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