The most magnificent vestiges of the Palaeolithic Era in France are
concentrated along the Vézère Valley in Perigord, included on the UNESCO
World Heritage List. The Lascaux Cave, the "Sistine Chapel" of prehistory,
is without a doubt the most famous of these jewels.
In the Middle Ages, pilgrims on their way towards Compostella
followed their routes through our region and stopped to rest in our villages.
The abbeys, sanctuaries, churches and chapels dotted along these routes bear
testimony to their spiritual quest.
The towns
and villages of Aquitaine impress visitors with their marvellously
well-preserved heritage, notably their architecture, influenced in past times
by the Romans and then by the English. Alongside sites officially accredited
as the “Loveliest Villages in France”, a thousand and one other places are
also a delight for the eyes and the mind.
The seaside
resorts of Aquitaine are rich in memories of the Belle Epoque, while
Bordeaux, the region’s capital, has kept all its 18th-century elegance, and
the fortified
towns and castles
remind visitors of the strategic role they played back in the 13th century.
This cultural diversity is also reflected in the many museums of
Aquitaine: from the Aquitaine Museum
in Bordeaux to the Bonnat Museum in Bayonne, not forgetting the Vesunna Roman
Museum in Périgueux.
