{"id":9225,"date":"2015-09-18T05:00:21","date_gmt":"2015-09-18T09:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/?p=9225"},"modified":"2015-08-19T10:56:02","modified_gmt":"2015-08-19T14:56:02","slug":"three-getaways-in-southwestern-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/?p=9225","title":{"rendered":"Three Getaways in Southwestern France"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Biarritz<\/a><\/p>\n

Paris is grand and Nice is nice\u2014and Marseille is marvelous\u2014but sometimes you want to wander deeper into \u201cla belle France<\/a>.\u201d Next time you need a taste of \u201cl\u2019art de vivre,\u201d consider these three locales in the Aquitaine<\/a> region in the southwest of France<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a9Biarritz<\/a>

\u00a9Biarritz Tourisme<\/p><\/div>\n

Biarritz<\/em><\/strong>: Known as \u201cthe queen of beaches and the beach of kings,\u201d Biarritz<\/a> has been one of the world\u2019s most glamorous resorts since its 19th<\/sup>-century incarnation as a playground for European aristocrats. And yet, as the birthplace of European surfing<\/a> in 1957, Biarritz is also known as the \u201cFrench California\u201d for its appeal as a destination for surfers. The combination of old-money glamour and laidback surf culture evokes something like 1970s Miami Beach: a casual chic vibe complemented by natural beauty.<\/p>\n

For years, La C\u00f4te des Basques has been named the most beautiful beach<\/a> in Europe\u2014and after sunset, the \u201cpearl of the Atlantic\u201d becomes even more seductively romantic. Located in the heart of Basque country, Biarritz is but 90 minutes from Bilbao<\/a> and two hours from Bordeaux. Surrounded by charming Basque villages, Biarritz<\/a> is also home to a number of grand hotels, several of which have undergone complete renovations.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a9Hotel<\/a>

\u00a9Hotel du Palais<\/p><\/div>\n

Built as an ornate palace by Napoleon III in the 1850s, the five-star H\u00f4tel du Palais<\/a> opened in 1883 and quickly achieved renown for its illustrious and royal guest list. The hotel\u2019s ballroom was the favorite of 1930s Europe. Completely renovated in 2014, the Salon Imperial<\/a> features a glass ceiling and frescoes that complement the hotel\u2019s Second Empire architectural style. At the hotel\u2019s Imperial Spa<\/a>, a 50-foot indoor swimming pool overlooks the ocean.<\/p>\n

Located in front of the lighthouse on the bay of Biarritz, Le Regina Biarritz H\u00f4tel & Spa<\/a> underwent a complete restoration in 2014. Known as \u201cthe Petit Palace,\u201d the 65-room Belle \u00c9poque structure features a hammam and heated outdoor pool, as well as the Michelin-starred Restaurant N\u00b0 1 by Georges<\/a> behind the helm of Georges Blanc, the celebrated three-Michelin-starred chef.<\/p>\n

In the evenings, Biarritz<\/a> becomes an enchanted realm, transformed by the lights of Pierre Bideau<\/a>, the lighting wizard who illuminated the Eiffel Tower.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a9Saint-Emilion<\/a>

\u00a9Saint-Emilion Tourisme<\/p><\/div>\n

Saint-\u00c9milion<\/em><\/strong>: For the first time in 1999, UNESCO<\/a> included a vineyard landscape on its list of World Heritage sites<\/a>\u2014and that unique honor went to the jurisdiction of Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a> for its distinctive landscape of river, vines, chateaux, manor houses, and monuments.<\/p>\n

The vineyards of Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a> are composed of more than 13,000 acres of vineyards, which are divided into two appellations: Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a> and Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a> Grand Cru. While Merlot is the primary grape, the wines of Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a> have earned their world-class reputation with blends that also feature Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not all wine in Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a>. One of the area\u2019s latest attractions is a brand-new, five-star golf course framed by vineyards and centenary oak trees, which opened in May 2015. For those of a more equine bent, Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a>\u2019s equestrian circuit wends through area wineries on its way to various luxury properties.<\/p>\n

And then there are the region\u2019s delectable macarons<\/a>, which utilize a 17th<\/sup>-century recipe derived from the Ursuline sisters who established their convent in Saint-\u00c9milion<\/a> in 1620.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a9Perigueux<\/a>

\u00a9Perigueux Tourisme<\/p><\/div>\n

P\u00e9rigueux<\/em><\/strong>: For many Francophiles,P\u00e9rigord is synonymous with truffles. Also known as the Dordogne area, the region is famous for the prehistoric Lascaux caves and medieval villages, including the fortified town of P\u00e9rigueux<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A center of historical heritage<\/a>, the ancient town offers a broad spectrum of landmarks from the Gallo-Roman period to the Renaissance. Medieval castles and streets alternate with outdoor markets\u2014as well as the city\u2019s iconic Byzantine cathedral, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site<\/a> since 1998. Throughout the summer, gourmet night markets transform the town into a veritable food and crafts festival.<\/p>\n

Traversing the banks of the Isle River, the city\u2019s greenway<\/a> offers a 10-mile sanctuary for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists. Canoe tours<\/a> are available on a 14-seat vessel with an experienced guide.<\/p>\n

And, of course, what would P\u00e9rigueux<\/a> be without truffles<\/a>?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paris is grand and Nice is nice\u2014and Marseille is marvelous\u2014but sometimes you want to wander deeper into \u201cla belle France.\u201d Next time you need a taste of \u201cl\u2019art de vivre,\u201d consider these three locales in the Aquitaine region in the … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[2191,2187,32,2192,2188,2189,2190],"class_list":["post-9225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-destinations","tag-aquitaine","tag-biarritz","tag-france","tag-perigord","tag-perigueux","tag-saint-emilion","tag-southwestern-france"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Biarritz-copy.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p31sdB-2oN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9225"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9232,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9225\/revisions\/9232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrnystyleandtravel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}