7
days / 6 nights beginning on Sunday and finishing on Saturday.
Includes transfers, accommodation, breakfast and dinner. Lunch
is at your discretion.
The lower stretch of the Dordogne is rightly celebrated for the
wines produced in its fertile valley, but there is so much more
to the area. The rivers here are broad, and majestic, and between
the vineyards fields of sunflowers and maize nestle. Humans have
left their mark on the area since prehistoric times, with paintings
having been discovered in caves along the river valley. Later
came the Romans; vestiges of their works are scattered across
the region. The region's heyday came in the 12th century when
Henry II of England married Eleanor of Aquitaine and gained the
region for the English crown, leading to a three hundred year
rivalry between France and England for control of Aquitaine. From
1154 to 1453, Bordeaux prospered under the English, whose love
of the region's wine helped the region gain a worldwide reputation.
As a result of this prosperity, the region boasts suberb medieval
architecture in the form of chateaux and churches. Even in Roman
times, Bordeaux wines enjoyed a favourable reputation. The vineyards
cover 520 square miles and produce some of the world's greatest
wines: St.Emilion and Pomerol to the east, Sauternes to the south,
St-Julien and Margaux to the north-west. Here are chateaux bearing
some of the most famous names found on a wine bottle . Lafite-Rothschild,
Yquem, Cheval-Blanc, Petrus, an endless list!
Although
there are some hills, we follow the rivers on predominantly easy
cycling routes. Our tour will take you through many of these famous
vineyards, but we will make sure you don't miss the other man-made
and natural glories the region offers.
