Annonay, Administrative commune in Ardèche, France
Annonay is a commune in Ardèche in southeastern France, located at an elevation of 358 meters (about 1,175 feet). The settlement extends across valleys where the Cance and Deûme rivers converge.
Written records first mention the settlement in the year 403, when a community took root here. During the medieval period, the place grew into a fortified town that later evolved through industry.
The town once carried a paper production whose craftsmanship remains visible in the older quarters today. Small workshops and galleries show how this centuries-old knowledge shaped the region.
Every Wednesday and Saturday, a weekly market takes place in the town center selling regional products from Ardèche. The place is best explored on foot to discover the winding streets and squares between the valleys.
Two brothers launched a hot-air-filled balloon here in 1782 that would soon carry people into the air for the first time. This experiment opened the way for hot-air ballooning that later spread worldwide.
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