SPOTLIGHT on Bordeaux

SPOTLIGHT on Bordeaux Sunny, vibrant Bordeaux city offers a laid-back lifestyle within easy reach of glorious coastal towns and beautiful countryside with excellent transport links. Bordeaux is a magnet for tourists drawn to its top-class museums, including the renowned Cité du Vin, and glorious architecture. It has the largest urban area listed on the UNESCO world heritage encompassing some 1810 hectares. The Port of the Moon, once the main port for shipping wine from Bordeaux, has been regenerated and former warehouses transformed into shops, bars and restaurants. The quaysides are busy with runners, cyclists and walkers and families splashing in the Miroir d’Eau, a water sculpture in front of the impressive Place de la Bourse. Alongside this, the city has numerous green spaces and is teeming with smart shops and chic restaurants. Plus it’s a family-friendly city with excellent private and public schooling with an increasing offer for classes taught in English. Trains to Paris take around two hours, and there’s also an international airport as well as excellent auto route links. Properties here are popular with the French and with international buyers. American Brad Turner who works for Leggett Immobillier’s Bordeaux based agency says “Knowing where to look is the key to finding your dream home. Especially if you want a traditional style property like wood floors and high ceilings – but with modern facilities such as air conditioning and a great fitted kitchen! There are lots of different property styles, multiple neighbourhoods that are quite distinctive within the city and a great choice in villages and towns no more than 50km away from the city centre and increasingly accessible by public transport. Even the airport is now only 25 minutes away on the newly opened tram line A making Bordeaux the perfect place for second homeowners – no need to keep a car here.” The Fondaudege and Chartrons neighbourhoods have been rejuvenated thanks to tram service access and renovation, and despite being in the centre of the city, still retain a villagey-vibe. Recently there has 106 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 107