North Aquitaine

world famous viniculture

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There is no better starting point for a trip which takes you to some of the most famous châteaux in the world in the most famous wine-growing area in the world. St. Émilion, a medieval gem, at the top end of a steeply rising valley. Internationally renowned wine culture is the destination, the journey a fantastic trip through the gentle landscapes on the trail of the major Bordeaux wines. The "Route des Châteaux" is lined with numerous magnificent buildings telling the history of wine.

Route profile

Country: France
Distance: 238 km
Absolute Driving time : 5 h
Recommended tour duration: 1 Day
Best touring season: Apr. - Oct.

Route course

Saint-Émilion - Bordeaux - Margaux - Pauillac - Médoc - Bordeaux-Martillac - Saint-Émilion

Route character

Track
exhilarating 1 relaxing
Landscape
wild 2 picturesque
Destinations
intellectual 3 pleasurable

Comments:
All BMW routes are available exclusively to BMW ConnectedDrive contract customers for import to vehicles via BMW Online. Select a BMW route of your choice in your vehicle and discover some of the most beautiful areas of Europe, conveniently guided to your destination by your BMW navigation system.

Destinations

  • Hostellerie de Plaisance

    0 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Hotels

    Flower-festooned wallpaper adorns the walls. Designer furniture is placed between centuries-old stone walls and heavy beams. In 2006, the French star architect Alberto Pinto redesigned this medieval residence. He maintained the magic of the historical setting. Leather, wood and the eye-catching interior defines the mood. The ambience is stylish, elegant, intimate, private. The terrace above the monolithic church affords a magical view across the tiny alleys which make up Saint-Émilion.

    Address:
    Hostellerie de Plaisance, Place du Clocher, 33330 Saint-Émilion, France
    Contact:
    Chantal and Gérard Perse, proprietors
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–57550755 Fax: +33–(0)5–57550755
    E-Mail: contact@hostelleriedeplaisance.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round.
    Good to know:
    The Michelin Guide 2008 awarded chef Philippe Etchebest a second star.
    Further information:
    www.hostelleriedeplaisance.com

  • Pont d'aquitaine bridge

    61 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Scenic

  • Golf Du Médoc

    72 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Golf courses

    The tops of Mediterranean pines tower above the course like evergreen roofs. The two 18-hole golf courses enjoy an idyllic location in the heart of a pine forest. The American architect Bill Coore designed the holes of the Château course in the style of a Scottish green. Ponds, deep bunkers and the tricky layout of the course present even experienced golfers with a challenge. The Château course (whose holes are named after wine-growing estates in the region) hosted the 1999 French Open.

    Address:
    Golf Du Médoc, 1366 Chemin de Courmateau, 33290 Le Pian Médoc, France
    Contact:
    Vincent Paris, manager
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–567011 90 Fax: +33–(0)5–567011 90
    E-Mail: golf@golf-du-medoc.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Two 18-hole golf courses open year-round, reception open daily from 08:00 - 19:00 hrs, tee off daily from 08:00 - 19:00 hrs.
    Course:
    Two 18-hole golf courses (par 71).
    Handicap:
    Two 18-hole golf courses (par 71).
    Greenfee:
    Two 18-hole golf courses (par 71).
    Golf Pro:
    Gilles Arnaud
    Good to know:
    The Golf Du Médoc Hôtel & Spa offers fantastic Golf & Wine and Golf & Spa deals.
    Further information:
    www.golf-du-medoc.com

  • Château Cantemerle estate

    80 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Vineyards

    This picture-book, neo-classical estate sparkles amid centuries-old trees. The first documented records of the white castle date from the 15th Century. In 1850, the famous landscape gardener Louis-Bernard Fischer created a botanical fairytale of cypresses, yews and magnolias. Rare species of plants grow around the ranging romantic lake. This 87-hectare estate mainly cultivates grapes of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties.

