What to see around the house.

The nearest town Blaye is 5 minutes from the house and is very pretty and typically French with a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It has a number of good restaurants and café bars situated in and around the Citadel (designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008) which is a huge old castle that occupies half the town and has its own shops and restaurants.

There are several supermarkets, wine wholesalers, a tourist information office and many other shops in addition to doctors, dentists and chemists. During July and August there is a well kept open air public swimming pool set in gardens and with a small shop. Throughout the summer there are festivals, concerts, equestrian events and exhibitions taking place in the citadel and surrounding villages.

The house and the whole area is surrounded by vineyards - it's a great place for wine connoisseurs! Most of the local vineyards will sell direct and you can usually visit without making an appointment. If you want to go further afield there is a ferry service to the Medoc region the other side of the estuary.

The house is also a short drive to the beautiful wine producing town of St Emilion, where a leisurely stroll round the town and lunch in one of the many restaurants is a must. We are also less than 1 hour away from the world famous town of Cognac, where you can visit all the Cognac distilleries and sample their wares!

Bordeaux, recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a fabulous city and the centre is an excellent mix of old and new with great shops and an outstanding collection of restaurants to enjoy a snack or full meal.

Further afield Arcachon is an amazing seaside town to visit (approx one and a half hours) with the giant Dune de Pyla Europe's biggest sand dune for you to climb!

Also down the road through many vineyards is the busy town of Bergerac on the picturesque Dordogne river