Live Help

Bordeaux

Location:

Bordeaux is located in the Aquitaine region.

Access information (rail, train, air, sea):

  • Aer Lingus Provides a non-stop flight service from Dublin airport to Bordeaux airport
  • Air France, British Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines provide a one-stop flight service from Dublin airport to Bordeaux airport.

Size/population:

In February 2004, Bordeaux had 229,500 inhabitants.

Climate:

Bordeaux enjoys a warm temperate climate, which includes hot summers.

Geography:

Bordeaux is located near the European Atlantic coast, in the south west of and in the north of the Aquitaine region. The city is built on an arch of the river Garonne, and is thus divided into two parts: the right bank to the East and left bank in the West. Historically, the left bank is the most developed of the three. In Bordeaux, the Garonne River is accessible to the ocean liners.

Economy:

-> Wine:

Bordeaux is the largest wine region in the world with about 117 000 hectares of vineyards, 57 appellations, 9,000 wine-producing châteaux, 13,000 wine growers, 400 traders and sales of 14,5 billion euros annually. With an annual production of over 700 million bottles, Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as very expensive wines.

Red Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes and may be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and, less commonly in recent years, Carmenere. White Bordeaux is made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle.

The Bordeaux wine region is divided into subregions including Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Médoc, and Graves. The area's five 'premier cru' (first growth) red wines (four from Médoc and one, Chateau Haut-Brion, from Graves), established by the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 are among the most expensive wines in the world: The first growths are:

  • Château Lafite-Rothschild
  • Château Margaux
  • Château Latour
  • Château Haut-Brion
  • Château Mouton-Rothschild

Sauternes is a subregion of Graves known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wines such as Chateau d'Yquem.

-> Laser:

The Laser Megajoule will be the most powerful laser in the world, allowing fundamental research and the development of the lasers and plasmas technologies. This project, carried by the French Ministery of Defence, involves an investment of 2 billion euros. In 2009, the 600 experiments programmed each year with the Laser Mégajoule will begin. The "Road of the lasers", a major project of regional planning for the optical and lasers industries, will be born. Therefore, the area of Bordeaux will shelter the most important concentration of optical and laser experts in Europe.

-> Aeronautics:

20 000 people work for the aeronautic industry in Bordeaux. The city has some of the biggest companies including Dassault, Sogerma, SNECMA, Thales, SNPE, and others. The Dassault Falcon private jets are built there as well as the military aircraft Rafale and Mirage 2000, the A380 cockpit, the boosters of Ariane 5, and the M51 SLBM missile.

Bordeaux is one of the best value for money locations in France when investing in property, wage rates are up to 30% lower than Paris.

Sports:

The Stade Chaban-Delmas is the largest stadium. It can host 35000 spectators. The are two major sport teams in Bordeaux :

Girondins de Bordeaux is the football team. It is part of the Ligue 1 in the French football championship.

The Stade Bordelais team is part of the Second League in the French rugby league championship.

Bordeaux is the home of one of the strongest cricket teams in France, "Bordeaux-La Brède".

Colleges and universities:

With almost 100,000 students, the city's university is renowned for its research units in crop science, new materials and nanotechnology

Bordeaux accommodates approximately 70 000 students on one of the largest campuses of Europe (235 ha). The University of Bordeaux is divided into four:

  • The University Bordeaux 1 (Sciences and Technologies).
  • The University Bordeaux 2 (Medecine).
  • The University Bordeaux 3 (Liberal Arts, Humanities, Languages and Social sciences).
  • The University Bordeaux 4 (Law, Economy and Management).

Culture:

Bordeaux is classified "City of Art and History". The historic part of the city is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Museums:

  • Musée des Beaux Arts
  • Musée d'Aquitaine
  • Musée des Arts Décoratifs
  • Musée D'Histoire Naturelle
  • Vinorama
  • Cap Sciences

Public transport and local amenities

Bordeaux has an important public transport system called TBC. This company is run by the Connex group. The network is composed of:

  • 3 tram lines (A, B and C).
  • 75 bus routes, all connected to the tramway network (from 1 to 96).
  • 12 night bus routes (from S1 to S12).
  • An electric bus shuttle in the city centre.
  • A boat shuttle on the Garonne river.
  • This network is operated from 5am to 1am.

Web Design Ireland by Willows Consulting