Reach Bordeaux in half the time. The new high-speed rail that launched in 2018, takes just two hours to travel from Paris to the wine region.
Even the wisest oenophile is sure to learn something new at the Cite du Vin. Created to look like a swirl of wine in a glass, this USD$83 million museum is quite clearly the mothership of wine. You can take part in wine tours, workshops and take a tour of 20 different wine regions within the state-of-the-art building.
If you take a trip to the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa at the stunning hotel Les Sources De Caudalie, you can bathe in red wine extracts, enjoy a Merlot wrap or experience a body scrub, which comprises grape seeds and essential oils.
Eat your heart out Downton Abbey. You can book a five-hour ride that will take you across the vineyards and treat you to picture perfect panoramas.
Young contemporary local artists have placed installations in the forest for you to discover. The two-hour long walk in the forest surrounding the Chateaux Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard (again, part of Les Sources De Caudalie) encourages you to “hear, touch, smell and finally taste the surrounding nature”. We’re guessing more wine then.
Forget about carb loading and vitamin drinks – each September, Bordeaux hosts the Marathon du Medoc – a marathon through the vineyards. Runners can sample the region’s famed vintages enroute while tucking into it local delicacies such as cheese and foie gras.
If you want the perfect keepsake of the city, take your smartphone to Place de la Bourse and the water mirror. Your friends will be amazed with your photography skills and it will be possibly the easiest shot you’ve ever taken.
Lovers of the vine will want to book themselves into Les Sources de Caudalie. This boutique hotel is a must visit for those who like the finer things in life as each room is filled with art and antiques. It's also the home of the previously mentioned wine spa. Cheers to that.
If you want to book your own mini-break in Bordeaux, contact Lightfoot's France experts.
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