W
HY
V
ISIT
BORDEAUX?
Bordeaux, located in western France, is one of the most important wine-growing areas in the world. It’s also a place rich in history, culture, and sights that any world traveler or Europe lover will want to see at least once in their lifetime.
BORDEAUX’S FAMOUS V
I N E YA R D S
One of the most important places to visit is, of course, Bordeaux’s famous vineyards. Bordeaux’s wine industry is such an important part of world culture, it’s been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even if you don’t drink wine yourself, you’ll want to see the area’s splendid vineyards just for their importance to history.
SOME FACTS A
BOUT
BORDEAUX W •
INE
Bordeaux is the largest winegrowing area in France.
•
Almost all of Bordeaux’s famous wines are blends, meaning they’re created by combining more than one type of grape.
•
The primary type of wine grape grown in Bordeaux is merlot. In fact, Bordeaux grows the most
merlot grapes in the world. •
Today, Bordeaux is most famous for its red wines. But until the 1970s, it mostly produced white wines.
ESPLANADE
Bordeaux is also famous for its beautiful
architecture—some of it hundreds or thousands of years old. For example, the Esplanade des Quinconces is one of the largest city squares in Europe. Across its more
than 30 acres, visitors can see many splendid sculptures, fountains, and other stunning sights.
DES
QUINCONCES
GRAND THÉÂTRE
DE
BORDEAUX
Another of Bordeaux’s architectural wonders is the Grand Theatre, a neoclassical structure built in the late 1700s. It is the place where famed ballet dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa debuted some of his most famous pieces, and today serves as home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux and the Ballet National de Bordeaux.
C AT H É D R A L E S A I N T - A
NDRÉ
DE
BORDEAUX There are many ancient cathedrals throughout Europe, and one of the most impressive is Bordeaux’s Cathédrale Saint-André, which was
consecrated in 1096 by Pope Urban II. It was also the place where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII, and is the current seat for the Archbishop of Bordeaux-Bazas.
MUSﾃ右 Bordeaux is also home to one of the greatest art galleries
in all of France, the Museum of Fine Arts. Pieces on display include paintings by Picasso, Renoir, Seurat,
Matisse, Rubens, Delcroix, and more. Some of the museums most famous paintings have been in its possession since the French Revolution, when they were taken from their original
aristocratic owners.
DES
BEAUX-A
RTS
G IRONDE E STUARY
If you’re more interested in nature than in architecture or
art, Bordeaux is also home to the Gironde Estuary, the largest estuary in Europe. For military buffs, Gironde was
also the site of Operation Frankton, a daring commando mission by 12 British special forces troops during World War II to destroy the ships docked in the estuary.
C O N TA C T U S
AmaWaterways takes people from around the world on one-of-a-kind river cruises through Europe, Asia, Africa, and more. Our river cruises are designed to let our passengers see the sights of their chosen destinations while traveling in comfort and style. Visit www.amawaterways.com for more information.
SOURCES
AND
I MAGE ATTRIBUTIONS
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/foodanddrink/bordeaux-food-wineculture/11211610/facts-about-bordeaux.html
Slide 9 Image: By --Pinpin 18:40, 3 May 2006 (UTC) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5), GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons