Bordeaux: a name which fills the imagination with images from great wines to wartime heroes - a place with a history that has been tied to England since the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II of England in the 1152. Today, UK nationals own homes and businesses here and many of the great vineyards are now owned by the global financial institutions and corporations.
The city of Bordeaux is built on the river Garonne which is joined by the Dordogne just to the north. Both these great rivers meeting to form the Gironde Estuary. Sea mists and fogs roll in during the summer and autumn meeting the heat of the land to create a microclimate which contributes to the region's fine wines, fruit and vegetables. But the rains can be fickle in Bordeaux which is why a year's vintage can be unpredictable.
| The soil of the Bordeaux region is a mixture of clay, sand, gravel and small stones and the landscape varies across the region giving rise to widest range of wines from any region in France. The Médoc and Haut Médoc to the west of the Gironde estuary was settled by early bronze age man. It is flat and very fertile. | |
| Photo: Comité Departmental Du Tourisme de La Gironde. B.P. Larmarque |
Travel East in the direction of Libourne and St Emillion and there is a noticeable difference in the scenery. The flat lands give way to small hills that dominate parts of the countryside as with the hill town of St Émillion. Its charm that can only be appreciated by visiting the region and savouring the many delights it has to offer.
There are small areas of forest and to the south of Bordeaux is the Parc Régional des Landes de Gascogne, an area covered by pine forests which produces a large amount of planking for floors, roofing and wall cladding. The most succulent small carrots are grown here in fields which stretch as far as the eye can see.
Just 60 km south of Bordeaux is the seaside town of Arcachon with vast unspoilt beaches, tree lined roads and berthing for hundreds of yachts. Arcachon is famous throughout France for its oysters and it is possible to see the beds at low tide. Although the oyster production has suffered several major setbacks, they are now flourishing again thanks to Japanese and Canadian breeding stocks.
The entire region is dotted with hotels of all sizes and prices. Caravan and camping sites abound.
For more tourist information and history, see Premier Pages