EXPLORE SOUTH WEST FRANCE


Smell the aromas you read about, see the great oak barrells, and travel the fertile vineyards that the Romans tilled... Whether you try the circuit vineyard tours accompanied with wine tasting, wine tours, or wine courses, you'll have the experience of a lifetime. We provide you with various tourist information to discover France, book your next wine tasting tours, don't miss the Blues Music Cognac Festival, get address for Riding Schools, Club Nautique, Copper - Basketry or other handicraft workshops and museums.

You can have your pick of luxury escorted tours or, look for a good book to help you orchestrate your own circuit… there’s nothing like a holiday escapade in South West France!

This week’s recommended day trip itinerary, or as the French say, “Circuit Vacances”: For a day trip recommendation, travel to the little village of Cordes sur Ciel, an enchanting medieval town "reaching Heaven." Then, via St Antonin Noble Val in the Aveyron gorges, arrive in the Cahors vineyards. Duck into a wine storehouse (“chais”) and don't miss a wine tasting too! Take lunch in Cahors, checking out the town. In the afternoon, head for Rocamadour, an ancient pilgrimage town with an impressive belvedere poised overlooking the Alzou canyon.

If you're looking for a true French escapade, take a cycling tour. Cycle through their vineyards, breathe in their Earth, and then nourish yourself with the nectars of the region flowing through your veins!

Find an extensive list of events, camping in France tips and more here.
Within Poitou-Charentis there are tremendous opportunities for the “Circuit Vacances”

County Tourist Board Charente
Address : Maison du Tourisme
Postcode : 16021
Town : ANGOULEME
Tel : 33 (0) 5 45 69 79 09
Fax : 33 (0) 5 45 69 48 60
Email : info@lacharente.com

 County Tourist Board Charente-Maritime
Address: Maison de la Charente-Maritime
Postcode: 17076
Town: LA ROCHELLE Cedex 9
Tel: 33 (0) 5 46 31 71 71
Fax: 33 (0) 5 46 31 71 70
Email:
info@en-charente-maritime.com 		County Tourist Board Deux-Sèvres
Tel: 33 (0) 5 49 77 87 79
Mobile: 33 (0)
Fax: 33 (0) 5 49 24 90 29
Email:
 tourisme@cdt79.fr

If you are an individual you take daily excursions departing from Toulouse and Bordeaux that head towards all the major sights of the regions: Small villages of the region, Albi, Carcassonne, Lourdes, Canal du Midi, Wine Tasting in Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, the Dordogne region, Biarritz and the Basque Country... The excursions take place on board 8 seater fully equipped minivans and are taken care of by professional driver guides. Languages include English and German. Visit the website Ophorus Tel: +33 561 575 139. The company is also specialised in Pyrenees ski transfers as well as Canal du Midi transfers departing from Toulouse or Bordeaux and heading towards all major resorts.

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Blues Music Cognac Festival:

Les Bouilleurs de Cru: The first open days took place at the end of December 1996 in the commune of Hiersac which comprised of 5 Bouilleurs de Cru. This initiative followed up on the first festival of the Grape Harvest which happened on Sunday, September 29, 1996 in Hiersac. On this occasion a hundred people harvested grapes and attended the pressing of the juice as well as to the tasting of the grape juice. All this being held in a pastoral environment of coopers, pepinierists, wine growers who showed and made the participants to discover the know-how. In the continuity of this grape harvest, the Bouilleurs de Cru decided to open their gates in order to make visitors to discover the process of making of brandy of Cognac. This first openning of distilleries broke the old and ancestral taboo to the great happiness from a local public which could finally discover the confidences and the secrecy of the Bouilleurs de Cru; the onion, the brouillis, the heads, the qeuues, good heating and a whole alchemy of words as mysterious as the development of Cognac.

As a result of this operation success, 31 Bouilleurs de Cru in the canton of Hiersac, renewed the opening of their distillleries the following year for the end of the year holidays. Several thousands of visitors came and discovered Charentes region: small valleys, architecture, porches, and especially pot stills that are different from one to another. Each Bouilleurs de Cru de Cognac endeavouring to cordially receive all these visitors and offer explanations and secrets, but also coffee, cakes, chocolate and tasting of cognac. Thanks to the interest of the Bouilleurs de Cru and the visitors "COGNAC EN FETES " was born. In 1998, 420 Bouilleurs de Cru de Cognac decided to to continue this operation. Thus tens of thousands of visitors coming from the several area from France traversed the inheritance charentais and discovered "la double chauffe" distillinging" method that is unique in the world.

