Natural heritage | Cultural heritage | The Land

Natural heritage

The Medoc, or "country of the medium" is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the estuary of the Gironde. It is the country of the vine, water and the forest. These three major natural elements offer a whole of remarkable sites quickly accessible since the lodging.

The vineyard

The Medoc is : a band of 5 km broad vineyard on 80 km length, a low register ground dominating the Estuary 8 controlled labels of origin: 6 communal names (Saint-Estèphe wine, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Moulis in Medoc, Medoc, Margaux) and 2 sous-régionales names (Medoc and Medoc)

The Council of the Wines of the Medoc, the various Houses of the wine and tourism of Pauillac, Listrac, Margaux, Moulis and St-Estèphe, the House of arts and trades of the vine and the wine of Moulis are the most important centers of resources for which wants to discover the wines of the Medoc.

Moreover castles such Maucaillou with Moulis or Cordeillan Bages in Pauillac propose activities of initiation to the tasting of the wine and courses oenology. An original discovery of the vineyards of the Medoc in the helicopter is proposed by Château Maucaillou.
> For more information : Departmental committee of tourism of the Gironde

The water

The Medoc is surrounded of water

- in the East : the estuary of the Gironde (larger estuary of Europe), the Médoc inhabitants call it quite simply "the River", with the marinas of Pauillac, Port Block and Port Medoc in the Verdon and the small typical ports of Goulée, Richard, St Vivien, By, Macau, Issan, Lamarque, Beychevelle... The estuary, it is also ten islands from which some are the subject of visit-discoveries in boat or gabarre; the island of Patiras, the New island, the Green island... More information about the estuary

- in the West : the Atlantic Ocean and its 90 km of fine sand beaches, the Dune of Amélie (at Soulac-sur-mer), the lagoon of Contaut (Hourtin), the Médoc lakes of Carcans-Hourtin (larger fresh water lake of France - 60 km²) and of Lacanau.
More information about the beaches and the lakes

The forest
140 000 hectares of forest including one immense pine forest in the West cover the Medoc

The cultural heritage

If you like the stones and the history, go and discover...
The architecture

and museum

Museum of Cordouan Lighthouse
Archeologic and art gallery of Soulac
Museum of oyster-farming and fishing (Richard Lighthouse) at Jau
Museum of Honour Tower (XIIIth century) at Lesparre
Little museum of automats at Pauillac
Horse museum at Château Lanessan at Cussac-Fort-Médoc
Museum of arts and popular traditions of Medocin Lande at Carcans
Museum Sights on past of Hourtin

and museum about wine :
Museum " The Médoc from XVth Century to nowadays " at Château Verdus at Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne
Museum of wine in art at Château Mouton Rotschild at Pauillac
Museum of arts and trades of the vine and the wine at Château Maucaillou at Moulis

The Land

Agriculture, fishing and and fish-farming
Lamb of Pauillac model sheepfold
aquicultural farmq of Saint-Vivien and Le Verdon
Snail farm of Noaillac at Jau-Dignac-Loirac

Gastronomy
Local specialities to discover : lamb of Pauillac ("appellation contrôlée"), le grenier médocain (paunch of pig stuffed and rolled), fishery products (elvers, aloses with the sorrel, eels persillades, lampreys with Bordeaux wine, gray shrimps with anise, gamba), rib steak with the fire of vine shoots, boletus.

Pralinerie of the Médoc at Blaignan makes a local speciality : Noisettines of the Médoc (sweet containing caramelized hazel nuts)

The vine shoots of the Médoc (another local confectionery with the scented black chocolate) are made in Margaux

Fairs and open-air markets

During the season, at lot of open-air markets take place in addition of usual ones. The well-known of Montalivet is composed of 200 dayly stalls in summer. The weekly market of St Vivien is also very famous. Gastronomical fairs and night markets complete the estival offer. > More information with les marchés .

Art craft industry
The small museum of automats and musical boxes of Pauillac, the faiencery decorated from Arsac or the fancy leather-goods manufacture of Lacanau appear on "the road of the trades of art" of the Gironde.

You can discover the sandstones of Médoc in the brickyard of Brach ...

Second-hand markets
For those who love hunting for antiques, a dozen secondhand trades are located in the surroundings, in Valeyrac, Queyrac, Lesparre, Soulac, Pauillac, Castelnau-de-Médoc, Brach, Lacanau, Lamarque, Soussans.
> More information : http://www.antiquites-en-france.com

You will find in the gîte all documentation necessary to discover the area and to organize your activities of leisures.