You are a wine connoisseur –or wish to become one? You enjoy good food, beautiful châteaux, and perhaps walks in the middle of vineyards? Then, clearly, you need to visit the Bordeaux area in the south-west of France.

Opt for a wine tasting course in Bordeaux itself and a lazy day in the medieval streets and through the vineyards of St. Emilion (don’t miss its amazing troglodyte cathedral built into the rock).

Or you may prefer a full wine-tasting journey through the prestigious châteaux of the Medoc.

Château Margaux... Château Latour... Château Lafite... Château Mouton Rothschild...

After a few days of “wining and dining”, just drive out of Bordeaux for an hour or so; reach the Atlantic Ocean, and find yourself in a totally different environment. Here, beautiful sandy beaches are lined by scented pine forests, and the only gurgling sound you will hear is that of the waves…. But, if you are still up for a drink, make sure to save up a bottle and take it up to the top of the highest sand dune in Europe. Make yourself comfortable, and savour the sunset. It is simply astonishing...

Another very special site of this area is the famous cabanes tchanquées, which originally were security outposts to protect the oyster fields. They stand at the edge of the Birds’ Island, a wild and beautiful area between sea and land where many species of birds can be spotted.