Land of vineyards and medieval towns

Aquitaine - the region of South West France known as a motherland of the most excellent French wines - can also boast a lot of historical attractions and sea resorts.

Aquitaine South West France Bordeaux

Aquitaine lies on the border with Spain, particularly with Pays Basque and its culture surfing coastline south west france

The history of Aquitaine began in a distant I century BC, when it was one of the four Roman provinces in Gallia. In 1137, when princess of Aquitaine married French king Louis VII, this province joined France, but when in 1152 princess divorced with Louis and married Henry Plantagenet, Aquitaine became a part of England. Only 300 years later Jeanne D’Arc managed to return this land under the rule the French crown. The heart of the province and its capital is Bordeaux. This city is carefully keeping its historical heritage – its medieval houses and churches. Presents a mix of the French and Basque traditions. Soft climate and fresh sea air attract in Aquitaine a lot of tourists from all over the world.
They neighbor with the magnificent facades of the XVIII century structures. The district nowadays called Old Bordeaux was formed in the beginning of the XVIII and still keeps its original look. The most impressive landmarks are Place de la Bourse, Colonnes aquitaine south west france image

des Girondins, Grand Theatre, Saint-Andre Cathedral, Saint-Michel Basilica, Saint-Seurin Basilica and others. Bordeaux also houses numerous museums – among tem are Musee des Beaux Arts, Musee d'Aquitaine and Musee D'Histoire Naturelle.Bordeaux is a beautiful and ancient city, but it’s wine that made this region really famous. Some call Bordeaux “wine capital of the world”. In Bordeaux they have been producing wine since VIII century. The region is known both for red and white wines. Red Bordeaux is generally made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec. White Bordeaux is made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle. The tradition is to name the wine in the honor of the castle where it is produced. If Bordeaux is the wine capital, then Arcachon situated 60 km far from Bordeaux can be named “Oyster capital” Along with cheese and wine, it the gastronomic landmark of Aquitaine and the whole France. Arcachon could have become a resort not less luxurious than Nice or Cannes, but its special charm is that it’s quiet and cozy place. It’s a perfect destination for relax. If we nevertheless will try to find in Aquitaine a resort that could be compared with Nice or Cannes, then it surely will be Biarritz. Biarritz is a prestigious resort on the Atlantic coast on the border with Spain. It gained its popularity in the middle of XIX century and is still an important center of thalassotherapy. It’s also a paradise for those who like sport activity – there are a lot of golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools.

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