Things to do in Southwestern France
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Cathédrale Ste-Marie Cathedral
The twin towers of Bayonne's Gothic cathedral soar above the city. Construction began in the 13th century, and was completed in 1451; the mismatched materials in some ways resemble Lego blocks. Above the north aisle are three lovely stained-glass windows; the oldest, in the Chapelle Saint Jérôme, dates from 1531. The entrance to the stately 13th-century cloister is on place Louis Pasteur.
reviewed
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Miremont
Operating since 1880, this grande dame of a place harks back to the time when belle-époque Biarritz was simply the beach resort of choice for the rich and glamorous of Europe. Today it still attracts perfectly coiffured hairdos (and that's just on the poodles) but the somewhat less chic are also now welcome to come and partake of a fine selection of teas, cakes and views over the bay.
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Le Café de la Aquarium
The Aquarium's café serves refined regional cuisine using whatever's in season locally (including a surprising amount of seafood!). There are great harbour views from the dining room and, if that weren't enough, you can also watch giant sharks cruising about – a selling point we're pretty sure nowhere else in La Rochelle can match! The café is open to nonaquarium visitors as well, but sadly you can't leave the aquarium for lunch and re-enter on the same ticket.
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Le Cheverus Café
In a city full of neighbourhood bistros, this one, smack in the city centre, is one of the most impressive. It's friendly, cosy and chaotically busy (be prepared to wait for a table at lunchtime). The food tastes fresh and home-cooked and it dares to veer slightly away from the bistro standards of steak and chips. The lunch menus, which include wine, are an all-out bargain.
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Île Feydeau
Île Feydeau , the quarter south of the Gare Centrale, ceased to be an island after WWII when the channels of the Loire that once surrounded it were filled in following the riverbeds drying up. Today, you can still see where ships docked at the doors of the area's 18th-century mansions - some of which are adorned with stone carvings of the heads of African slaves.
reviewed
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Musée Maritime Neptunea
Moored at Bassin des Chalutiers are the two ships comprising the Musée Maritime Neptunea: the meteorological research vessel France 1, and Angoumois, a chalutier (fishing boat). A land-based extension of the museum on the adjacent dock incorporates a section dedicated to Jacques Cousteau, and a re-creation of the city's ancient fish market.
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Debotte Gautier
When Jules Verne was a young boy he too was awed by this beautiful chocolate shop decorated with chandeliers, marble floors and a circular velvet banquette where Nantais have waited while their orders were filled since 1823. Handmade specialities include mascarons (finely ground chocolates encased in a dark chocolate shell) and a rainbow of hardboiled sweets.
reviewed
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Passage Pommeray
Pedestal statues symbolise traditional Nantais industries inside the ornate three-tiered shopping arcade Passage Pommeray, built in 1843 to link the then-stock exchange with the post office. Nearby are place Royale, laid out in 1790, and place Graslin, graced by the neoclassical Théâtre Graslin, built in 1788 and beautifully renovated earlier this decade.
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Fromagerie Jean D'Alos'
Near the Place des Grands Hommes is this highly respected fromagerie. If you are a lover of cheese in all its forms, soft, hard or blue, made from cow, sheep or goats milk, this shop will delight you. Buy some eye-wateringly aromatic Roquefort or a subtle chévre, a baguette and a bottle of something and retire to a park for a picnic. Vive la France.
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Les Flots
You'll feel like you're floating in the water at this place by the Tour de la Chaîne with fabulous port views and sunshine streaming in through timber-framed windows. Another string in chef Grégory Coutanceau's bow (he also has several other restaurants, and a catering sideline), this place is especially renowned for its stylishly presented seafood.
reviewed
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Cassolette Café
Extremely popular and great value, this is the place to come for hearty French family-style cooking. You can order the ingredients of your cassolette (casserole cooked on a terracotta plate) using a check-off form and your choices appear promptly. Weekend nights have been known to get a bit rowdy with song-singing students, but it's all good fun.
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Bar-Restaurant du Marché
Run by a welcoming Basque-speaking family, this unpretentious place is an absolute institution where everyone knows everyone (and therefore some people may find it slightly intimidating, but don't worry; just dive right in – nobody cares!) and simple but ample home-cooked dishes full of the flavours of the neighbouring market are dished up to all comers.
reviewed
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St John Baptistry
One of Poitier's most celebrated gems is this baptistry, built in the 4th century on Roman foundations - making it (reputedly) the oldest Christian building in France. It was redecorated in the 10th century and used as a parish church. The octagonal hole under the impressive frescoes was used for total-immersion baptisms, practised until the 7th century.
