Gironde: Bordeaux Wine, the Dune of Pilat, and UNESCO Heritage
Gironde is the largest department in metropolitan France by area. Bordeaux, the prefecture, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 for its eighteenth-century urban ensemble, one of the most extensive in Europe. The wine industry needs little introduction: the Medoc, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Graves, and Sauternes appellations are all within the department. Bordeaux exports roughly 700 million bottles annually.
The Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe at over 100 metres, overlooks the Arcachon Bay on the Atlantic coast. The Bay itself is a major oyster-producing area. The Cite du Vin, a wine museum and cultural centre opened in 2016, has become a landmark. Bordeaux's population (city and metropole combined) exceeds 800,000, and the department as a whole has about 1.67 million residents. The LGV high-speed rail line, completed in 2017, put Bordeaux two hours from Paris.
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Gironde is the largest department in metropolitan France by area. Bordeaux, the prefecture, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 for its eighteenth-century urban ensemble, one of the most extensive in Europe. The wine industry needs little introduction: the Medoc, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Graves, and Sauternes appellations are all within the department. Bordeaux exports roughly 700 million bottles annually.
The Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe at over 100 metres, overlooks the Arcachon Bay on the Atlantic coast. The Bay itself is a major oyster-producing area. The Cite du Vin, a wine museum and cultural centre opened in 2016, has become a landmark. Bordeaux's population (city and metropole combined) exceeds 800,000, and the department as a whole has about 1.67 million residents. The LGV high-speed rail line, completed in 2017, put Bordeaux two hours from Paris.
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