BORDEAUX, Francia

Our home is situated in a small and quiet street in the western part of Bordeaux , not far from the famous Château Haut-Brion vineyards . The house is luminous and cosy with a fine garden. On the ground floor we have a large living-room where we also take our meals , a kitchen , one bedroom (with twin-beds 2x90x200 and it's own bathroom ) , a second bathroom and a TV-computer room . The first floor, with the parents' bedroom and three little rooms, is in principle not part of the exchange, but if you need a second bedroom, please ask us. Our house is not suitable for young children . Behind our house you can relax in our peaceful and shady garden (200m2 ) .
You find a small organic supermarkt, Biocoop, 10 mn by car. A small supermarket , City, is at some minutes by foot from our home and two bigger one ( Auchan and Centre Leclerc) at 10 mn by car . We live at less than 15 minutes by car, bicycle, tram or bus from the city-centre , and at 50 mn from the Atlantic Ocean beaches .

THE CITY OF BORDEAUX

The historic centre (Unesco world heritage) is rich in monuments and buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries . The city offers also a magnificent fit up waterfront , beautiful parks , interesting museums , a new tramway since some years, nice shops , fine restaurants and cafés terraces …

THE REGION AQUITAINE

To the west (50 mn by car), the ocean with more than 200 km sandy beaches (surf competitions in Lacanau), beautiful lakes ( Carcans , Sanguinet ) , a good network of cycle paths in the nature, the Bassin d'Arcachon with its oysters farms ( you can reach Arcachon with the train from Pessac-station), the highest sand dune in Europe ( dune du Pyla 114 m),….. without forgetting the Medoc vineyards and their remarkable « châteaux ».
In summer there are different festivals associating wine and classical music. The touristic office propose day trips to explore Bordeaux surroundings with the bus. For a day trip you can also take a boat and reach the fortified citadel of Blaye .

To the east, the village of Saint- Emilion ( Unesco World Heritage) and its famous vineyards , remains of la Sauve-Majeure abbey ... The area of the Dordogne ( about 2 hours) with its fabulous prehistoric caves, medieval castles, beautiful villages (Sarlat , la Roque-Gageac, Beynac ..) .

To the south, the château of Labrède , the Landes pine forest , the Pays- Basque (2h30 ) and its typical architecture (St Jean de Luz, Bayonne, Biarritz ), the Pyrenees mountains (Lourdes) and Spain (Guggenheim museum in Bilbao).

SOME LINKS
www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.com
www.bordeaux-tourisme.com
www.gironde-tourisme.fr