Discover New Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine is mainland France's largest region (84,000 km²), formed by the union of Limousin, Poitou-Charentes and Aquitaine. Its diversity is exceptional: 720 km of Atlantic coastline from Charente-Maritime to the Basque beaches, 5 great rivers (Loire, Charente, Garonne, Dordogne, Adour), several massifs (Limousin, Pyrenees) and the world's largest AOC vineyard around Bordeaux. The Bordeaux metropolis, UNESCO-listed across 1,800 hectares, is the second-largest preserved 18th-century city after Paris. Its 6,000 surrounding hectares of vines produce the Médoc wines (Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe), Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Sauternes and many more. In the north, Périgord Noir aligns its hilltop villages (Sarlat, Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Beynac), its decorated caves (Lascaux, Font-de-Gaume, Rouffignac) and its iconic cuisine (foie gras, duck breast, truffle, walnuts). The Dordogne offers one of France's most picturesque river journeys. In the south, the Basque Country concentrates strong identity, surfing in Biarritz and Hossegor, gastronomy (axoa, piperade, Ossau-Iraty, gâteau basque) and traditional villages (Espelette, Sare, Saint-Jean-de-Luz). Cognac and Armagnac, centuries-old eaux-de-vie traditions, extend the local viticultural art. Atlantic islands (Ré, Oléron, Aix) add a preserved maritime dimension. Ideal season: April to October, knowing that July and August are saturated on the coast.
