2 Best Sights in Bourg sur Gironde, Bordeaux and the Wine Country

This handsome château, which dates from 1723, reveals many layers of history, starting with a typical Gallo-Roman residence and a medieval citadel. The Salle des Gardes's medieval walls were incorporated into the newer building and a restored 13th-century pigeonnier can be viewed on the château grounds. The château museum displays lively carrousel horses and a tip-top collection of antique carriages and other conveyances.

Bourg's version of Lascaux, this remarkable Paleolithic-era cave, covered with lifelike etchings of mammoths, ibexes, bulls and horses, was discovered by a local archeologist 60 years before its more famous cousin, but here you'll be visiting the real deal. Book in advance, as you're only allowed to visit as part of an hour-long guided tour, which is limited to 18 people at a time.