As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine, here's our pick out of sights of interest and other visitor attractions across this culturally rich part of southwest France.
Left to right: Sarlat: Proformabooks/iStock; sunset at La Cité du Vin: Cecile Marlier; The village of Beynac: RolfSt/iStock; Lascaux: Richard Hammond; Darwin Ecosystem: Richard Hammond; Colonges la Rouge: Xantana\iStock; Cadouin Abbey: Richard Hammond; Vineyard in Saint Emilion: alxpin/iStock; Cloitre-de-Cadouin: Richard Hammond.
Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine:
Green = Places to stay Blue = Food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities
Darwin, Bordeaux
Billed as "economically innovative and ecologically responsible", this former military barracks on an urban wasteland in the Bastide district on Bordeaux's right bank is now many things: a co-working hub for creatives, a visitor attraction, a shopping precinct (including eco-minded brands such as Patagonia and Veja) an event space, and activity centre that includes the 3rd largest indoor skatepark in France. It's also home to the largest organic bistro-dining hall in Europe, selling produce from over 300 local producers, including with options for vegetarians and vegans in ample supply, and its own community garden growing seasonal greens. The entire site is run with a deep commitment to the environment with a range of low energy and renewable solutions that mean it consumes three times less than the average equivalent urban site elsewhere in France. But it's so much more than an eco showcase, it lives and breathes innovation and there's an edge to the art – don't miss the 'street art and strolling' section - you'll find it hard to leave. darwin.camp
The many faces of the Darwin Ecosystem. Photos: Richard Hammond
Cité du Vin, Bordeaux
The city's foremost celebration of wine, is not just a celebration of Bordeaux wines but of wine-making worldwide - everything from ancient and modern history and geography to heritage, the environment and gastronomy. Throughout the year there are temporary exhibitions about particular aspects of wine (in 2024, there's a one-hour tasting tour of the four seasons where a sommelier will treat you to 4 wines from around the world), while the main permanent exhibition is an immersive sensory experience that leads you through a series of themed rooms, including "The vine-grower's year", "Vineyards of the world", "Wine trends", "Terroirs of the world", "The buffet of the five senses". You'll be provided with a personal digital guide that facilitates realtime interaction with the exhibits. The visit lasts about 2-3 hours though you could easily while away an entire day here. However long you spend in this fabulous exhibition, by the end you'll likely be gasping for a drink so head up to the Belvedere on the 8th floor for a glass of wine or grape juice, and admire the expansive view of the city. The museum is also committed to being a green venue and has installed an innovative bioclimatic design that means 70% of its energy needs are met by local and green energy sources. laciteduvin.com/fr
La Cité du Vin. Top left: Sunset, Cecile Marlier. Other photos: Richard Hammond
Couvent des Jacobins, Saint Emilion
Just 30 minutes by train from Bordeaux, medieval Saint Émilion (a UNESCO World Heritage City) is known for its 2,000-year history of winemaking. Pride of place in the centre of the town is Couvent des Jacobins where wine has been painstakingly tended here for over seven hundred years - from the Jacobian Friars to the Jean and Joinaud families. Now organically cultivated (certified by ECOCERT France since September 2020), this sophisticated operation offers a fascinating insight into both the culture’s deep, soil-rooted history, and into the challenges and opportunities of a sustainable future. Tours (which include tastings) run all week from May to October and from Monday to Friday from November to April. couvent-jacobins-saint-emilion.com/en/
Cloitre-de-Cadouin, Dordogne Valley Regarded as a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic Art, the 1,000 year old Cloitre-de-Cadouin in the village of Cadouin (between Sarlat and Bergerac in the heat of the Dordogne) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's on the route of the Camino de Santiago long distance pilgrimage walk. Founded in 1115 by Géraud de Salles and affiliated with the Cistercian order 4 years later, it was abandoned during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), and the cloister was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century. Although the monks ceased their activities in 1790, the abbey church and the Romanesque foundations of the 12th-century buildings remain, yet it is the finely carved columns and elegant vaults of the cloister that attracts people from all over the world. Choose from a range of tours, including a self-guided option and a combined ticket to the nearby Biron Castle where there's a spectacular view of the Périgord, Quercy and Agenais. Educational workshops and lectures are held on Saturdays. cloitre-cadouin.fr
Marvelling at the finely carved columns & elegant vaults of the 1,000 year-old Cloitre-de-Cadouin. Photos: Richard Hammond
Sarlat, Dordogne Valley
You may recognise the medieval town of Sarlat, with its historic monuments of pale stone and lauze roofs, from the many famous films that have used it as a location, such as Chocolat, The Musketeer, and The Duellists. Packed with well-preserved pavement cafes, attractive squares, cobbled streets, bourgeois homes of the Renaissance, and a large Benedictine Abbey and Cathédrale Saint-Sacerdos, it's a picture-postcard place that is still a thriving market town. Throughout the year, there's a range of events tasting and celebrating the region's gastronomy, such as its famous goose and truffle festivals, as well as an annual film festival and an increasingly popular Christmas market. Nearby in the Dordogne valley, are the châteaux of Beynac and Castelnaud, as well as La Roque Gageac, one of the “France’s Most Beautiful Villages” (see photos below). sarlat-tourisme.com
Left to right: Sarlat: Proformabooks/iStock; The village of Roque Gageac: RolfSt/iStock;
The village of Beynac: RolfSt/iStock
Lascaux IV, Montignac, Dordogne Valley A world-class treasure trove of cave art. Created in 2016, it's a replica of the entire original Lascaux cave (using cutting edge technology and a considerable amount of scientific research) that was discovered in Montignac by four teenagers in 1940. Packed with cave art dating back 20,000 years, it's considered one of the most important archeological finds of the 20th Century. At Lascaux IV you get a real sense of what the cave is like and the challenges and expertise of the prehistory artists. After a tour of this breathtaking site, you can then visit a workshop, theatre, cinema and gallery all of which give further insight into this fascinating discovery. It's called Lascaux IV because the original cave site (knows as Lascaux) is now permanently closed to the public to protect it; Lascaux II, which is just 200m from the original cave, was the first replica, inaugurated in 1983, but doesn't replicate all of the cave and is only open April to November, Lascaux III is a nomadic exhibition of the site that is taken around the world telling the story of the cave art. lascaux.fr/en
Admiring the cave art and smart modern entrance at Lascaux IV; Photos: Richard Hammond
La Rhune Mountain Railway, Pays Basque A vintage cogwheel train (equipped with an electric motor) at the western end of the Pyrenees that has been transporting passengers up the mountain since 1924. Departing from the town of Sare, officially one of the "most beautiful villages in France, 10km from Saint Jean de Luz, it travels up to 905m high In just 35 minutes for outstanding views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountains. En route, keep an eye out for small wild rural ponies known as 'pottoks', which live mainly in the Basque Country, as well as carpets of Dorsera moss that grow on the mountainside, Manech ewes and griffon vultures, the symbolic birds of prey of the Pyrenean range. rhune.com and tourisme64.com
Saintes A city famed for its historical art, 25 miles to the west of Cognac on the banks of the Charente River, Saintes is a celebration of 2,000 years of history. The most notable sights are the Arch of Germanicus, built in 18-19 AD, it's regarded as one of the most beautiful Gallo-Roman vestiges, the Saint-Eutrope Basilica that's a masterpiece of Romanesque art, the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre, built between 4 and 50 AD (one of the oldest in all of Gaul), and the city centre Abbaye aux Dames that's now a music venue that hosts a variety of festivals. Popular in the height of summer, go in autumn to see the city's trees turn brilliants shades, plus there are over 100 hectares of protected floodplains to the east of the river at Prairie de la Palu, just a few minutes walk from Place Bassompierre. en.saintes-tourisme.fr
Limoges Known for its porcelain (on display at the Musée national Adrien Dubouché), Limoges is steeped in art and history. The best way to familiarise yourself quickly with this historic city on the banks of the Vienne River is to join one of two circular tours devised by the Villes d'Art et d'Histoire de la city of Limoges Métropole. The Upper Town route (two and a half hours) visits the Saint-Martial Abbey and Viscount's Castle, the church of Saint Pierre du Queyroix, the picturesque private courtyard of the temple, and the fountain square of the bars, while the route from the cathedral district (known as Cité) to the station district (two hours) begins at the majestic Saint-Étienne Cathedral and visits a range of other historic places, including the Beaux Arts Museum, the Bishop's Garden, and the Saint-Étienne Bridge, built in 13th Century, is on the route of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. destination-limoges.com
Dune du Pilat, Atlantic Coast The towering Dune du Pilar is the mother of all dunes – made up of 60 million cubic metres of sand, about 100 metres high, 600m wide and 3,000m long, between a forest and the Atlantic, it's the highest in Europe. Part of a 6,875 hectare protected area at the southern entrance to the Bassin d'Arcachon, it's constantly evolving, moving up to 5 metres towards the forest in high winds. It's located in La Teste-de-Buch a couple of miles outside Archacon – entrance if free if you arrive on foot, by bike or on the local bus (€1 each way), otherwise there's a €6 charge for parking per vehicle for every four hours. Below is a video showing what this splendid natural colossus is like all year round. ladunedupilat.com/en/
Montagnes Béarnaises, Pyrénées Immerse yourself in the thriving rural mountain way of life of the three valleys of the Bearn Pyrenees: Vallée d’Ossau, Vallée d’Aspe, and Vallée de Barétous that are anchored by the town of Oloron. The Ossau valley is home to the ski resorts of Gourette and Artouste as well as the Col d'Aubisque and the Bious Artigues lake; the Aspe valley is the place to go for cross-country skiing in winter while in the summer the Maison de Parc National des Pyrénées is popular with families, so too is the Artouste train – Europe's highest tourist train. The Barétous valley is also popular for cross-country skiing but also for snowshoeing while in the summer there's caving at La Verna. Through the Bearn Pyrenees there are food markets packed with a range of local cheeses and other local produce; traditional dishes include Garbure, a soup of potatoes, cabbages, beans, leeks, and other fresh vegetables. tourisme64.com
Poitiers, Futuroscope, and Marais Poitevin Just 1 hour 15 minutes from Paris, Poitiers is the gateway to Nouvelle-Aquitaine from the French capital. Many important figures spent time here, including Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, and René Descartes. Perhaps the most famous of all the historical buildings in the city (there are over 80 listed buildings) are The Palace of the Counts of Poitou and the church of Notre-Dame-la-Grande, but there are many more modern day attractions that are well worth a visit, including the art nouveaux of La Grande Poste and the gardens of Puygarreau. Just 20 minutes by bus from Poitiers (or on a direct train line from Paris) is the renowned amusement park Futurscope, but if you're able to venture further to get closer to nature, head to the enormous Marais Poitevin wetland natural reserve between the city of Niort and the Atlantic Coast. Also known as 'Green Venice', it's set it's stall out to attract slow travellers looking to go canal boating, bird watching, hiking, and cycling. visitpoitiers.fr | futuroscope.com | pnr.parc-marais-poitevin.fr
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For nearby places to stay, local food and drink, and low impact outdoor adventure activities, see Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine
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