Aquitaine
Aquitaine is made up of the following departments: Dordogne (24), Gironde (33), Lot-et-Garonne (47), Landes (40) and Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64).
This huge and diverse region has a wealth of very different sights, cultures and cuisine to explore, from the rolling hills, medieval châteaux, prehistoric caves and rivers of the Dordogne, to the pine-covered sandy terrain of the Landes – the largest forest in Europe – and the endless stretch of sandy beach and dramatic sea which spans the whole Atlantic coast of this region, right down to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
The capital of Aquitaine is Bordeaux, a cosmopolitan and lively city, with majestic old buildings and glamorous shops. Bordeaux has been an important town for centuries, and played a significant role in the Napoleonic wars, when cannons were shipped from forges all over the region, down the rivers to Bordeaux, where the battle ships were waiting to go to war.
Throughout the surrounding Area, and all the way back along the Dordogne river, are vineyards. A trip to Bordeaux is not complete without a wine tasting at one of the famous châteaux. But this whole region is splattered with important wine regions, and the smaller ones, like the dessert wine of Monbazillac near Bergerac, should not be overlooked.
To the south, the beaches near Biarritz are the home of World-class surfing contests.
There are two separate climates in Aquitaine. The coast is mild, with the Gulf stream to keep it warm. Inland, the weather is a touch more extreme and variable, with short winters than can get very cold (lows of about -20°C), scorching heat-waves in summer and enough rain to keep the countryside lush and green. Generally, though, the summers in Aquitaine are reliably warm and sunny.
Aquitaine is extremely rich in gastronomic tradition. Oysters and other seafood are for sale everywhere you look on the coast, while Périgord is famous for foie gras, duck, confit, walnuts and walnut oil, and the famous Périgordian black truffle.
Fresh water fish and wild game (deer, wild boar and birds) are also important features of this region’s culinary landscape, along with little soft goat cheeses (cabécous) in the north and the hard mountain cheeses and the Basque crème brulée of the Pyrenees. Everything is usually washed down with plenty of local red wine.
To view some Gites in the Aquitaine, please visit Gites in Aquitaine
All the best
