A Guide to the Bordeaux region, France, for wine enthusiasts and not only- part 3
In the first part of this post, I talked about what a chateau is and gave a few examples of a chateau with gourmet experiences, staying options and historical significance. In the second I focused on the wine tasting types of chateau, and I told you how and where you can stay in Bergerac and of course where you can eat deliciously.
Now comes the time to mention other interesting places around and finally to tell about Bordeaux.
Other picturesque towns and places where you can walk, stay, and have a delicious meal
Sarlat
The “Watcher” admires the motley crowd in the square at Sarlat. Although it is a more recent sculpture, it fits very well into the old cityscape.
It is considered that here is the Mecca of goose liver (foie gras).
And did you know that Bulgaria is in second place in the world of foie gras exports with 12.28% according to statistics from 2020, after France with 63.67%?
In Sarlat, you can eat quite well at L’Auberge de Ravilhon. The place is not recommended much in the popular platforms, but the 5D Sensograph of placescases.com decided assess it objectively and gave it a very different rating. See why in the review about the restaurant.
Saint-Emilion
An iconic location that an appellation is named after. There is no wine connoisseur who has not heard of it. The town is very pleasant, with old stately buildings, some dating back to the Middle Ages, cobbled, steep streets. It is full of shops that offer you to taste wine accompanied by local cheeses. The restaurants offer fine dining. When buying souvenirs, don’t forget to buy a Cannele – a typical Bordeaux sweet
Cannele is pronounced Canyule, with an accent on the last e. It is a typical pastry of the Bordeaux region, the dough is slightly creamy on the inside, the crust is caramel on the outside without being crunchy. The aroma is of vanilla and rum.
If you are staying in the town or somewhere nearby, you must make an appointment to visit a winery, even better if it is a Grand Cru. We visited Chateau Rochebelle mentioned above.
And here I have a tip for a restaurant, although the choice is very large and you can easily try another place.
We had lunch at Le Clos du Roy restaurant. I was most impressed there with the accompanying vegetables, the way they cook lamb and the way they serve the fancy version of coffee called ‘Gourmand’. You can see how the 5D Sensograph rated it in the review.
Sightseeing, accommodation and gourmet experiences in Bordeaux – again a guest house instead of a hotel
The city and its sights
After getting used to the provincial calm of Bergerac and the almost rustic idyll of the region, we plunged into the urban atmosphere of Bordeaux. At first it seemed like a scary madhouse with so many tourists and car traffic, but then I really liked its atmosphere. The city is very old and very beautiful, and offers a lot of sights to see.
But it is enough even just to take a walk along the waterfront, to the Water Mirror, along the pedestrian street.
Youthful spirit and energy reigns everywhere. People here are used to having great wine from the region’s appellations, all at very reasonable prices. Grand Cru can be bought in a shop at a price of 7 to 20 euros. The chateau shops themselves also sell at very good prices.
If you are a fan of wine, a must stop, at least for 3 hours, is the Wine Museum – Cite du Vin. If you’re not, it’s still mandatory. The museum is very well organized, extremely modern and everything is very interesting inside. It is not necessary to use a guide, because in it you will find plenty of material for listening, watching, reading. Everything is interactive, and finally, as a finishing touch, you are given the opportunity to drink a free glass of wine on the roof with an exceptional view of Bordeaux and the Gironde estuary. Speaking of which, I recommend going to the museum by boat. Flights are 10-20 minutes away and it’s more fun. A ticket can be bought on the spot or in advance, we got it from the captain. In the museum, in addition to learning about wine, we also saw a very nice exhibition of Picasso and his associates. Look at the photos on Instagram.
In the very center of Bordeaux is its magnificent cathedral – Saint Andre. I also recommend it as a must-stop, and if there is a concert, get tickets and enjoy virtuoso performances of the organ, as well as its perfect acoustics.
A Guest House in Bordeaux
Here we also chose to stay in a guest house – Maison Manege – comfortable, stylish, colorful – we really liked it! You can read more about how this place impressed us in the review dedicated to it.
Bordeaux gourmet experiences
If you are left without a dinner reservation on a Friday or Saturday night, as was our case, you need to have a late dinner and do not want to be kicked out of the restaurant at 10 pm, or you are simply in the Meriadeck area and urgently need to eat, but delicious, you can count on La P’tite Brasserie. The place is quite unpretentious, but you will surely have a good time there.
However, there is one place that, in my opinion, is a must-visit if you are a foodie, and that is the Oze restaurant. There they will offer you a palette of different dishes to share and if you are a group of friends it is even better. I was very impressed with this place and its energy.
How to get to all these places?
Use the Google map by selecting the pin in the place you are interested in. Then click on the arrow and it will open a navigation map:
In this map, you can see where the restaurants are in and around Bergerac and the guest house, and accordingly use Google maps navigation.
How to book your stay?
You can book your stay right here. For your convenience, I have added a booking.com box, which refers directly to their site. I guarantee you’re going to use all your genius discounts and privileges they would offer to you. Just enter the dates of your trip, then hit the Search button and voila.
Booking.com
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Do you ever wonder how some places differ so much from others in service, environment, as an overall experience? This means you are also interested like me in the topic of The Experience Economy by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore. I constantly add to my collection reviews about those of them, which practice its principles, regardless of intentionally or accidentally. If you are curious to understand which they are, explore category The Experience Economy.
