Gironde

In Gironde, the waterways has fashioned the landscape. The sea and rivers have created a singular link with the people living on poor land beside well-stocked stretches of water. Commoner than paths across terra firma in this area, the waterways carry with them the most intimate expressions of the soul of this part of south-wes-tern France. The majestic estuary is swept by the tides, bringing with it season upon season of migratory fish and taking to distant lands ships laden with wine and produce from the hinterland via the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. The paths along the banks run through the vineyards of the Blaye and Libourne areas. At the foot of the châteaux of Médoc are mudflats and harbours. In the Landes, the rivers are cold and wild. Then there are the great peaceful lakes separated from the ocean's fury by a string of sand dunes, a world in symbiosis with the Arcachon Basin where river and ocean blend to create a unique environment. All these highways and byways beckon visitors, inviting them to breathe in the scent-laden air, the tang of the sea and the perfume of the vines, and to admire the stones of History which give some of their pale golden hue to the Atlantic light.