Introduction
Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the largest region in France, sweeping down the Atlantic seaboard from the Loire to the Pyrenees and the Spanish border — a vast, sunlit region of vineyards, river valleys, pine forests and long ocean beaches. For travellers it is extraordinarily rich: Bordeaux, the elegant wine capital, and the great vineyards around it; the prehistoric caves, clifftop châteaux and golden towns of the Dordogne; the Atlantic coast with Europe's tallest sand dune, the oyster bays of Arcachon and the surf beaches of the Landes; the island-fringed port of La Rochelle; and, in the far south, the green Basque Country around Biarritz and Bayonne.
Overview
Nouvelle-Aquitaine, created in 2016 from Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes, is the biggest of France's regions — bigger than many European countries — and one of the most varied, running from the marshes of the Marais Poitevin in the north to the Basque Country and the Pyrenees in the south. Its capital, Bordeaux, is one of France's most graceful cities: an eighteenth-century ensemble of pale stone along the Garonne, its riverfront Place de la Bourse mirrored in the famous reflecting pool, its whole centre — the 'Port of the Moon' — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the futuristic Cité du Vin celebrating the wine that made it rich. For Bordeaux is, above all, the heart of the world's most famous wine region: the grand châteaux of the Médoc (Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien), the hilltop village of Saint-Émilion with its own UNESCO listing, and the sweet whites of Sauternes all lie within easy reach. Inland to the east, the Dordogne and the Périgord form one of France's most beloved corners — the Vézère valley holds the prehistoric painted caves seen at Lascaux IV and Font-de-Gaume, the Dordogne river curls beneath clifftop castles (Beynac, Castelnaud) and past honey-coloured bastide towns, and the golden medieval town of Sarlat anchors a land of foie gras, truffles, walnuts and walnut oil. The Atlantic coast runs for hundreds of kilometres: the Bassin d'Arcachon with its oyster ports and the Dune du Pilat, Europe's tallest sand dune; the endless surf beaches and pine forest of the Landes; and, further north, the luminous port of La Rochelle with its harbour towers and great aquarium, the nearby islands of Ré and Oléron, and the brandy town of Cognac on the Charente. In the far south lies the French Basque Country: the Belle Époque surf resort of Biarritz, the ramparts, chocolate and ham of Bayonne, pretty Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and the green hills rising towards the Pyrenees. Bordeaux is about two hours from Paris by TGV and has an international airport; trains serve the coast and the cities, while a car is best for the Dordogne, the vineyards and the Basque hills. Spring to autumn is the prime season, with the grape harvest a fine time for the wine country.
Discover Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Bordeaux is one of the most elegant cities in France and the capital of the world's most celebrated wine region. Its eighteenth-century heart — the 'Port of the Moon', a UNESCO World Heritage Site — lines the curve of the Garonne in pale limestone, its showpiece the Place de la Bourse, whose classical façade is mirrored in the Miroir d'eau, the vast reflecting pool on the quay. The city wears its wealth lightly: grand boulevards and the long Rue Sainte-Catherine for shopping, the Gothic Cathedral of Saint-André, the cafés and wine bars of the Saint-Pierre quarter, and the striking Cité du Vin, a museum of wine cultures in a building shaped like wine swirling in a glass. But Bordeaux's real estate is liquid, and the vineyards begin at the city's edge. Northwest along the Gironde estuary, the Médoc lines up its grand châteaux and famous appellations — Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe. To the east, the beautiful hilltop village of Saint-Émilion, ringed by vines and honeycombed with a monolithic church carved from the rock, is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. South lie the gravelly Graves and the golden sweet wines of Sauternes. Many châteaux welcome visitors for tours and tastings, and Bordeaux makes the perfect base from which to explore them.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The UNESCO 'Port of the Moon', the Place de la Bourse water mirror and the Cité du Vin, plus the great vineyards of the Médoc, Saint-Émilion and Sauternes.
The prehistoric caves of the Vézère (Lascaux IV), clifftop castles, the golden town of Sarlat, and the foie gras, truffles and walnuts of the Périgord table.
Arcachon Bay and the Dune du Pilat, the surf beaches and pine forest of the Landes, La Rochelle and the islands of Ré and Oléron, and the brandy town of Cognac.
Biarritz and its surf, the ham and chocolate of Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the red-pepper village of Espelette and the green hills towards the Pyrenees.
Frequently asked questions
Tourism & destination guides
Official regional tourism site — Bordeaux and the vineyards, the Dordogne, the Atlantic coast and the Basque Country, with itineraries, events and accommodation across France's largest region.
Official Bordeaux Métropole tourist office — the UNESCO old town and Place de la Bourse, guided city and vineyard tours, the Cité du Vin and the Bordeaux Métropole City Pass.
Cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.