Description:

Geography and Transport

Jarnac is a town (commune area 11.99km²) in the heart of Cognac Country, situated east of Cognac (14km), and west of Angouleme (30km).  The RN141 is close-by, and this links with both of these towns.  Jarnac has access to the TER regional railway, and this in turn enables connection with the TGV at Angouleme.  The nearest airport is north of Angouleme at Brie/Champniers.  The town is situated on the Charente River.
See also:  Cognac

Climate

The temperate climate here provides average summer temperatures of between 24C and 27C (13C to 15C night), and in winter this falls to 9C to 11C (3C to 4C night).  Driest months are March, July and August (32mm), and the wettest is October and November with 57mm to 59mm.   Jarnac is part of a zone which receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

There are many activities in and around Jarnac that cater for all tastes.  There is the 13^th century Saint-Pierre church, and the 18^th century Protestant Temple, and people can join the Circuit Historique tour of the old town and the Saint-Pierre Crypt.  The town has an art gallery Ecnanoser - One3 Venue, and nearby is the 11^th century Abbaye de Bassac.

Being in the heart of the cognac-making region, there are a number of opportunities to experience the local produce, and all of the major cognac houses in Jarnac offer tours and tasting, such as Courvoisier, Louis Royer and Thomas Hine and Co.  In August, the local producers of Pineau des Charentes open their doors for visits, tasting and exhibitions.  The proximity to Cognac also means that the many events on offer there are within reach, such as La Fete du Cognac (free concerts/dancing) and Blues Passions (blues festival) during July, the Cognac Electro Festival (25 artists covering different electro music  genres) during August, and the Coupe de Chauffe (street theatre festival) during September.

Economy

Jarnac is part of the Cognac economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 8.3%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).

Facilites

Jarnac has an open air swimming pool (June-Aug), and there is an 18-hole golf course available at nearby St Brice (8km).  There are a number of sports clubs operating here, offering tennis, volleyball, basketball, mountain biking, walking, football and gymnastics, and the close proximity to the Charente River means there is access to river trips, fishing, boat hire, and canoes/kayaks.  The tourist board offers a canoeing weekend, where you can navigate the river between Saint-Simeux and Vibrac, stay overnight in a hotel and then continue on to Jarnac.  There is a campsite in Jarnac (150 pitches) and another close-by at Bourg Charente (32 pitches).

Education

Jarnac has 2 state nursery schools, 2 primary schools, and one secondary school, and there are also private options at each of these levels.  For college (Lycee), the nearest option is at cognac.

Key Stats

Of the properties in Jarnac, 88.1% are classed as primary residences, with 2.9% being classed as second homes.  There are more females than males resident here (53.5%), and there are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (30.4% vs 21.3%). The number of retired people is higher (27.3% vs 18.2%).  The percentage of people below the age of 19 is marginally lower than the national average (20.9% vs 24.6%)

Key Facilities and Services:

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