Bordeaux

Bordeaux is experiencing a renaissance. The city center, now a UNESCO site, sparkles after decades of restoration, its 18th-century limestone facades glowing golden in the Atlantic light. The Place de la Bourse and its Miroir d'Eau — the world's largest reflecting pool — have become iconic, while the Cite du Vin, a striking contemporary wine museum on the riverfront, adds a bold modern counterpoint. Beyond the urban elegance, the vineyards of Saint-Emilion, Medoc, and Pomerol produce the world's most sought-after wines. The Left Bank, stretching north from the city through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, and Saint-Estephe, is home to the great classified growths — Chateau Margaux, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. Their grand chateaux, set amid immaculate vineyards, are monuments to centuries of winemaking tradition. The Right Bank offers a different character entirely: the medieval village of Saint-Emilion, carved into limestone above vast underground galleries, produces wines of opulent richness from Merlot-dominant blends. Petrus and Le Pin in Pomerol are among the most expensive wines on earth, produced in quantities so small that visiting the estates feels like entering a private shrine. The city itself offers superb dining — La Grande Maison de Bernard Magrez holds two Michelin stars, while Le Pressoir d'Argent at the Grand Hotel presses its own oils tableside in a sterling silver press. The Bassin des Lumieres, a former submarine base transformed into an immersive digital art center, is a must-visit. For accommodation, Les Sources de Caudalie in the Graves vineyards combines wine-therapy spa treatments with a two-star Michelin restaurant in a setting of extraordinary beauty.

Highlights