Full day guided tour : Blaye citadel, the Gironde cornice and Bourg old village

Walking guided tour of the XVIIth Citadel of Blaye

Visit the citadel of Blaye: rebuilt in the XVIIth century under the reign of Louis XIV to control the passage over the Gironde estuary after the Vauban's plans. It covers33 hectares and dominates the estuary. Since July 2008, it has been listed by UNESCO because it is part of a unique concept: a tryptic composed of 3 forts that grows along the width of the river. The defence system of the Blaye citadel, articulated on 3 staggered lines of defence, is perfectly preserved. It illustrates very well the techniques of fortification used by Vauban which will then be repeated many times in different places of the French kingdom but also in different parts of the world.

During our guided tour of the Blaye Citadel, it is also a true historical multi-layers spot that you will discover here because the site also preserves the ruins of the medieval castle of the Rudels and the cannon batteries added in the 19th century.

The guided visit of the citadel of Blaye will also offer you beautiful panoramas on the largest estuary in Europe: the Gironde estuary and its archipelago of islands in constant evolution...

A picturesque and scenic drive along the Gironde cornice

From Blaye to Bourg sur Gironde, let's then leave for a panoramic tour onboard your coach or carsharing motorcade along the picturesque road that runs along the Gironde estuary: the "Flowering cornice" route. Immerse yourself in the history of the former quarries that exploited the "Pierre de Bourg", largely used to build the city of Bordeaux. then let's discover together the birth of what will become Europe's largest estuary a few kilometres later...

The route offers superb views over the Gironde estuary and its islands, with the Médoc peninsula as a background. Discover again charming semi-troglodytic houses nestled in the heart of the cliff, and even a wreck of the WW II...

Revisiting French History through the informal stories of Bourg sur Gironde

The village of Bourg sur Gironde is no longer on the Gironde indeed... because of the sediments brought by the Garonne here and which, by accumulating, inexorably move the confluence between the Garonne and the Dordogne downstream... Because of its strategic position, the small city has known many episodes in the past...

But Bourg offers above all a multitude of anecdotes that are opportunity to revisit the French History through the setting of a typical village of our countryside... From the port to the upper town on the cliff, from the Roman Empire to WW II and the Fronde revolts, let me take you to the discovery of Bourg sur Gironde, a charming village on the banks of the Dordogne River. Let's walk along the ramparts... Bourg-sur-Gironde is indeed a two-level city. The noble upper town, sheltered behind its ramparts, develops on its rocky promontory. 

Then why not finish our tour to the new wine bar for a wine-tasting of Côtes de Bourg (not included)? The local wine is nicknamed "Spicy Bordeaux" because of its spicy notes coming from the unusual proportions of the Malbec grape variety in the blends...