The wines of Bordeaux set the standard against which other wines are measured stemming from as far back as between AD 37 and 68, when the Romans called this land Burdigala. Magical medieval wine towns like St-Émilion, renowned vineyards, and castles along the Route de Médoc entice visitors to discover Bordeaux’s wine country each year.

Bordeaux proper has been cleaned up, cars have been banished from most of the historic center revealing the splendors of its 18th-century architecture. The Garonne River is now lined with public gardens, fountains, and playgrounds and as you move away from the center, elegant streets give way to narrow cobbled streets, ancient churches, and a more youthful, funky Bordeaux, home to 90,000 students which fuel a lively nightlife scene when school is in session.