Bordeaux is a vibrant city and one of the most beautiful in the South of France. Half of the city, more than 1800 hectares has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its historic buildings. The dominant architecture is classical and neo-classical and has remained virtually unchanged for 2 centuries and so it is incredibly unspoilt. Bordeaux used not to have a great reputation but in 1996 Alain Juppé began an urban regeneration project which included [...]
If you are holidaying in the northern part of the Dordogne you should not miss a trip to Brantome – it really is an idyllic village. A river runs right through the town leading to its being known locally a the Venice of Perigord. Behind the village is a cliff covered in trees, at the bottom of which is the very large and very beautiful Abbey of Brantome. The Benedictine Abbey dates back to 769 and was founded by Charlemagne. [...]
Where does the south of France begin? For most of this site I have taken it to include the regions of Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrenees and Provence / Cote d’Azur. But a little further up the Atlantic Coast, in Poitou-Charentes, the coast has its own sunny micro-climate, and has more of a ‘south of France’ feel than places further north. So I have no problem in considering La Rochelle, the major town in the region, as ‘gateway to the south-west of [...]
I recently had the opportunity to explore the Camargue region of south-western Provence and two important towns that fall just outside its eastern boundary – Nimes and Arles.
