It’s a real pleasure to explore Bordeaux by bike: the wide quayside promenades, the playful and enchanting Miroir d’Eau, the Cité du Vin, the narrow streets of the Saint-Pierre district, and the many buildings listed as historic monuments.

The route leads to Bègles,  a town undergoing rapid urban change. It runs alongside the Eau Bourde valley as far as Gradignan, where the Priory of Cayac once again welcomes pilgrims on the Way of St James, then winds its way through the heart of the renowned Pessac-Léognan vineyards.

The Entre-deux-mers region, bordered to the north by the Dordogne and to the south by the Garonne, is renowned for its wine-growing heritage and its medieval bastides, characterised by their square town squares surrounded by arcades.

From the bastide of Créon to Latresne, the greenway winds its way through the shady Pimpine valley, where the bistro of the same name in Lignan-de-Bordeaux invites you to stop for a pleasant break. It then runs alongside the Garonne, lined with beautiful mansions and fishing huts, which it crosses via the oldest bridge in Bordeaux, the Pont de Pierre.

In Guîtres, there is a link to the Isle Valley Cycle Route – Mussidan,  Périgueux,  Trélissac. A complete change of scenery is guaranteed when you board a late 19th-century train, steam or diesel locomotive, travelling at the same speed as a bicycle, 14 km/h.

From Saint-Denis-de-Pile, the vineyard landscapes become more extensive. The route leads to the village of Lalande-de-Pomerol with its prestigious appellation, to Libourne, a former port town situated at the confluence of the Isle and the Dordogne, and then to the famous vineyards of Saint-Emilion.

The very popular medieval town of Saint-Emilion is best explored on foot due to its narrow, steep streets (tertres) and stair-like streets (escalettes).

This stage, with its wine-growing atmosphere, leads to the banks of the Dordogne, which you cross at Branne, then gently climbs  the hillsides to the Roger Lapédie greenway, built on a former railway line, passes close to the remarkable ruins of the Abbey of La Sauve-Majeur and then reaches the Créon cycle station.

Don’t miss the “Ouvre la voix” cycling and music festival in early September: a bike ride along the greenway, musical entertainment and concerts.

FR : Le parcours officiel de la Scandibérique effectue un détour par les Billaux. CycloTransEurope propose un parcours plus direct.