Bordeaux

Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux and Cité du Vin. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool, is unique and so beautiful.

The city is nestled in verdant wine country and on the edge of leading oyster-producing areas, with the TGV (the high-speed rail service), it is only 2 hours from Paris.