Nontron, art and craft in the soul
Discover the rich heritage and history over the Bandiat River
The Nontron Castle houses an experimental division of crafts. © Office du tourisme de Nontron
Nestled in the core of the Perigord Vert, Nontron knows discreetly unveil its hidden treasures. You will discover a town whose limestone walls blend with tiled roofs and green vegetation. All the past of Nontron resurfaces to the visitor: the remains of imposing walls laid on the steep terrain, terraced crops that are gradually rehabilitated to pleasant walks. The city claims to have 3000 years of history, including several centuries of cutlery.
From château life…
In the Southwest, it takes time to discover every stone that are full of legends and anecdotes. The Nontron castle built during the 18th and 19th Centuries, accomodates pieces of art made by craftmen and artists of the experimental division of Crafts . The craft is indeed essential in Nontron: appart from cutlery, the luxury industry has found its place with the presence of the prestigious Hermès brand.
The "jardin des Arts" (Art garden) is dotted with contemporary art works to discover. © Office du tourisme de Nontron
Coming out of the castle, you have to visit the garden of Arts, a magical place where contemporary art works mingle naturally with vegetation. After enjoying one of the many gastronomic specialties (the Charentais snail, truffles and foie gras are not far...), you can have a walk towards forests and rivers for unforgettable moments in the Park Regional Périgord-Limousin.
… To the blades of the knives
The futuristic buildings of the Coutellerie Nontronnaise perfectly blend into the landscape of the city. With their large windows facing the valley, they are one with the Bandiat river which is the birthplace of the blades for so many centuries. In the workshop, everybody can discover the traditional know-how of Nontron cutlery. Each year, the knife is a key player, especially during the Knife festival held in August in the city.
But the glance of tourists is ostensibly drawn to the valley that offered activities and prosperity to the town of Nontron. Over the centuries, workshops that produced this legendary knife settled along the river of the region. Nowadays, the Coutellerie Nontronnaise is the only company to manufacture the Nontron knife . It remains legendary for its longevity.
The new workshop of the Coutellerie nontronnaise is perfectly integrated in the former terraces formerly devoted to crops. © Office du tourisme de Nontron