If you are staying around Bordeaux, maybe doing some wine testing, there is one little town you must go to. You will not regret spending a day in Saint Emilion. It’s probably the most charming village you will get to see!
Saint Emilion is one of those villages that seems to come straight from fairytales. Winding stone streets leading to quaint squares. Picturesque views of dreamy landscapes. Charming storefronts of small boutiques selling local products and handcrafted delicatessen. And wine of course!
When the town wakes up at the sound of the market, you will almost expect Belle to arrive dancing her way through and singing “Bonjour, Bonjour…” You know, Beauty and the Beast?! Yeah ok, maybe it isn’t the right reference but it surely is how I felt!
Note: This post includes affiliated links down below. If you decide to purchase one of the books about Saint Emilion, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Saint Emilion – the legend
Like many cities in France, Saint Emilion is a very old town. The Romans had planted wine around Saint Emilion as early as the 2nd century. However, the story of the city really starts in the 8th century. And the story starts with a legend.
In the year 750 CE, a Benedictine monk, who was fleeing from Brittany, took refuge there, in a natural cave. Such monk started living as a hermit. With time and as he performed a few miracles, he started to become famous, in the region and beyond. Disciples came to live with him and together they transformed the village into a great religious center. Being located on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela helped.
After the monk died in 767, his disciples named the town after him: Saint Emilion.
History, beautiful architecture and wine are intertwined in Saint Emilion. This lead to the addition of Saint Emilion to the UNESCO World Heritage list, in 1999, which recognized this cultural landscape, where men and nature have harmoniously lived together for centuries.
The wine!
Very few people come to Saint Emilion without having at least heard about its wine. As mentioned above the Romans had planted vineyards as early as the 2nd century.
What fewer people know is that where there are vineyards, there are caves. And I don’t mean little cellars, I mean kilometers of caves. In and around Saint Emilion, there still 200km (125 miles) of network of caves mined between the 9th and 19th century.
The limestone extracted was used to build the city. The caves were used and are still used today to store the wine. Double win.
Saint Emilion isn’t the only region with kilometers of caves. Reims and the Champagne is another great example. There are so many more. Between the natural caves and the man made ones, France is like a piece a Emmental cheese! No, no, not Gruyère which doesn’t have holes 😉
There are of course many ways to test Saint Emilion wines. Do check out the official tourism website (link below in the ‘technical bits’ section) to find out about the wine tours and chateaux around the city.
You can also stop at any restaurant and relax with a glass in your hand!
A day in Saint Emilion, roaming the streets
Saint Emilion is a great town to just stroll around. It can be a bit of a workout as some of the streets are quite steep and uneven. It’s kind of the whole charm of cobbled streets!
There are also quite a few distinctive places to visit, like:
- the Monolithic Church with its bell tower
- the Collegiate Church with its cloister
- the Château du Roi or King’s keep
- the Cordeliers’ cloister
- the Palais Cardinal
- the market hall
Here are a few pictures:
the Monolithic Church with its bell tower
Above and below: the Collegiate Church with its cloister
You can hammer a nail in this log and make a wish!
the Château du Roi or King’s keep from which you get the best view of the city!
One of the 2 wash houses (19th century not medieval!)
The Ursuline’s Covent
Some of these are not opened all year long as I sorely learned on site (that was really bad luck!). Some can only be visited with a guided tour, like the Monolithic Church.
Do check the Saint Emilion website to plan your visit and do go to the tourist center when you arrive.
Basically, to see any of the underground part of the city, you need to join a tour. The guides hold the keys to the city’s best kept secrets!
The technical bits
The official website to plan your visit: http://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com
Saint Emilion is located east of Bordeaux and it will take you around 45mn to get there if you are driving.
Wear good shoes! I know I always say that but seriously, cobbled streets and heals don’t go hand in hand.
One historical delicatessen of Saint Emilion is the almond macaron. It was created around 1620 by nuns of the Les Ursulines order and the recipe is a secret well guarded! It has nothing to do with the macaron you know!!
The enormous Pierrefitte menhir is in the commune of Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens.
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Here are a few books you may enjoy
These are affiliated links. If you decide to purchase one of the books about Saint Emilion, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
