Wine Tasting:

There is nothing like the shop at the Maison des Vins de Duras to get to know Côtes de Duras flavours.  You will find a number of different wine growers’ products on hand: 160 references of red, dry white, rosé and sweet wines.  Take advantage of personalised advice and map out your journey of discovery of the vineyards, including wine tasting sessions on offer every day in the summer months.

If your taste buds are already trained, treat them to some new sensations by booking a tasting session with the professionals in the dedicated tasting room.

Within an hour, you can visit the famous wine regions:  St Emilion, Cote de Castillon, Sauterne & Barsac, Grave and Entre de Mer.  There are hundreds of wine chateaux to visit. 
Markets
Markets are a must-do of any trip to this region, for the quality and colour of the produce, and the lively atmosphere. To the east of the region are the markets of Bergerac, Ste-Foy-la-Grande. Eymet, Miramont, Duras & Monsegur. To the west there’s Cadillac, Créon, La Réole, Libourne, Langon, plus Bazas, Salles and St Symphorien to the south.

The Region

La Bournaude, the Quintessential Country Farm house,  is located down a private country lane, surrounded by orchards, forests, vineyards and sunflower fields.  Just south of the Dordogne, Duras is part of France’s bucolic bastide country.  Duras is part of the Lot & Garonne, but 15 minutes from the Gironde and Dordogne.  Duras is truly unique in its location - it borders three of Frances most important gastronomy and wine regions.

Local Towns:

Duras
The village of Duras offers most amenities: 2 grocery shops, butchers, bakers, news shop, several restaurants and cafés, outdoor market twice weekly, and a Château with interesting shows.
This area is famous for the wine and foods, and there are a myriad of interesting activities and sights to enjoy during your stay, including great day hikes and endless bike rides, horse-back riding and canoeing on the Dordogne river, visiting nearby villages and markets, tours of the famous caves with prehistoric drawings, day trips to historic sites of Carcassone or Rocamadour and much more.
Duras has tennis courts which are 2 km from the house, several restaurants, wine tasting, butchers, boulangeries, supermarkets, several banks and several local cafes and bars.  Duras has an impressive chateau, magnificent view, all shopping facilities and a market each Monday.  Ste. Foy la Grande (18km) Larger town with lots of shops, banks, two hyper-markets. It lies on the Dordogne river, has a good range of restaurants, brasseries and a large market on Saturdays.
Lac de Castelgaillard (1km) Large leisure lake with lots of activities. Horse-riding, cycling, swimming, and sandy beach.

Monsegur
In the village you will find the bakery, pharmacy, bar, newsstand, post office, cinema, and bank. The weekly market is held on Fridays. The supermarket is situated on the edge of town. Monsegur is situated on the border of the Gironde and Lot et Garonne regions of SW France, between Sauveterre de Guyenne and Duras. Monsegur is a short drive from Duras and St. Emilion.  Monsegur is best know for its International Jazz Festival in July, which attracts jazz musicians and singers from all over the world, During the 3 day festival, the whole town comes alive with the sound of music.


St Foy Le Grande:
Sainte-Foy-la-Grande is a charming, coloureful town founded in 1225 by Alphonse de Poitiers. Its lanes, half-timbered houses and town square encircled by picturesque archways afford an exceptional asset for this town .  Every Saturday morning , the market which is one of the 100 best markets in France, will delight you with its diversity of products. You can find handicrafts and authentic regional products. The market covers several of the Bastide's streets which become a pedestrian area .  All the year round, every day , there are many shops around the central square.  Take a walk along the Bastide's lanes and discover the restaurants of the area ; to help you  make your choice, a restaurant guide is also available at the tourism office.  Why not taste the local delicacy the "Croquet Foyen" made with  orange peel and almonds ,available in the local bakeries ?

Near By:

Visit Bordeaux - a sea port 100 km from the Atlantic coast. It is still a most elegant city, devoted to the export of fine wine - with its 18th Century palaces, a vast cathedral and wonderful shops.  The medieval streets of St. Emilion are filled with tempting wine stores, and local vineyards offer tours, which hold plenty of tasting opportunities!
The caves of the Vézère valley in the Dordogne contain a wealth of amazing prehistoric animal paintings, up to 20,000 years old. Don't miss the village of La Roque-Gageac, built into a cliff of golden limestone. Take a river trip in a flat-bottomed gabare past some fascinating old châteaux. To see some fine examples of 13th Century 'Bastides' visit the fortified towns built by Eleanor of Aquitaine's son, Richard the Lionheart at Monflanquin and Castillonnès. Be sure to see the spectacular sand dunes, particularly around Hossegor and Pyla. Many are over 300 feet high, and the highest in Europe
La Bournaude is centrally located to Bordeaux, St Emilion, the Dordogne and has limitless opportunity for great day trips.

Active Life
This area is famous for its walking, biking and horse back riding.  We can provide you information on hiking trails, bike rental companies and places for riding.  You can go canoeing down the Dordogne, golf at one of the several golf courses near.  There are two tennis courts three minutes from La Bournaude. 


Helpful Links:

Duras Tourism: http://www.paysdeduras.com/ - general information on walks, bike trails and horse back rides as well as general information on the region.

Duras Tourisn:  http://www.paysdudropt.com/ - great biking information

Wine tasting:  http://cotesdeduras.com/uk/annuaire.php

St Foy le Grande:  http://tourisme.paysfoyen.com

Entre de Mer:  http://tourisme.entredeuxmers.com/

Sauterne, Graves, Langon Tourism:  http://www.sauternais-graves-langon.com/uk/

Aquitaine Tourism:  http://www.alternative-aquitaine.com/regions/pays_vins/pays_vins.htm

Gironde Tourism:  http://www.uk.tourisme-gironde.cg33.fr/ - great walks, biking trails and horse trails.

Regional information:  http://www.uk.tourisme-gironde.cg33.fr