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French Property in Lot-et-Garonne
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Lot-et-Garonne Information
Getting here
BY AIR:
British Airways (0870 850 9850 - www.britishairways.com) flights from UK regional airports to Bordeaux.
Bmibaby (0870 264 2229 - www.bmibaby.com) flights from East Midlands to Bordeaux.
Flybe (0871 700 0535 - www.flybe.com) flights from Bristol and Southampton to Bergerac.
Ryanair (0906 270 5656 - www.ryanair.com) flights from Stansted to Bergerac and Biarritz.
BY ROAD
take the A10 from Paris, then the A71 and A20 after Orleans, and join the N21 at Limoges.
BY RAIL
The TGV Atlantique runs from Gate Montparnasse in Paris to Bordeaux. TGV services to Bayonne and
Biarritz leave from Gate d’Austerlitz. Contact Rail Europe (08708 371 371 - www.raileurope.co.uk) for details.
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Average monthly temperature in Aquitaine in Celsius
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Aquitaine |
10 |
9 |
12 |
19 |
18 |
24 |
27 |
26 |
24 |
20 |
15 |
11 |
| London |
6 |
7 |
10 |
13 |
17 |
20 |
22 |
21 |
19 |
14 |
10 |
7 |
| Aquitaine |
| Major city:
Bordeaux Prehistoric caves.
Fortified
castles and villages.
Important wine region.
Diverse landscape of
Atlantic coastline, beaches, flat forest land, Pyrénées mountains, and the
rolling hills and river valleys of the Dordogne.
The region's history began thousands of year's
ago when Cro-magnon man lived in the caves of the Périgord and left cave
paintings in sites such as Lascaux and Les Eyzies. More recent remnants of
Aquitaine's history date from the time of Eléonore of Aquitaine, consort
of Louis VII, King of France. When she married Henry Plantagenet, who
became King of England in 1154, she began several centuries of conflict
between the French and English for control of Aquitaine. Today, the
fortified villages and castles built during this time offer charm to the
winding countryside and provide interesting stops along the
road.
Aquitaine's capital, Bordeaux is a thriving
port city on the Garonne River with beautiful 18th-century mansions and
architecture, including its Grand Theatre by architect Victor
Louis, excellent shopping and numerous cultural events, such as the
traditional May Music Festival. Bordeaux is particularly well known
for its surrounding wine-growing region. The vineyards of Bordeaux with
their Margaux, Médoc, Sauternes and St.
Emilion wines are leaders in their fields in an area where many other
excellent wines are produced. Most chateaux open their doors to allow
visits to their cellars and wine tastings. The varied Aquitaine
region includes not only the prehistoric caves, villages and rolling river
valleys of the Dordogne and the Bordeaux vineyards, but also the rocky
Pyrénées mountain chain, the Basque country with its beautiful beaches,
excellent surfing and picturesque fishing villages, the flat forest land
of the Landes and the medieval castles and villages in
Lot-et-Garonne. |
| Places of interest |
| Agen |
Rich agricultural area, famous for its prunes, Renaissance mansions with art museums,
Saint-Caprais Cathedral |
| Arcachon |
Elegant Atlantic resort, casino, 374-foot Dune du Pyla |
| Bayonne |
Old streets and fortifications, annual Ham Fair, 12th/16th century cathedral,
medieval fortress, 17th-century citadel of Vauban and Bishop's palace, Bonnat Museum, Basque Museum |
| Beynac |
13th-century castle |
| Biarritz |
Fashionable seaside resort, casino, golf course |
| Bordeaux |
Extensive vineyards of fine wines, Fine Arts Museum, Grand Théâtre, and
châteaux |
| Brantôme |
Town built on the Dronne River, former abbey on the river bank with an 11th century
bell tower |
| Ciboure |
Birthplace of the composer Maurice Ravel, St. Vincent church with octagonal
belfry |
| Dax |
Spa with hot springs and mud baths, main center for Gallo-Roman archeology in the
Landes, Borda museum, archeological crypt, arena, Gothic cathedral |
| Duras |
14th century castles |
| Hossegor |
Peaceful site among pines, oak trees, and mimosas. Sheltered lake, yachting port
of Capbreton, summer sport facilities |
| Les Eyzies |
Museum for Prehistory in the former castle of the Lords of Beynac, Cave of the
Great Rock. Font-de-Gaume and Combarelles are other important prehistoric centers. |
| Lascaux II |
Exact replica of the cave discovered in 1940 with 1,500 drawings |
| Montflanquin |
Well-preserved fortified village in Aquitaine |
| Pau |
Birthplace and castle of Henri IV with National Museum |
| Périgueux |
Cloister of Saint Front Cathedral, Romanesque church of St. Etienne de la Cité, Maison
du Lur and the galleried Consul's House |
| St. Emilion |
Quaint wine village with steep narrow streets, and monolithic
church |
| Saint-Jean-de-Luz |
Seaside resort and fishing village, Basque church, home of the Basque country's
pelota (Jai-Alai) |
| St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port |
Ancient city with Citadel, bright Basque houses in steep streets |
| Sarlat |
Heart of the Périgord region, old town with medieval dwellings and restored
Renaissance houses, Maison de la Boetie, Cathedral, the Présidial, 14th century Hôtel Plamon. |
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| Among the wines of
the Bordeaux region, there are three distinctive areas: Médoc,
famous for its fine red wines, the left of the Garonne with Graves
and Sauternes, Saint-Emilion and its surroundings, Entre-Deux-Mers,
and Côtes de Blaye. Most of the Châteaux, especially in
Médoc, make sure that an informed representative is available to
greet visitors, take them on a tour of the cellars, explain the
processes involved in making the wine, and invite them to taste the
most recent harvest; tours generally include visits to the cellars
only, not the Châteaux themselves. In the Médoc area three wine
museums are also worth a visit. The Maison du Vin also
offers tastings of the region's wine on weekdays. |
The most celebrated
regional specialty is foie gras, specially prepared livers of geese and ducks,
seasoned and stuffed with regional truffles.
Confits (preserved goose and duck) are a
key ingredient in a number of dishies. Fish and seafood, like carp
stuffed with foie gras, mullet in red wine are also common. Oysters
are served with Entre-deux-Mers wine, with tiny sausages or
crepinettes. Meals are accompanied by the
many fine wines of the region such as Médoc red wines, Graves dry
whites or Sauterne sweet white wines and concluded with the region's
Armagnac.
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