Learn French in Bordeaux: Location
French language students of all ages greatly enjoy this delightful city. Bordeaux has been a popular place to learn French for CESA students for many years. The city appeals as a year-round language course destination, as there is so much to do and see, whatever the season.
Situated in the southwest of France, Bordeaux, lies close to the Atlantic seaboard and is the capital of the Aquitaine region. It is set on the banks of the river Garonne and is famous for its magnificent wines. The wine growing area outside the city produces over 850 million bottles a year.
Some 260,000 live in the central city of Bordeaux is a thriving University city (home to 1 million people in total in the larger metropolitan area) with plenty to discover and enjoy, throughout the year. It has an average winter temperature of 8 o c and in the summer can reach temperatures of 30 oc.
Bordeaux has style. With wide avenues, neo-classical architecture and elegant public parks and squares mostly conceived during the 18th and 19th centuries when the rapid development of the wine industry and commerce generally, brought great wealth to the region.
Bordeaux is a fabulous city, with a good range of museums, first class shops, restaurants and cafes to explore. However it is for its wines and its wine Chateaux that the area is best known; Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Latour for example, and the regions of Medoc, Saint-Emilion, Sauternes and Graves which are world renowned.
Local Specialities
The area has a wealth of fabulous local dishes to discover. Bordeaux is heaven for goodies; oysters from the Bassin d’Arcachon, foie gras, lamb Pauillac, Bazas beef entrecote, Caudéranaise snails, (traditionally eaten on Ash Wednesday), Royans (freshly caught sardines, sometimes eaten raw) and Canelé (a creamy, crunchy local pastry delicacy) to name a few. All of which should be enjoyed with some of the wonderful red wines from Médoc or Saint Emilion or a dry white from Graves or a sweeter white such as the Premiéres Côtes de Bordeaux or Sauternes.
