Saint Emilion
(Cycling 7/10; General Interest 8.5/10)
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What the St. Emilion region might seem to lack in terms of absolute cycling toughness (this is after all relatively flat viticultural land) it makes up for in history, culture food and most certainly wine! This is after all home to some of the world's greatest wine names – Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Angelus, Figeac.
And where there is great wine there is also outstanding food. Bustling St. Emilion is the ideal sized town/village to explore on foot or two wheels and is chock full of excellent restaurants, from simple bistro to the top Michelin-stars. A day trip to nearby Bordeaux is well worthwhile as well. |
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Route Variety 8/10
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Hills: 5/10
In a region predominated by vineyards and rivers, there really aren't any. |
Cycling Safety 7/10
There is a good network of secondary and vineyard roads that allow cyclists to avoid much of the traffic. Nonetheless, this is a busy commercial area with the related vehicular traffic that comes with it. |
Non-cycling Interest: 9/10
Saint Emilion and the entire region to Bordeaux is a culinary, viticultural and historic mecca. Much of Europe's wine trade is centered around here and they do like to eat and drink well. The area was also the site of much of the 100 Years War between the British and the French and battlefields can be visited close at hand. Saint Emilion itself is a delight of cobbled streets, chic boutiques, historic churches and monuments. |
Weather and Seasons 7/10
As in the Dordogne, the cycling season around Saint-Emilion is shorter and the weather less reliably good. The best months are generally May to the end of September |
