Bordeaux & the Rivers of Wine

This new cruise explores a fascinating and scenically stunning area whose beautiful landscapes and historic towns are best viewed from the waterways that were once its commercial arteries. Châteaux of all shapes and sizes and medieval ‘bastide’ towns characterise the wine districts in the green and peaceful countryside. The vine dominates to such an extent that wines are included in practically every regional dish - à la bordelaise or ‘with a wine sauce’. ‘Great cooking and great wines make a paradise on earth’ - the dictum of the renaissance King Henry IV sums up southwest France which reveals some of the world’s greatest and oldest wine-growing regions. The English connection dates back to Plantagenet times when Aquitaine prospered under English rule, largely from export of fine Bordeaux wines and Cognac. Whether for the wine, scenery or culture it still attracts the English as residents or frequent visitors.

On the banks of the Garonne, Bordeaux has for centuries been a focus and crossroads of European trade. At its heart classical façades line the waterfront and leisurely exploration reveals tree-lined esplanades, elegant squares and fountains. It is a town of grand 18th-century architecture and monuments including the Esplanade des Quinconces, the Monument aux Girondins, Place de la Bourse and the Grand Théâtre. The wines, history and art of the region may be studied here in respectively the Musée du Vin, Musée d’Aquitaine and the Musée des Beaux Arts.

† Beer, house wine, fruit juice, tea, coffee and water are included during lunch and dinner.