Condom Things to Do

This city with the strange name (in English and many other languages, but not in French) is rather small. The exact number of inhabitants is - according to Wikipedia - 7251 (in 1999) and the German version of Wikipedia says that this number has remained almost exactly the same under the last 120 years. Are you wondering?? ;-))

So at least the name of the city could remind everybody what to do to prevent a demographic desaster on our planet.

For more data and facts - see the official website

The full official name of the city is Condom en Armagnac So you may expect to find not only a Condom Museum but also Le musée de l'Armagnac. This museum shows you much about the history of this great brandy and how it was and in principle still is produced.

You find all actual data about opening times,entrance fees etc. at the official Condom website (unfortunately in French only)

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This is a very interesting museum that showcases primative art from around the world. It was a relatively large and very impressive collection of this type of art. I'm not sure quite how far it is from Condom as we were driven there by friends, but it was not more than a half hour away. Plus the drive there is through some beautiful countryside.

I've posted the website below. The site promises to give you versions in many languages, but alas only the French version works.

If the place de Saint-Pierre and the cathedral are at the very centre of Condom, the rue Gambetta is the heart of Condom.
There are other shopping streets (west of the cathedral in the place Lion d'Or and the rue des Armuriers), but Rue Gambetta is the real shopping street.
Don't expect much, but it is a very friendly street with many surprising little places: the tea specialist, the philatelist, the greengrocer, and the fishing tackle shop at the very end.

The street - it's only 150 metres long - is pedestrianised and several bars have tables outside. But remember, real French men don't sit out at the teak tables; they drink 'au zinc' and fart, belch and discuss the cepage or menuiserie while keeping an eye on the TV.
Many of thse bars are at their best at the crack of dawn when people come in for 'un cafe et croissant' before sluching off to work.
Sit inside, mutter unintelligibly at the TV and scratch your arse, and you're an instant local.

Condom was required to remove its walls very early on, and much of the stone work was then used to pave the streets (see the base of the fountain/pool in the place Saint-Pierre). However, a small part of the ramparts can be seen in the small Jardin des Remparts, near the hotel du Polignac (access from several points off rue Jules Ferry). The ramparts can be seen at the top of the grass bank on the western edge of the park, as can a small spring. The park is a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the warm summer sunshine.

The enterprising mayor of Condom decided to capitalise on Condom's legendary name, and opened the Musée du Preservatif in June 2005 (as a temporary exhibition until September only), after it had been in the planning for several years. Many in the town are said to be unhappy about it. Ah, la politique communale!

Housed in the old stables of the bishop's palace, the museum of the local eau-de-vie is worth a visit. I must admit that we have never been there in all the time we have lived in the area. One of the reasons is that many farms locally have equipment as old as can be seen in the museum, and they are free!

A listing of just a few of the estates can be found at the Tenareze Tourism website.

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The 16th Century cloisters are a reminder that long ago the cathedral was a part of an abbey. This is always a quiet spot, although music recitals and events are often staged here. Since 1861, the town hall has been on the upper floor, and the staff are happy to let visitors see the inside of the building.