Official language: French
Time zone: UTC+2
(summer),
UTC+1
(winter)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
In the famous sommelier school, i.e. Ecole du Vin, even wine lovers can take part in a few-hour long or weekend course. The prices are affordable for tourists.
The seaside town of Arcachon has the largest moving dune in Europe, Du Pyla and a lagoon, which is a natural environment of wild oysters.
At the turn of May and June, on the banks of the Garonne, there are two grand festivals taking place: Bordeaux Fête le Fleuve (festival of the river) and Bordeaux Fête le Vin (festival of wine).
Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is the capital of the Aquitaine region. Not only lovers of baroque architecture and breath-taking landscapes of the Atlantic coast will spent there perfectly time, but, above all, gourmets. You can taste the best wines of the world and excellent local cuisine there.
Aquitaine is one of the oldest regions in the world where wine is continuously produced. Traces of the first vineyards date back to the first century A.C. Currently, in about 10,000 château are produced almost 800 million bottles of this beverage every year! Being in Bordeaux, you must go on a trip not only to the La Cité du Vin – a wine museum, but also to guided tours and tasting trips to the surrounding vineyards. This type of attractions is organized by all tourist agencies in the city.
Equally climatic and interesting is the city itself, which impresses with its architecture. Among the worth seeing buildings are the medieval St-Seurin church, the Ste-Eulalie church, the St-Michel church or the Gothic St-Andre cathedral with a 15th-century belfry from where you can admire the city’s panorama. A huge attraction are the elegant streets of the Old Town with the best restaurants and boutiques, as well as bridges (for e.g. Pont de Pierre, Pont d'Aquitaine) spread out over the waters of the Garonne. In the city there are also admired museums, for example the Musée des Beaux-Arts with valuable collections of paintings or the Musée d'Aquitaine with exhibitions on the history of the region.
What is worth eating there? Certain dishes based on fish and seafood, such as brandade (cod puree), sole à la dieppoise (salt and seafood in wine) and moules à la marinière (mussels in white wine with garlic and parsley). When it comes to meat dishes we recommend Agneau de Pouillac (lamb), as well as world-famous goose liver patties (foie gras). To accompany a dinner, of course, take excellent local wine, and after the meal, winiak armagnac. Where to eat? Local cuisine is served, among others, in Le Pressoir D'Argent, La Brasserie Bordelaise and La Tupina.