Cycling from Bordeaux Vineyards to the Atlantic Coast

Again and again the travel fever grips us like an incurable illness ;-)) come on the new trip!!

after everything is packed we went to Bordeaux to cycle on the cycle paths from the Bordeaux vineyards to the Atlantic coast.

The first impression of Bordeaux after our arrival View to Place de la Bourse, Musée National des Douanes and Direction Interrégionale des Douanes de Bordeaux and Palais de la Bourse

The water mirror behind the Palais de la Bourse The Miroir d'eau (water level) or Miroir des Quais (quay level) in Bordeaux is the largest reflecting pool in the world.

View over the Quai Richelieu in the background the tower of the basilica Saint-Michel Bordeaux, is the centre of the famous wine-growing region, a harbour town on the Garonne in the southwest of France. The famous landmark of the city is the gothic cathedral Saint-André,

Today the bikes are loaded onto the train and we drive from Bordeaux to Pauillac.

View of the Quai Albert Pinchon in Pauillac Pauillac a French town on the Médoc peninsula near Bordeaux. Pauillac has an area of 2539 hectares, of which about 900 hectares are reserved for viticulture. From here it goes on with the bike

Pauillac is located on the Gironde estuary, has a port, in this port the prefabricated parts (wings, fuselage parts, fin) of the Airbus A 380 are transferred from the ship to flat barges. This is necessary in order to be able to transport the large hull parts under the "Pont de pierre" in Bordeaux.

outside of Pauillac you can find some typical fishing huts at the river Gironde

on the way in the vineyards of Marbuzet Marbuzet is a Bordeaux wine region in the Saint-Estèphe des Haut-Médoc appellation. Although its origins date back to the 18th century, it was not until 1952 that the area developed into a leading quality area.

Marbuzet Castle Depending from Château Cos d'Estournel, Château Marbuzet is relatively unknown compared to famous neighbours. Located in the hamlet of Marbuzet on the heights of Saint Estèphe, the castle offers a semicircular Corinthian colonnade. In the 18th century, the hamlet of Marbuzet belonged to Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur (1697-1755), also known as "Prince of the Vines". Today wine is produced on 7 hectares around the Château.

Wine production in Medoc as far as the eye can see. Medoc wine district of Bordeaux, surrounded by coastal lagoons, sand dunes and pine forests, here four of the most famous wines in the world pressed . Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Estephe and Saint-Julien are the most famous wine villages. These villages are also home to the castle vineyards of Margaux, Mouton, Lafite and Latour, where some of the most expensive wines in the world are produced.

Saint-Pierre Abbey is a former Catholic abbey in the municipality of Vertheuil. The abbey was founded before 1081, as confirmed by a document from 1081. Legends mention that the abbey was built on the foundations of an early Christian church, which itself was built on the ruins of a Gallic Roman villa.

Le Luc a hamlet of the municipality of Cissac-Médoc, in the background a typical building for this area, waterresevoir tower. Located between the Atlantic coast and the Gironde estuary, Medoc is considered a peninsula whose terrain is interspersed with sand and gravel, making the Medoc very suitable for viticulture.

Château Lafite-Rothschild Château Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac is one of the most famous Châteaus in the world. The estate has 178 hectares of land, 103 of which are dedicated to viticulture. The estate is owned by the French branch of the Rothschild family of bankers. The estate is situated next to the former sister estate Château Mouton-Rothschild, on the "Route du Vin". The vineyards of Château Lafite-Rothschild as well as the areas further south of Château Mouton-Rothschild lie on a sandy gravel bed about 8 m thick. On this base the Cabernet Sauvignon vine thrives extraordinarily well. The winery produces about 500,000 bottles of wine during normal harvests with a second wine. There are wine connoisseurs who are prepared to pay prices in the five-digit Euro range for a bottle of Lafite before 1875. In 2007 a bottle of the vintage 1899 was offered for 8385 Euro in the department store Gallerie's Lafaytte.

Château Pédesclaux Château Pédesclaux lesser known vineyard in the Bordeaux region. The area under cultivation is 46 hectares: 44 hectares in the Pauillac appellation and 2 hectares in the Haut-Médoc appellation. The vineyards are planted with four classic Bordelais varieties: 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Three wines are produced: Château Pédesclaux Appellation Pauillac, Fleur de Pédesclaux. Appellation Haut-Médoc and Le Haut-Médoc de Pédesclaux Appellation Haut-Médoc

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste One of the oldest estates of the Médoc The history of Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fascinating in many ways. It is a family history from the 16th century, the name Grand-Puy, already mentioned in medieval documents , comes from the old term "puy" "hill, small height". Typically for this region, the soil consists of deep gravel and sand on a limestone base. Since the 16th century, the estate has remained in a single family until it was joined by marriage in 1978 with another family. Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste produces 12,000 crates of wine, 12 bottles of 0.75 litre each, in an average year. The fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine is put into barriques, 50% of which are renewed every year, and the maturation phase lasts about 18 months.

In the Saint-Sauveur area by bike through the vineyards towards the Atlantic coast.