Southwest

Geographically, this part of France is divided into 4 regions. In the North is the Green Venice of Poitou-Charente with its canals and wetlands, the ancient seaport of La Rochelle, the islands of Re and Oleron and many large cities: Cognac, best known for its famous brandies, Rochefort, Lusignan and Bordeaux in the South, in Aquitaine.

Bordeaux is known not only for its port, colonial trade and wine, it is also the starting point of a tour on innumerable vineyards. The old part of the city, which occupies a relatively vast territory, is very carefully protected. In the Museum of Aquitaine you will learn about the history and ethnography of this city, whereas the Museum of Fine Arts will let you appreciate some of the masterpieces of French artists of the 17th, the 19th and the 20th century.

The southern part of the region has lots of places of interest, each one of which pretends to be the most beautiful and interesting: the National Park of Landes, the prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux, miles of sand plains between the ever-surging ocean and the pine forests, exquisite cuisine and breathtaking views of vineyards.
The Southern Pyrenees invite you to see the flower-city of Toulouse, the home of fine arts, music, culture and high technology (Concorde and Airbus), full with monuments of architecture and the extraordinary atmosphere of romance.

There are lots of other places to be explored and admired: Armagnac, Cahors - a Florentine-style town with a great number of bridges and the home to a world-famous wine, and, of course, Biarritz, a resort with two casinos, a thalassotherapy center and lots of sporting facilities, which turned an ordinary fisherman village into a place of great attraction.

It is so interesting to go to Lourdes, take a stroll in the Pyrenean Park, to stop in Albi, easily recognizable by its brickwork of red, rosy, ochre and brown colors: a small but very vivid town with Medieval Gothic architecture.
Among other attractions are the ancient Figaque, Foix surrounded by several small rivers, the small town of Lagiolle, famous for its cutlery; and Rocamadur, a small village on the top of a hill. The most interesting, however, is the Basque culture: their dances, music and sports (the Basque ball game or pelota), their cheerfulness and love of fests.

The district of Languedoc-Roussillon opens before you the doors of the most beautiful Medieval town of France: Carcassonne. It consists of two parts: the acropolis with its double walls and the lower city with the Aude River. But first of all check out this wild and exciting view: the downcast Causses plateau, the Pyrenees Mountains, the Cevennes valley and the Lozair Mountain known as the Bold Mountain. Feel the rebel spirit of this region: the Chetares castle, impressive ruins that could resist time but yielded to a man: in the Middle Ages the Inquisition here crushed the resistance of a rebellious religious order.

Montpellier - the winemaking capital of the region is located just a few miles away from the sea and is also home for a medical university.
Its closest neighbor is Nimes, famous for its bullfights held in the arenas built as long ago as the 1st century, and also for its denin cloth.

The Museum of Comic Strips in Angouleme, the Castle on the Oleron Island, the Romanesque church of Notre Dame in Poitiers, the Saint Croix Museum, the Old Dock in La Rochelle and the reconstructed Rochecourbon Castle. Numerous Gothic temples, the Basque Museum in Bayonne, the Braid and Bonagis castles, the Vizaire valley with Lascaux grottoes, the Narbonne Museum of Archaeology.

In Bordeaux: Galien Palace, Place la Bourse,. the Paux Castle, the National Park of the Pyrenees, Bourdais, the Brentomme and Poygilaine Castles, the Saint Cecilla cathedral in Albi, the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, the Valentre Bridge in Cahor.

Thousands of different dishes, delicious seafood, snails, Bayonne hams, cassoulets, foie gras, extraordinary cheeses, sausages, and, of course, beverages: cognac and armagnac, absolutely indispensable after a rich meal. Wines:

Chateau Smith haut Lafite, Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Pavis St. Emilion, Chateau Mouton - Rothschild in Poiaque, Chateau Beicheval in Saint Goulienne.
Take some cookery lessons in the Bordeaux region and travel to Cognac, Dune Pilat, etc.

The Aquapark and the Ladybird Park with more than 800 domesticated animals in Goujean Mestras, the mini-port in Carcan Mobuisson, the Cadojaque exotic farm, the Zoo at Bordeaux Pessaque, Palmira, one of the largest Zoos in Royane, an aquarium with tropical animals at Saint-Machair, the futuroscope in Poitiers...

There is so much to see, but to really feel the region it is better to plan some sort of a subject route. If it is wine, then stay in Bordeaux and visit the surrounding vineyards. Nature friends should choose walks in the Poitou area or the Pyrenees.
Lovers of history can plunge into different periods: primeval history, the Middle Ages, etc.

The choice is huge: a row down one of the Poitou canals, a visit to the Villefranches fortress in Perigord, a stop at Biarritz or a week-end at the Cite Hotel in Carcassonne.

This region has all the necessary structures for hosting business meetings and seminars. Apart from the highly advantageous geographic location it has numerous well-developed business lines.

Sailing in La Rochelle, surfing in Biarritz (the surfing festival in July), bullfights in Nimes, rafting, canoeing, tennis, etc.