.

This is a review of my pre-Covid visit, and it was a special visit, so I am really grateful for…read moreeverything I could see and hear, but not sure if on a normal tour it's the same. I will not describe the Cognac preparation process, or the history of this famous manufacturer. I will confine myself to two aspects that impressed me particularly in the visit. The first is the activity of the many tasters, who twice a day taste an incredible number of samples, to evaluate for example whether or not each one can become an excellent Cognac in 10 years! The second is the huge size of the cellars: rooms and corridors full of history. A really enriching visit!

I'm a little biased since the Musée de la Préhistoire is in our local château and practically our…read morenext door neighbor. It's quite impressive, and is popular with visitors to our small village. The musée focuses on the history of the flint (silex) for which this area is known. Guided tours are available, but I like to wander through on my own. A free audioguide in several languages is available if you download an app. This is definitely a worthwhile stop if you are visiting Le Grand-Pressigny.

From the owner: Dite des quatre sergents Construite au XVè siècle. Elle est haute de 70 mètres, et surmontée d'une…read moreflèche gothique octogonale. Une bougie dans une lanterne permettait aux bateaux de regagner le port. Mais la Tour de la Lanterne eut très vite une fonction carcérale. 600 graffiti réalisés par des prisonniers britanniques, hollandais et espagnols, recouvrent d'ailleurs les murs.

I've been traveling to paper museums, and this particular museum is not necessarily the best for…read moreexplaining making paper, but its exhibition space is devoted to the art of paper. The particular exhibition April to December 2018 anticipates the centenary of the end of World War I, which will be commemorated November 11. The paper sculptures of WWI soldiers and the women they left behind are in the exhibition space. Not to be missed is the 12-minute film (English subtitles) created from these paper sculptures in a masterful stop action animated film. It is charming as well as tragic. A nice small boutique includes colorful graphics from the era when the factory rolled out cigarette papers after it became fashionable in 1850 France to "roll your own." The machinery on the first floor of the mill is signed, and there are some English translations. One sign notes the "master of the paper," Jacques Brejoux, who is in residence at another historic mill in the countryside: Moulin du Verger. He is still actively working on handmade paper and book restoration. (Call for an appointment to tour that mill.)

From the owner: Aux sources du papier Depuis 1988, ce musée retrace toute l'histoire du papier, et l'évolution des…read moretechniques industrielles de la papeterie dont la Charente fût longtemps le centre majeur. Installé dans l'ancienne papeterie J. Bardou (papier à cigarettes) construite sur la Charente, il présente sur deux étages et sous forme d'expositions temporaires diverses collections autour de ce thème. Un service documentaire et iconographique est à la disposition de tous, il suffit de demander.