    Address:
    Château Cantemerle , 33460 Macau en Médoc, France
    Contact:
    Laurence Dufau
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–579702 Fax: +33–(0)5–579702
    E-Mail: cantemerle@cantemerle.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round, Mon. - Thur. from 08:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 16:00 hrs.
    Good to know:
    Guided tours of the estate and tasting sessions can be arranged upon appointment.
    Further information:
    www.cantemerle.com

  • Château Margaux estate

    84 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Vineyards

    Producers of one of the most expensive red wines in the world. Depending on the vintage a bottle can fetch between € 100 and € 10,000. The success story started when André Mentzelopoulos, a Greek entrepreneur, bought this majestic vineyard estate in 1977. With the Bordelaise oenologist Émile Peynaud he modernised the cellar and the vineyard, enriched traditions with new knowledge and passionate commitment. Today, his daughter Corinne applies the same passion to running the world-famous estate.

    Address:
    Château Margaux, 33460 Margaux, France
    Contact:
    Corinne Mentzelopoulos, proprietor and CEO
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–57888383 Fax: +33–(0)5–57888383
    E-Mail: chateau-margaux@chateau-margaux.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Mon. - Fri. from 09:00 - 18:00 hrs; closed in August.
    Good to know:
    The approach to this dreamy complex takes you along an idyllic boulevard. It is worth a visit of its own.
    Further information:
    www.chateau-margaux.com

  • Château La Tour de Bessan estate

    85 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Vineyards

    The Lurton family is one of the major estate owners in the region. When Senior Lucien decided to retire in 1992, he passed on the eleven wine-growing estates to his ten sons and daughters. Marie-Laure Lurton manages the Château La Tour de Bessan and two other estates close to Margaux. A bold new building made from steel and glass reflects the vitality of a new generation of wine-growers. In 2003, the château was awarded the title "Terra Vitis" for its dedication to organic wine growing.

    Address:
    Château La Tour de Bessan, Route d'Arsac, 33460 Cantenac, France
    Contact:
    Marie-Laure Lurton, manager
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–56582201 Fax: +33–(0)5–56582201
    E-Mail: contact@vignobles-marielaurelurton.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round: Mon. - Sat. from 08:00 - 12:00 and 13:30 - 17:00 hrs; Friday open till 16:00 hrs; reservations required.
    Good to know:
    Marie-Laure Lurton is one of four female wine-growers to found Les Médocaines in 2005. With workshops and wine-tasting sessions on their winemaking estates, the four vintners introduce visitors to the secrets of oenology.
    Further information:
    www.vignobles-marielaurelurton.com

  • Wine & delicacies La Cave D'Ulysse

    108 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Local manufacturers

    It has been specialising in the purchase of Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux wines since 1977. Behind the peaceful sandstone façade of the small town house, exclusive wines, champagnes and liqueurs fill the wine racks. The wide range offers wines from various vintages and origins. A characteristic of many of these wines is their suitability for storage. Enthusiastic wine lovers looking for an enchanting experience can make an appointment to feel the magic of this unusual collection of rarities.

    Address:
    Vinothek La Cave D'Ulysse, 2, Rue de la Trémoille, 33460 Margaux, France
    Contact:
    Pascal Guerlou
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–578879 94 Fax: +33–(0)5–578879 94
    E-Mail: cave-ulysse@wanadoo.fr
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open daily from April - October from 09:00 - 19:30 hrs; November - March, Mon. - Sat. from 09:00 - 19:30 hrs.
    Good to know:
    The author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince) once lived in Château Malescot St. Exupéry opposite the Vinotheque.
    Further information:
    www.caveulysse.com

  • Château Mouton Rothschild estate

    113 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Vineyards

    A different artist has designed the wine label every year since 1945. The list is long - Picasso, Miró, Chagall, Warhol. The success story began when the young Baron Philippe de Rothschild decided in 1924 to bottle the entire wine harvest himself - a revolutionary idea for its time. The wine label increased in importance. It became a byword for quality and origin. The rest is history. Today, Château Mouton Rothschild is one of the most famous wine-growing estates in the world.

