Aquitaine, a region between land and sea

1
Aquitaine, a region between land and sea

• Our logo represents the 5 departements of our
  région near the Atlantic Océan (blue), a
  farming and wine growing tradition (green)

• The South West is one of the most attractive
  regions in the country

2
BORDEAUX is the biggest city in the department of
the GIRONDE

• We live in Blanquefort in the suburbs of Bordeaux

3
BLANQUEFORT

• The name of our town means white fortress.
• There are the remains of a fortress dating from
  the 6th Century which was destroyed during the
  French revolution (1789) This fortress was built
  to watch over the route from Bordeaux into the
  Médoc.

4
Blanquefort is today a rapidly growing town with
diverse economic activities.

• A Ford factory

Buildings in the centre
5
Our school E. Dupaty has over 800 pupils (with
several special needs classes).
6
The gateway to the Médoc, a prestigious wine
region

• The main industry of our town used to be wine
  making from the 17th to the 19th Century and many
  chateaux gave the town a certain renommée
  Dillon, Breillan, Fongravey...

7
The main French and Aquitaine wine regions
8
Nowadays the Médoc is a well-known wine region
with many Grands Crus Classées Châteaux
Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Latour to name but
a few...
9
Bordeaux, from flourishing port to European
metropolis

• Pierre Lacour, view of the port and the Quai des
  Chartrons in the 18th century.

• The Bordeaux quayside today.

10
A Unesco World Heritage Site

• Place de la Bourse, a former royal square during
  the years commercial prosperity in the 18th
  Century.

11
The heritage of the prosperity of the Port de la
LuneThe port is called the moon port because of
its shape

• The Grand Théâtre, an architectural masterpiece
  of the 18th century

• Le Pont de Pierre bridge across the Garonne river
  that runs through Bordeaux.

12
The Nearness of the Ocean

• The proximity of the Atlantic makes our region an
  exceptional touristic destination, but it is a
  natural site of fragile equilibrium and is
  therefore protected.

13

• The Dune du Pyla in the Bay of Arcachon is the
  highest sand dune in Europe. It is 105 metres
  tall and classed as a national site.

14
Lacanau is a surfing hotspot...
15
And a great place for all beach activities...
16
LE BASSIN D'ARCACHON

• The Bay of ARCACHON is an exceptional natural
  site famous for its land and seascapes but also
  for its Oyster-growing tradition.

17
Le Bassin d'ArcachonAn arial view
Houses on stilts next to the Bird
Island
18
The Oysters from the Bay

• The oyster parks supply the baby oysters for many
  different oyster regions. Arcachon could be
  called the European oyster nursery.

19
A traditional craft Oyster farming

• Here are traditional oyster huts in Arcachon

• This craft is under threat. It demands special
  knowledge of the ocean and is dependant on the
  will of the elements.

20
A speciality from BordeauxCannelés
Cannelés are small cakes made from egg yolk,
icing sugar, rum, vanilla, flour and milk. They
are said to have been invented by nuns in a
convent.