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Notre Dame la Grande Church
One of the most striking features of this church is its elaborate Romanesque west facade. Every evening from late June to mid-September, a spectacular colourful light show illuminates it. The earliest parts of the church date from the 11th century; the only original frescoes are the faint 12th- or 13th-century works that adorn the dome above the choir.
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Le Bistrot de l'Écrivain
Splashed in shades of red, with wine bottles lining the walls, Le Bistrot de l'Écrivain is a relaxed and easygoing place with food that's anything but relaxing and easy to make. There's all the Nantaise standards here, but most have an unexpected twist to them – raspberries in crème brûlée and duck dipped in wonderful sauces being just two examples.
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Les Bateliers Arcachonnais
Daily, year-round cruises sail around the Île aux Oiseaux, the uninhabited 'bird island' in the middle of the bay. It's a haven for tern, curlew and redshank, so bring your binoculars. In summer there are regular all-day excursions (11am to 5.30pm) to the Banc d'Arguin, the sand bank off the Dune du Pilat.
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Gautier-Debotté
When Jules Verne was a young boy he too was awed by this beautiful chocolate shop's chandeliers, marble floors and circular velvet banquette, where Nantais have waited while their orders were filled since 1823. Handmade specialities include mascarons (finely ground chocolates in a dark-chocolate shell) and a rainbow of hard-boiled sweets.
reviewed
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L'Estaquade
Set on stilts, this place juts out off the river's eastern bank. The seafood (bass, cod, scampi, scallops etc) and meat dishes (like pigeon with port and blackcurrant sauce) served here even manage to eclipse the magical views of Bordeaux' neoclassical architecture. From place de la Bourse, you'll see the restaurant on the other side of the river.
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La Criée Bayonnaise
Decked out in marine colours, this unassuming little find does delicious Basque seafood specialities (such as les chipirons à l'espagnole – squid with sweet peppers served with finely ground rice), but you can also get fresh mussels and even fish and chips. For dessert, don't miss the ardi gasna (local cheese with cherry jam).
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Les Voies Vertes des Gaves
To get away from Bernadette Soubirous for a day, hire a cycle and head for the mountains along all or part of Les Voies Vertes des Gaves or Mountain Streams Green Routes. This follows the old, long-abandoned Lourdes-Cauterets train line up the lovely Vallée des Gaves all the way to Cauterets, from where you can catch a bus back to Lourdes.
reviewed
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Full-Day Small-Group Medoc Wine Tour from Bordeaux
8 hours 30 minutes (Departs Bordeaux, France)
by Viator
Join this small-group wine tour from Bordeaux to the Médoc for a full day of scenic drives and wine tasting. The Médoc produces some of the most renowned red…Not LP reviewed
from USD$123.46 -
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Jardin Botanique
If you need some respite from the frenetic pace of wine tasting, head to Bordeaux's beautifully landscaped botanical garden. The grounds of the public gardens was established in 1755 and laid out in the English style a century later. The meticulously catalogued Jardin Botanique itself was founded in 1629 and moved to its present site in 1855.
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Al Piccola Ristorante
Every lunchtime a queue of hopefuls forms at the door of this minute restaurant that's essentially just someone's front room. The reward for all that waiting are the beautifully crafted, homemade Italian dishes that'll leave you feeling like you're living la dolce vita. If you don't want to join the hopefuls at the door, book ahead.
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Musée d'Art Oriental Asiatica
Out on the edge of town is this unexpected treasure trove of ancient Indian, Chinese and Tibetan statues, monuments and temple artwork. The layout is a bit haphazard, but the information cards (in several languages) clearly explain the significance of the objects. It's generally considered the finest collection of its type outside Paris.
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Tour Pey-Berland
The gargoyled, 50m-high Gothic belfry, Tour Pey-Berland was erected between 1440 and 1466. Its spire was added in the 19th century, and in 1863 it was topped off with the statue of Notre Dame de l’Aquitaine (Our Lady of Aquitaine). Scaling the tower’s 232 narrow steps rewards you with a spectacular panorama of the city.
reviewed