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Chateaux tours and wine tastings are de rigeur throughout Bordeaux this summer, as France prepares to welcome its visitors to what is arguably the largest and oldest fine wine producing region in the world. So, get ready to raise your glass to this beautiful, sunny city.
The local tourist office, which arranges trips and introductory wine tasting courses, claims there are 113,000 hectares of vineyards and 57 appellations producing 800 million bottles of wine annually, while the region is home to seven of France's major wine-growing areas.
It is world-renowned for its big reds, which have dominated the viticulture scene for centuries, but visitors are advised to remember there is much more to Bordeaux than its grapes, so look beyond the dry and sweet whites, roses, clairets and the cremant de Bordeaux to a port city that is also perfect for driving holidays.
Offering spectacular coastal views of the vast Atlantic Ocean, many visitors to France's south-west coast drive down to the Bay of Biscay and Biarritz or make their way up to La Rochelle - either way you can expect breathtaking scenery.
Bordeaux's port is a great place to relax, while the city is divided into two halves by the River Garonne, so there will be plenty of chance to find your romantic self with a stroll along the waterways.
The riverfront is lined with 18th century buildings dating back to the port's glory days and recalls a bygone era where architecture was purely about opulence. Along the walk, Time Out advises you to look out for the Place de la Bourse, designed by Paris' Place de la Concorde architect Jacques Ange Gabriel. And heading back from here are the rambling cobbled streets surrounding the Place de Parlement.
In fact, the city's old town, with its charming gothic churches and cathedrals, is a must-see. Dominating the skyline of the old religious quarter is the flamboyant basilica dedicated to the archangel Saint-Michel. Visitors lucky enough to be here on Monday or Saturday will find a morning market under its beautiful spire. And further exploration will uncover the church of Saint Pierre and Sainte Croix, also well worth a look.
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