Bordeaux Travel Guide, France
Bordeaux is situated in the southwest part of France. Bordeaux is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean, lying on the banks of the Garonne River, at the Gironde estuary. The local people, called Bordelais, had named Bordeaux as the ‘Sleeping Beauty of France’, due to its laid back living style till a few decades ago. That situation had changed now and the city had taken a new appearance. Many neo-classical buildings had been renovated and restored. The city possesses a historical part that had been included by the UNESCO in its World Heritage List. The UNESCO had named these 18th century constructions as ‘an outstanding urban & architectural ensemble.’ The spacious boulevards of the city had been paved and re-laid, with pedestrian pathways.
Bordeaux Wine
The city of Bordeaux is known the world over for its renowned wine brand. The Bordeaux brand of wine had been in existence from the 8th century. The city is surrounded by numerous vineyards, as well as wineries. It is estimated that the vineyards around Bordeaux sprawl for about 117,000 hectares, with nearly 9,000 chateaux that produce wine. The annual wine sales of Bordeaux are estimated at 14.5 billion Euros. Wine-tasting functions in these wineries are huge tourist attractions. The five premier chateaux of Bordeaux are Chateau Lafitte-Rothschild, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Latour, and Chateau Margaux. Bordeaux manufactures both white wine and red wine.
Population and economy
The population of the city is around 1,200,000. Bordeaux is the fifth largest city in France. The city is the capital of Aquitaine, the southwest region of France. Majority of the population is French. However, significant number of Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, Germans, and North Africans also reside in this scenic city. The economy of the city revolves round the wine industry. However, tourism industry is also picking up and lending support to the development of the city. The French defense ministry is planning the “Road of the lasers” at the Laser Megajoule in Bordeaux, with an investment of 2 billion Euros. When the project is completed, Bordeaux is expected to have a major program in the entire Europe, with the participation of large number of laser and optical experts.
Aeronautical Industry
Bordeaux is also known for the development in the aviation industry. Major aviation companies like EADS, Dassault, Thales, Snecma, Sogerma, etc. have their offices and factories here. The military aircrafts Rafale and Mirage 2000, as well as the private jet Dassault Falcon, are built here. Airplane and rocket parts like the Ariane 5 boosters, M51 SLBM missiles, and the A380 cockpits are also manufactured in Bordeaux. The University of Bordeaux is a prominent one, with a large campus, catering to the needs of nearly 100,000 students. There are also a number of engineering schools in Bordeaux, apart from several business management schools and schools specializing in architecture, arts, communications, etc. The city is well connected by road, rail, ship, and air. Bordeaux is one of the places that a person must visit at least once in a lifetime.
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Wine and Wine Trade Museum
travel tip by erato posted more then 30 days ago
The museum is dedicated to the history and art of wine. It is located in the Chartrons quarter, which was the traditional center of wine merchants. The building of the museum is an 18th century manor house with the old cellars...
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