Blaye is famous for its wines, its
citadel and its commercial port. Excellent
Markets are held on Wednesday and
Saturday mornings in the main street.
Vines were introduced to the area by
the Greeks and Romans and by the middle
of the first century AD the advantage
of the Gironde as a maritime highway
meant that Blaye wines were well thought
of as far away as Rome. Quality was
continually improved and in 1905 the
creation of the first ' appellations
d'origin' (AO) and the subsequent AOC
system followed by various regulation
of the French wine trades has meant
that Premières Côte de Blaye is a highly
respected name among the Great Wines
of Bordeaux. A visit to the Maison du
Vin in the main street is a must for
all wine lovers.
Designed
and completed by Vauban in 1689 it
forms the northern end of the estuary
defences that were built to prevent
the English from reaching Bordeaux.
These were 3 forts; Blaye, Fort Patè
and Fort Medoc. The citadel now offers
numerous interesting opportunities
to the visitor including its own vineyard,
the Vignoble de l'Echauguette, as
well as seasonal events throughout
the year
The centre of Bordeaux is about an hour
away by car and the new tram system.
It is easy and cheap to get to the centre
of the city by taking the car to a Park
& Ride at Buttinière then
buying a days ticket ( currently 3.75€
- about £2.60 ) which will allow
unlimited travel on tram and bus as
well as the cost of the car park! For
this you can shop in the pedestrian
only streets, visit the old quarter,
parks, gardens and historic buildings
or just sit in a café and watch
the world go by. The service runs from
early morning to late night and on Sundays
and Public Holidays.
The local area is a haven for
birds and offers great opportunities
for bird watching. Click on the
link for more details. |
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