wine and wine again (Bordeaux)

Member Name: pontecaille

Product:	Bordeaux
Date:	25/01/02 (111 review reads)
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Here is another French town I had the chance to visit thanks to sport championships. I travelled mostly all over France and despite the sport event we always a bit of spare time to discover the places we were competing in.

Bordeaux has about 214 633 inhabitants and is one major French city. It is in the south Middle West and is part of the Aquitaine region.
And once again it is a city of wine, yes here wine lovers will be delighted to stroll into the largest vineyard in the world. The wealth of the Bordeaux wine is huge and you are spoiled for choice. You can easily walk in a wine merchant who will be happy to give advice. You also will have the privilege to have a taste…and believe it is worth it.
As in any other opinions here are just few famous wine names: Chateau Medoc, St Emilion, Sauternes, Graves, Cotes de Bourg, Cotes de Blaye, Entre Deux Mers…they all have a controlled label and you can visit the luxurious cellars. It is a sensational experience and you can’t forget the very special smell or shall I say fragrance from the cellars.


It has a Celtic origin and was founded between 4th and 3rd century AD and was named “Burdigala”. It has been many times invaded by enemies and became an English territory in 1152. Bordeaux slowly expanded despite fights and grew with prosperity. The harbour “Port de la Lune” (Port of the Moon) took an even more important role in the commercial distribution of wines. It already welcomed ships from around the world since Antiquity.
At a later date, France won back the county town in 1453 but it was severely damaged by the war and needed a good restoration work.
Bordeaux was the centre of rebellions against religion and royalty.
In the 18th, the international markets opening and the colonies settling in gave a boost to the industrial and economical side of the city. It is today very well developed.

Architecture and monuments:


-“Port de la Lune” already mentioned above: Gallo-Roman building.
-“St Pierre situated on the harbour
-“St-Eloi” quarters with picturesque cobbled streets
-“Place Royale”
-“Theatre”
-“Tourny Avenue”
-“City Hall”: cathedral and “Rohan Palace”
-“St Michel with gothic spires

The UNESCO added few monuments to the World Heritage such as Basilicas St Michel, St Seurin, and St Andre.

Museums:

-Museum of Fine Arts
-Museum of Aquitaine
-Museum of Decorative Arts
-Museum of Modern Arts
-Museum des Chatrons and Vinorama: wine exposition
-International sailing exhibition
-Stamps Museum
-And so on

Famous people:

-Toulouse Lautrec, painter and illustrator
-Ausone, roman poet
-Michel de Montaigne, philosopher
-Charles Louis de Montesquieu, architect of “Siecles de la Lumiere”
-Hippolyte, Stendhal, Theophile Gautier
-Jules Verne, Emile Zola, Victor Hugo, Richard Wagner, Paul Gauguin, …All of them were astonished by the charm of the city.

Here are few attractions possible:

-Walking tours
-Discover wine producing
-Be introduced to wine tasting as a game with blind full on…
-Limousine tours
-Coach tours
-Boat trips around the port
-Bicycle tours

All year long many events take place:

-Festival of urban creations; photos, paintings, sculpture, drawings…
-Equestrian exhibition
-Carnivals
-Vineyards sightseeing
-Sports events

I have to say I was truly impressed Bordeaux offers so many facilities for disabled. Not only most of the attractions are accessible to wheelchairs but also restaurants and hotels. They all are listed in a guide you can ask at the tourist information centre. The council always take into account the issu
e of handicapped access and try to modernize as much as possible.

Bordeaux have every thing you need during a vacation: the cultural sites, historic places, parks, panoramas, nice climate, gastronomic pleasures, nightlife and wine. It is also easy to get to other places of interest still in the same region. And there is a great national football team...

Your role is to enjoy all these and to take it easy. It is as simple as that. Your spending money depends on the things you decide to do but in general Bordeaux is not an expensive place and you can thoroughly spend a very agreeable time at affordable prices.
Don’t miss out the Cafes as they also part of the French patrimony.

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