Curious and surprised tourists have experienced various stages of the alchemy of distillation, each phase giving a subtle product development details and the souls of the Bouilleurs de Cru men and women. This informal sharing of experience gathered from generations to generations by the Bouilleurs de Cru on how to obtain the 'coeur' of brandy that is Cognac.

La Filière (a typical property of Boulleurs de cru)

Family Millasseau are viticulteurs and brouilleurs of many generations. They reside among the vineyards of charentes in the appellation of Cognac. In 1879, a phylloxera disease destroyed all of the Charentes vineyards. Within years, new families arrived to cultivate the land. Etienne Millasseau bought La Filière, which dates back to XVIth century and re-started surrounding vienyard. Since 1920, every winter day a distillation continues on the property.

Download A Free Information pack on Pineau Des Charentes History, Gastronomy, and the Comité National du Pineau des Charentes (National Brotherhood of Pineau de Charentes)
Riding School "Les Ecuries de Lapouticario"
Chemin de Calès - Saint-Ferréol
31250 REVEL
Phone (33) 5 61 83 39 84 / (33) 6 12 56 68 39
http://lapouticario.com
E mail : contact@lapouticario.com
Contact: Sébastien BONNEAU

Club nautique (Aquatic Club)
School of sailing&tennis
Saint-Ferréol
81540 SOREZE
Phone (33) 5 61 83 54 68 or (33) 663 165 402
Contact: Henri PECHARD

Workshops for beginners all the way to advanced, in craft medium art trades including pottery, ceramics, lacquer, inlay, restoring antique furniture, wood gilding!
IMARA
20, rue Jean Moulin
31250 REVEL
Phone (33) 561 27 53 02
http://www.imara.fr

Spend some time at a Basketry Workshop taught by the Locals:
Atelier de vannerie Française
Route de Revel
81540 DURFORT
Phone (33) 563 73 26 22 / Fax (33) 563 50 82 63
Contact: Mr. Gendre

Tourist Offices:
Tourist Information Office***
of Revel Saint-Ferréol
place Philippe VI de Valois
31250 Revel
Phone (33) 5 34 66 67 68
contact@tourisme-revel.com
http://www.tourisme-revel.com

Tourist Information Office
of Saint-Félix Lauragais
place Guillaume de Nogaret
31540 Saint-Félix Lauragais
Phone (33) 5 62 18 96 99

Tourist Information Office**
of tourisme Sorèze Saint-Ferréol
Rue Saint-Martin BP 18
81540 SOREZE
Phone (33) 5 63 74 16 28
tourisme@ville-soreze.fr
http://www.ville-soreze.fr

Discover fine artistic furniture and the traditional tools of the cabinetmaker, inlayer, wood sculptor and gilder, bronze caster and chaser, lacquer painter, marble cutter, and more!
Revel " Art and Meubles "
Route de Castelnaudary
31250 REVEL
Phone (33) 561 83 56 58
Contact: Bernadette Desplats
http://www.revelartetmeuble.free.fr

The Conservatory of Woodworkers' Trades
Musée and circuits de visite
13, rue Jean Moulin
31250 REVEL
Phone (33) 561 27 65 50
http://cmbois.free.fr
E-mail : cmbois@free.fr

Explore Trades and Handicraft Items in a MuseoGraphic Display
Musée du Cuivre
81540 DURFORT
Phone (33) 563 74 22 77
Contact: William Becker

Traditional Southwestern French Items made of Horn
Atelier la Licorne
Avenue de Castelnaudary
31250 REVEL
Phone (33) 562 71 30 84
http://www.atelier-licorne.com
E-mail : contact@atelier-licorne.com
Contact: Yves Roquefort

Visit a Copper Workshop
Ets Pierre Vergnes
81540 DURFORT
Phone (33) 563 74 10 52
E-mail : pierre-vergnes@wanadoo.fr
Contact: Bernard Semendou

See a Bronze Caster at Work
Fonderie de Bronzes Lauragaise
Z.I. des Rieux
81700 BLAN
Phone (33) 563 75 22 86 / Fax (33) 563 75 22 87
http://www.fonderie-lauragaise.com
E-mail : fonderie.bronze@wanadoo.fr
Contact: Mr. Ramond

Discover the Fabrication of Basketry or even try a workshop yourself!
Atelier de vannerie de la Montagne Noire
Route de Revel
81540 DURFORT
Phone (33) 563 73 26 22
http://www.vannerie-osier-gendre.fr
Contact: Mr. Gendre