Nestling in the southwestern corner of France, bordering Spain, Aquitaine has large vineyards, beautiful coastal resorts with fine sandy beaches and busy fishing ports.

With its capital city, Bordeaux, the region is host to some of the most famous restaurants in France and the area surrounding the city is famous for its wines. 

Bordeaux is the fourth largest city in France. The city port originally was used to export wine to England, but has grown considerably over the years and is now the most important commercial port in France.

The city itself consists of an array of buildings including Romanesque churches and Gothic cathedrals and is said to be one of the best examples of an 18th Century city. 

The city has wide streets, public gardens and large squares. Many of the hotels in the city were in fact formerly 18th century mansions and are popular with many tourists. The centre piece of the city is the Grand Theatre, built in the 1770's.

Outside of Bordeaux, to the northeast, is the Dordogne region, which has many prehistoric caves. To the south are the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a splendid backdrop to the many coastal resorts. In between there is beautiful countryside and charming Basque villages.