Bordeaux Regions Guide - $section

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The world's wine capital is disappointingly shabby, but is currently undergoing some renovation and clean-up projects which, while not adding to its aesthetic value at present, will ultimately make this large, wealthy metropole with its classical architecture easier on the eye. Bordeaux is sited on the Garonne River, 20 miles (32km) in from the Atlantic, and is France's fifth largest city with a population of 650,000. In days of yore it started out as a Roman trading post, and passed into the hands of the English who owned it for some 300 years, imparting a British frosting on the French flair of the city and surrounds. Many of the grand chateaux in and around the city are still in English hands and many are open to tourists. Visitors can also sample the wares at several wine exporters premises in the city, which chiefly serves tourists simply as a stopover and central transport hub useful for accessing France's famous wine-growing region.