The 483km (300-mile) Dordogne and the 549-km (341-mile) Garonne meet at Bordeaux in southwest France to form the Gironde estuary, which is 65km (38 miles) wide and 3km to 11km (two to seven miles) wide. The region has fertile farmland and fine vineyards. The towns are major tourist attractions because of their history and architecture. The Garonne enjoys the rare distinction of having a tidal bore, which attracts surfers and jet skiers

The big attraction is the port city of Bordeaux, whose well-preserved 18th-century architecture in its old town, particularly the merchants’ houses and quaint alleyways, won it a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Baron Haussmann, a prefect of Bordeaux, used the town’s rebuilding in the 18th century as a template for his transformation of Paris into a modern city, and Victor Hugo once said: “Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux