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Gironde’s heritage – the unmissables

However short your stay in Gironde, it would be a great pity to miss out on the Grand Théâtre and Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux, the monolithic church in Saint-Emilion, the Cordouan Lighthouse, the Blaye Citadel or the collegiate church in Uzeste. 
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However short your stay in Gironde, it would be a great pity to miss out on the Grand Théâtre and Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux, the monolithic church in Saint-Emilion, the Cordouan Lighthouse, the Blaye Citadel or the collegiate church in Uzeste. 
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Jean-Pierre Elkabbach aime la citadelle de Blaye.
La Grosse Cloche en lumière
OT Bordeaux - Thomas Sanson

It would also be hard to leave without visiting the châteaux of Roquetaillade, Cazeneuve and Vayres, not forgetting the mediaeval towns and villages of Rions, La Réole, Saint-Macaire and Castelmoron d’Albret, or the bastide towns of Créon, Blasimon, Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, Pellegrue, Monségur, Cadillac, and Libourne.

Also well worth a look are the 19th -century seaside architecture in the resorts of Arcachon, Lacanau and Soulac, Le Corbusier workers’ city in Pessac, and the family homes of Montesquieu, Toulouse-Lautrec and François Mauriac.

Whetting your appetite...

Bordeaux

Aquitaine’s capital city and the world capital of wine has done itself proud these past few years – remodelled quays, a brand-new tramway, a city-centre for pedestrians only and listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site all go to make it an unmissable stop-off.

Saint-Emilion

Nestling in the midst of the vineyards, the village of Saint Emilion, with its pale golden stonework and Romanesque tiles, casts an instant spell over the visitor. To see: Europe’s largest underground church and its catacombs, the collegiate church and its cloister, the Tour du Roy and the Cordeliers Monastery. Home country of the famous Châteaux Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Petrus, Saint-Emilion and the 8 municipalities in its juridiction were included on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999 as “cultural landscapes”. www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com

Blaye Citadel

Built by the famous architect Vauban between 1685 and 1689, with a view to protecting Bordeaux, the Blaye Citadel is listed under the name “Vauban’s Lock”, along with Fort Pâté (on the island of the same name) and Fort Médoc on the left bank of the Estuary.  www.tourisme-blaye.com

Cordouan Lighthouse

Baptised “the Versailles of the sea” and “king of lighthouses, lighthouse of kings”, Cordouan (listed as a Historical Monument in 1862) is Europe’s oldest lighthouse (16th century). This magnificent sentinel standing 7 km offshore comprises six Renaissance-style storeys and contains a chapel dedicated to King Louis XIV. Visits embark from Verdon port www.vedettelaboheme.com

Sauve-Majeure Abbey

This Benedictine abbey was founded in 1079 and was an essential stop-off for pilgrims on the Ways of Saint James of Compostela. Superb historiated Romanesque capitals and a bell tower providing unrestricted views over the whole of Entre-deux-Mers and the bastide town of Créon. www.monuments-nationaux.fr

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