    Address:
    Château Mouton Rothschild, 33250 Pauillac, France
    Contact:
    Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, proprietor
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–567321 29 Fax: +33–(0)5–567321 29
    E-Mail: visites@bphr.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round: Mon. - Thur. from 09:30 - 11:00 and 14:00 - 16:00 hrs. Friday open till 15:00 hrs.
    Good to know:
    Admission charges: A guided tour costs € 6.00 per person. A small museum in the former wine cellar accommodates the private art collection of Baron Philippe de Rothschild dedicated to wine: paintings, ceramics, sculptures.
    Further information:
    www.bphr.com

  • Château Cordeillan-Bages estate

    182 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Food & drink

    He plied his trade in Sydney and Bangkok. On his return, he learnt from Alain Chapel and Joël Robuchon. In a centuries-old manor house with a view across vines, the flavour artist Thierry Marx prepares straightforward dishes from local produce. His style of cooking is a blend of tradition and avant-garde molecular cuisine. His menus are an ode to the country and the river. He encouraged the neighbouring shepherds to take up breeding lambs once again - the Pauillac lamb experienced a revival.

    Address:
    Château Cordeillan-Bages, Routes des Châteaux, 33250 Pauillac, France
    Contact:
    Thierry Marx, proprietor
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–56592424 Fax: +33–(0)5–56592424
    E-Mail: contact@cordeillanbages.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open lunchtime and evening Tue. - Sun. (except Wednesday and Saturday lunchtime). The restaurant is closed from 20.12.2009 - 13.02.2010.
    Good to know:
    Thierry Marx is the "2006 Gault Millau Chef of the Year". With two Michelin stars, he is one of five aspirants in the country for a third Michelin star.
    Further information:
    www.cordeillanbages.com

  • Château Bouscaut estate

    184 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Vineyards

    White gravel paths, box trees and an old stock of trees surround the rural estate. Enjoying an idyllic location in the heart of the wine country of Cadaujac, wine has been cultivated here since the 16th Century. After many years of dedication, the white and red wines were awarded the quality standard Graves Cru Classé in 1953. In 1979, Lucien Lurton - one of the major estate owners in the region - bought the estate. Today, his daughter Sophie manages the vineyard, 47 hectares in size.

    Address:
    Château Bouscaut, 33140 Cadaujac, France
    Contact:
    Laurent Cogombles, manager
    Tel.: +33–(0)5–578312 20 Fax: +33–(0)5–578312 20
    E-Mail: cb@chateau-bouscaut.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Mon. - Fri. and by appointment.
    Good to know:
    Das romantische Château ist eine beliebte Kulisse für Hochzeiten.
    Further information:
    www.chateau-bouscaut.com

  • Les Sources de Caudalíe - Spa Vinothérapie

    238 km

    Countries: France
    Category: Health & spa

    When a professor revealed to Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas that the most effective antioxidants in the plant kingdom were contained in the small grape pips they simply threw away after the wine harvest, they came up with the idea for Caudalíe. The first three products from the skin-care range were launched in 1995. The world's first Spa Vinothérapie was opened in 1999. Wine as far as the eye can see. The fragrance of grape pip oil. The gentle ingredients rejuvenate, lift and define the skin.

    Address:
    Les Sources de Caudalíe - Spa Vinothérapie, Chemin de Smith Haut-Lafitte, 33650 Bordeaux-Martillac, France
    Contact:
    Delphine Duffours, spa manager
    Tel.: +33–(0)557–8383 83 Fax: +33–(0)557–8383 83
    E-Mail: sources@sources-caudalie.com
    Parking:
    Parking available right next to the building.
    Opening hours:
    Open year-round.
    Good to know:
    There are also two lovely restaurants on the estate: La Grand'Vigne and La Table du Lavoir.
    Further information:
    www.sources-caudalie.com