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MAIN ROUTES© S Pailloncy - CRT NA© P Baudry - CRT NACognac OtardLa Rochelle© Brochard - CRT NACathédrale St Pierre, PoitiersOPTIONS3 EXCLUSIVE STOPOVERS• Stay at the Hotel 5* and spa ChaisMonnet www.chaismonnethotel.com• Oxygenation cure at Côte Thalassode Ré www.cote-thalasso.fr/ile-de-re/thalasso/les-cures/cureoxygenation.html• Visit the majestuous Saint-SavinAbbey and its painted wallswith a digital tabletwww.abbaye-saint-savin.fr/enTHE ATLANTIC COAST – FROM BILBAO TO MONT-ST-MICHEL10 DAYS / 1,480 KMDAY 1Bilbao the creative, with the GuggenheimMuseum - the gateway to the Basquecultural world.Possibility to sleep over in Biarritz.DAY 2Biarritz Basque Country (Pau-Lourdes option)• Morning: Stroll in Biarritz along thewaterfront, then lunch in the market hallwith products of Basque gastronomy(see page 11 for more details).• Afternoon: Guided tour of Pau, thecastle of Henri IV, promenade on theBoulevard des Pyrénées with a viewof the mountains for a coffee... Or thesportier visitor can play golf on the oldestgolf course in continental Europe, or gokayaking in the whitewater stadium.• Dinner and night in a guest house in thevineyards of Jurançon.Possible Option: Excursion to Lourdes(50 mn from Pau).DAY 3Bordeaux, historic regional capital andgateway to the vineyards.Discover the UNESCO-listed city to admireits historical heritage with an excursion in thevineyards (see Itinerary page 9 for more details).DAY 4Cognac• Morning: Discovery of the Cognac citycentre, where King Francis I was born.• Afternoon: Visit and tasting of Cognacin one of the grand houses of Cognac(Hennessy, Courvoisier, Rémy-Martin,Meukow), then embark onboard agabarre on the Charente river. OR ridea bike along the river by following theitinerary “Flow Vélo” OR discovering thevineyards while driving a classic car.• Late afternoon: Return to Cognac tostart your own Cognac collection.• Evening: Go to the Martell rooftop bar fora drink and to admire the old town.DAY 5La Rochelle-Ile de Ré-Marais Poitevin• Morning: Discover La Rochelle, the old Portand its three towers by foot or bicycle, thenvisit the aquarium, one of Europe’s largest.Lunchtime tasting of oysters and a seafoodplatter.• Afternoon: Discovery of the Île de Réby bicycle OR boat trip in the MaraisPoitevin, the “Green Venice”, to study thefauna and flora.• End of the day: After a busy day, relax inone of the Thalasso / Spa centres.DAY 6Poitiers Futuroscope• Morning: Guided tour of Poitiers’ historiccity, the city of 100 steeples, classifiedCity of Art and History.• Afternoon: Head for Futuroscope to enjoyFrance’s second-largest amusementpark… OR family visit to the Valléedes Singes OR visit of Rochefort, theHermione and the Corderie Royale.• Evening: Nearby Poitiers Futuroscope,night in unusual accommodation atDéfiPlanet’ OR in the heart of nature in theCenter Parc le Bois aux Daims.OPTION 1 (3 DAYS)Travel to Mont-St-Michel, high place ofpilgrimage.OPTION 2 (3 DAYS)Visit of the castles of the Loire, treasuresof French history.DAY 10Paris, an eternal and surprising city...magical, sometimes secret! It is alsothe capital of gastronomy, fashion andshopping.6 SMART GUIDE ROUTES www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.com
MAIN ROUTESMarket day in PérigueuxTruffles at the Brive market© Laetis - CRT Limousin - CRT NA © Alban Gilbert, CRT NABasque child© Brochard - CRT NAOPTIONS3 EXCLUSIVE STOPOVERS• Prepare and enjoy an assortment of“pintxos” at the Domaine de Bassilour,3 * hotel.www.domainedebassilour.com• Visit the winery of Jurançon producerswww.cavedejurancon.com• Soak up the culture of the South Westduring local events featuring Basquetraditions, harvest fairs and oysterfestivals.SOUTHWESTERN CULTURE12 DAYS / 1,390 KMDAYS 1 & 2Bordeaux, regional capital and gatewayto vineyardsTour the UNESCO-listed city centre, worldcapital of wines. The “Cité du Vin“ takesvisitors into the world of wines before a visitto the vineyards, or a cruise (see page 9).DAY 3Heritage and ocean on the Arcachon BayVisit an inland sea dominated by the Duneof Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe;typical cabins on stilts; and oyster farms inthis natural paradise.Morning: in the early morning, visit thefish auction in Arcachon, then visit theVille d’Hiver quarter with its 19th-Centuryarchitecture.Lunch: Oyster tasting in a traditional oystervillage (Gujan-Mestras, L’Herbe, Canon).Afternoon: climb the Dune of Pilat, tour theArcachon Bay in a boat or by canoe, take theshuttle from Arcachon to the tip of Cap Ferretto visit the lighthouse with its panoramicviews, or get an introduction to surfing. Forsports fans, bike ride around the bay.Evening: Night in the city centre ofArcachon or at the Thalazur Spa ofArguin 4* or equivalent.DAY 4Biarritz, the city at the edge of the oceanBiarritz, from whale hunters and surfers toEmpress Eugénie and Napoleon III. Itinerary:urban walk (guided tour, art deco town,museums, shops), ocean (other seasideresorts, well-being), sports (surfing course,golf practice) plus excursions to Basquevillages or to Spain.DAY 5Pau - PyreneesPau, Gateway to the Pyrenees: boulevardof the Pyrenees, King Henry IV castle,museum, shopping, the national horse stud,festivities, water stadium on the Gave River.Morning: Visit the city’s historic heart andvisit the birthplace of Henry IV with its largecollection of historical tapestries, walk alongthe Boulevard des Pyrenees.Lunch: in a typical Pau restaurant.Afternoon: summer hiking in the PyreneesNational Park with Ossau’s Pic du Midi,scenic railway of Artouste, water stadium onthe Gave, the Jurançon Wine Route. Wintersports in Pyrenees resorts, open daysin Jurançon, tasting regional specialties(garbure soup, cheese).Evening: in a restaurant accompaniedby Bearn or Basque songs, or dinner in arestaurant of the city centre.DAYS 6 & 7Toulouse: Explore the so-called Pink City,which takes its name from the colour of thebricks used in its buildings.DAY 8Cathar country - Carcassonne: Discovercastles, abbeys, and medieval cities, includingthe famous walled city of Carcassonne.DAY 9Albi: Visit the UNESCO-listed Episcopal City,internationally famous for the Toulouse-Lautrec museum located in the BishopsPalace.DAYS 10 & 11Dordogne Valley:A paradise for gourmets (truffles, ceps,duck, foie gras, Périgord strawberries,cheeses, nuts, markets, good restaurants,cooking classes); 15 prehistoric UNESCOsites, including Lascaux; magnificentvillages, including Collonges-la-Rouge andSarlat; plus many outdoor activities.DAY 12Saint-Emilion regionThe only wine site entirely listed by UNESCO,a monolithic church, and many activitiesaround wine (see page 14 for more details).www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.comSMART GUIDE ROUTES 7
