The Traveler's Guide to Sightseeing in Bordeaux

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Why Visit Bordeaux?

• Bordeaux, located in western France, is one of
  the most important wine-growing areas in the
  world. Its also a place rich in history,
  culture, and sights that any world traveler or
  Europe lover will want to see at least once in
  their lifetime.

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Bordeauxs Famous Vineyards

• One of the most important places to visit is, of
  course, Bordeauxs famous vineyards. Bordeauxs
  wine industry is such an important part of world
  culture, its been declared a UNESCO World
  Heritage Site. Even if you dont drink wine
  yourself, youll want to see the areas splendid
  vineyards just for their importance to history.

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Some Facts About Bordeaux Wine

• Bordeaux is the largest wine-growing area in
  France.
• Almost all of Bordeauxs famous wines are blends,
  meaning theyre created by combining more than
  one type of grape.
• The primary type of wine grape grown in Bordeaux
  is merlot. In fact, Bordeaux grows the most
  merlot grapes in the world.
• Today, Bordeaux is most famous for its red wines.
  But until the 1970s, it mostly produced white
  wines.

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Esplanade des Quinconces

• Bordeaux is also famous for its beautiful
  architecturesome of it hundreds or thousands of
  years old. For example, the Esplanade des
  Quinconces is one of the largest city squares in
  Europe. Across its more than 30 acres, visitors
  can see many splendid sculptures, fountains, and
  other stunning sights.

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Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
Another of Bordeauxs architectural wonders is
the Grand Theatre, a neoclassical structure built
in the late 1700s. It is the place where famed
ballet dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa
debuted some of his most famous pieces, and today
serves as home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux
and the Ballet National de Bordeaux.
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Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux

• There are many ancient cathedrals throughout
  Europe, and one of the most impressive is
  Bordeauxs Cathédrale Saint-André, which was
  consecrated in 1096 by Pope Urban II. It was also
  the place where Eleanor of Aquitaine married
  Louis VII, and is the current seat for the
  Archbishop of Bordeaux-Bazas.

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Musée des Beaux-Arts

• Bordeaux is also home to one of the greatest art
  galleries in all of France, the Museum of Fine
  Arts. Pieces on display include paintings by
  Picasso, Renoir, Seurat, Matisse, Rubens,
  Delcroix, and more. Some of the museums most
  famous paintings have been in its possession
  since the French Revolution, when they were taken
  from their original aristocratic owners.

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Gironde Estuary

• If youre more interested in nature than in
  architecture or art, Bordeaux is also home to the
  Gironde Estuary, the largest estuary in Europe.
  For military buffs, Gironde was also the site of
  Operation Frankton, a daring commando mission by
  12 British special forces troops during World War
  II to destroy the ships docked in the estuary.

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Contact Us

• AmaWaterways takes people from around the world
  on one-of-a-kind river cruises through Europe,
  Asia, Africa, and more. Our river cruises are
  designed to let our passengers see the sights of
  their chosen destinations while traveling in
  comfort and style. Visit www.amawaterways.com for
  more information.

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Sources and Image Attributions

• http//www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/foodanddrink/
  bordeaux-food-wine-culture/11211610/facts-about-bo
  rdeaux.html
• Slide 9 Image By --Pinpin 1840, 3 May 2006
  (UTC) (Own work) CC BY-SA 2.5 (http//creativecom
  mons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5), GFDL
  (http//www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or
  CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http//creativecommons.org/licenses/
  by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons