Tag Archives: Southwestern France

France Culture: Périgord Castles & Gastronomy

FRANCE 24 English (December 20, 2023) – With a thousand castles and almost as many churches, France’s south-western Périgord region is a paradise for lovers of ancient stones. Aude, 32, has inherited the fortress of Commarque.

The young Parisian left everything behind to protect this 12th-century monument. Gastronomy is also a key part of life in the Périgord. In this region that cherishes quality produce, chef Pierre Corre cooks black truffles like no one else.

Read more: https://f24.my/A0gb.y

Travel & Culture: The Bordeaux Wine Region

The world’s finest wines, sweeping vineyards and fine food couple with a river valley dotted with castles. We sample the best Bordeaux then cruise the lovely Dordogne and Lot rivers with stops at chateaux, ancient watermills, and perched villages.

The wine regions of Bordeaux are a large number of wine growing areas, differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the overarching wine region of Bordeaux, centred on the city of  Bordeaux  and covering the whole area of the  Gironde  department  of  Aquitaine.

The Bordeaux region is naturally divided by the Gironde Estuary into a Left Bank area which includes the Médoc and Graves and a Right Bank area which includes the Libournais, Bourg and Blaye. The Médoc is itself divided into Haut-Médoc (the upstream or southern portion) and Bas-Médoc (the downstream or northern portion, often referred to simply as “Médoc”).

Walking Tour: Nice – On The French Riviera (4K)

Nice, capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. Founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite, the city has also long attracted artists. Former resident Henri Matisse is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Musée Matisse. Musée Marc Chagall features some of its namesake’s major religious works.

Walking Tour: Bordeaux In Southwest France (4K)

Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. Public gardens line the curving river quays. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool.

Delicacies: Black Truffle Hunting In New Aquitaine, Southwestern France

The #truffle is a luxury fungus that’s become a delicacy in French #gastronomy. Being a truffle farmer requires years of patience and hunting for the “black diamond” cannot be done without the unrivalled sense of smell of man’s best friend. Today, #France produces almost half of the 120 tonnes of truffles sold throughout the world every year, and truffle lovers are prepared to pay up: some black truffles are worth as much as €1,000 per kilo. FRANCE went to sniff out its secrets.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine or New Aquitaine, is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014 through the merger of three regions: Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes.

Views: Bordeaux & Limoges In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France (4K)

This video is about things to do in Bordeaux and Limgoes in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It has what really matters in Bordeaux and Limoges, wine tasting in Margaux, and castles and museums in Haute-Vienne.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine or New Aquitaine, is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014 through the merger of three regions: Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes. 

Walking Tours: Bordeaux – Southwest France (4K)

Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. Public gardens line the curving river quays. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool. 

Walks: ‘Carcassonne Castle’ In France (Video)

Carcassonne, town, capital of Aude départementOccitanie region, southwestern France, southeast of Toulouse, near the eastward bend of the Aude River, which divides the city into two towns, the Ville Basse and the Cité. The Cité has the finest remains of medieval fortifications in Europe.

On the summit of an isolated hill rearing abruptly on the Aude’s right bank, the site of the Cité was occupied as early as the 5th century  BCE by the Iberians, then by Gallo-Romans. The inner rampart was built in 485 CE, when Euric I was king of the Visigoths. Clovis failed to take it in 508, though Muslim invaders succeeded in 728, as did Pippin III the Short in 752.

French Estate Tour: ’12th Century Abbey Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (Video)

This beautiful former abbey has been restored to a high standard and comes with 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms served by a central stone spiral staircase. It also offers beautiful views, land and 2 stocked lakes. Located 100 kms from Bordeaux, 30 kms from Angouleme (TGV to Paris under 2 1/2 hrs), near Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (one of the prettiest villages in France) in a quiet location down a no through road.

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is a commune in the Charente department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. It has been officially listed as “One of the most beautiful villages in France” since 1993. Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is also well known for its Church of Saint Jean, an underground, Monolithic Church.

Tours: The ‘Château de Montastruc’, Dordogne, Southwest France (Video)

Château de MontastrucThis splendid residence, the Château de Montastruc, is registered in its entirety as a Historical Monument. It is ideally positioned on a rocky promontory, and combines grandeur and simplicity, character and serenity, history and modernity. An ancient troglodyte site and fortress built during its 1500 years of history, the Château de Montastruc in Périgord is today a large and luminous family home and a warm haven of peace, close to major tourist sites of the Dordogne.

Château de Montastruc is offered in its entirety for seasonal rental and can comfortably accommodate up to twenty people for a romantic and perfect holiday in a large residence. It’s an ideal location for beautiful family occasions, holidays with friends, notable events, or a French wedding, the château can be yours for a whole week with daily service. Ten rooms and many common rooms on more than 1,000 square meters, a pool of 15 x 6 meters, a large park and forests are at your disposal.

The Périgord is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four areas called the Périgord Noir, the Périgord Blanc, the Périgord Vert and the Périgord Pourpre.