Aquitaine adventure

Aquitaine adventure – main image

Thanks to its location in the southwestern part of the country, Aquitaine tempts tourists both with beaches on the Atlantic and mountain trips in the Pyrenees. It is important for Christians, many of whom make pilgrimages to Lourdes, the famous sanctuary. Fans of sports shows will not be bored there. And, as befits France, it delights wine connoisseurs - this is where the region with about 8,000 wine estates (châteaus) is located, i.e. the world-famous Bordeaux.

Flavors of Aquitaine

We can start the story about Aquitaine with the cuisine, an important element of which is asparagus - because the region is famous for growing it. The menu of local restaurants is filled with fish and seafood dishes. Notable dishes include: salt in wine with seafood, sea mussels or lamprey in vegetables. A popular meal, served in virtually every pub, is cod puree with olive oil and milk - brandade. It will appeal to people who like very salty dishes. Aquitaine cuisine is based on meat. What will we encounter when looking through the menu? Undoubtedly, roasted lamb with thyme, veal schnitzels with truffles or the flagship dish of the region, the Bordeaux entrecote. A tourist who would like to spend a holiday at a campsite in France and get to know this country from the culinary side will certainly pay a lot of attention to wines. Aquitaine boasts Bordeaux, where approximately 850 million bottles of wine are produced each year. White, red, sweet, dry - you will find all types here, for every budget, meeting the requirements of every taste bud.

Bordeaux sightseeing

bordeaux-cd_fr-wwwflickrcom-cc-by-sajpg

Bordeaux is the name of the wine-growing area, as well as the city that is the main center of the department - Gironde. It lies on the Garonne River and is called one of the least French cities in France. It invites you to visit its old part, inscribed on the UNESCO list of monuments, see the ruins of the amphitheater and fragments of the city walls, or stop at one of the numerous bridges spanning both banks of the river. They come from the period when the city was one of the largest seaports in this part of Europe. An important point of a trip to Bordeaux is a walk to the Capuchin Market, called the culinary mecca, as well as a visit to Place des Quinconces, one of the largest European squares. Its center is decorated with a beautiful, expressive Girondist Column (Monument aux Girondins). What should a tourist/architecture enthusiast absolutely see? There are wonderful temples in Bordeaux, starting from Ste-Eualie, through St. Seurin, and ending with the Cathedral of St. Andrew with the Royal Gate, the twin of Notre Dame in Paris. The monumental Grand Theater delights. Tourists are very impressed by Pont de Pierre, a bridge supported by 17 arches designed by Napoleon. Even bigger - a Gothic temple with a bell tower, which is the second tallest tower in France (after the Strasbourg tower of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary). And this is only a fraction of the attractions of the capital of Aquitaine. We can end our tour of the city at the Stock Exchange Square, where there is an interesting place - a water mirror reflecting the old buildings around the square.

Camping in the Dordogne

camping-le-val-de-la-marquise-1jpg

Traveling through Aquitaine, let's visit the Dordogne, the neighboring department number 24 (Gironde is number 33). Its main town is Périgueux, and the area is rich in medieval towns such as Sarlat-la-Caneda with its yellow sandstone houses. It is worth visiting the tiny Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, located under a rock cliff, with caves in which you can see prehistoric engravings (UNESCO world cultural heritage), as well as St-Cirq Lapopie, picturesquely located on a slope, where the streets slope steeply down or they are working their way up. Where can we find the perfect place to relax? Tourists visiting the Dordogne will be happy if they decide to stay overnight at the Le Val de la Marquise campsite , a perfect place for nature lovers. It is located halfway between the towns of Le Bugue and Les Eyzies, and offers guests an intimate atmosphere, peace and quiet among the greenery. Just like in the Dordogne.

Aquitaine adventure – image 1
Aquitaine adventure – image 2
Aquitaine adventure – image 3
Aquitaine adventure – image 4
Ken.G
Ken.G

A writer by profession, a passion of a cat. One day he will see what is behind the Urals - good to Vladivostok. So far, when he can, he enjoys the sun of the countries of southern Europe. And it's also fun;)

Also read

Barcelonnette - Spanish in name only – image 1
Places to visit
Barcelonnette - Spanish in name only
In the Provencal Alps, at the confluence of two beautiful valleys, there is a French town with a Spanish-sounding name and architecture with distinct Mexican accents. This is Barcelonnette, which has numerous ski resorts as its neighbors, and itself tempts with something completely different - a specific atmosphere, the possibility of blissful relaxation or active time spent among pristine Alpine nature. "Barcelonnette", naturally, is associated with Barcelona and is translated as a diminutive of its name. In terms of architecture, however, it does not resemble much the center famous for the Sagrada Familia temple or residential buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi (including Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens). The city owes its name to the fact that Ramon Berenguer IV, who founded it in the 13th century, was also the ruler of the seat of Catalonia. Barcelonnette is surrounded by Alpine peaks, the largest of which, Grand Berard, rises above the horizon north of the city. On the other side, the sky is decorated with Le Chapeau de Gendarme, considered the most picturesque of all the peaks that cast a shadow over the valleys of the Ubaye River and its tributary, the Bachelard. The town is beautifully situated on the flat bottom of the valley, and a little higher, in the background, there are pastures and meadows. Between them, small hamlets nestled in the landscape, looking as if time had stopped there for at least half a century. Even higher, the areas are covered with pine forests, and above them you can see the mountain peaks, jagged like the edges of a cordon handkerchief. What could be a more relaxing sight, what better place to holiday in the Alps than a campsite in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region ?.