Saint-Émilion Travel Guide

  Saint Emilion 1
by dennis_wegewijs
 
  • Saint Emilion 1
      Saint Emilion 1
    by dennis_wegewijs
  • Scene of Saint-Elilion
      Scene of Saint-Elilion
    by VincentJJ
  • Remnant of Gothic Convent in St. Emilion
      Remnant of Gothic Convent in St. Emilion
    by Roadquill
  •   Things to Do
    by Roadquill
  • Wine Aroma Table
      Wine Aroma Table
    by Roadquill
 

Pro

Mique profile photo

 great place for wine-tasting, fantastic entourage 


Con

Toyin profile photo

 The weather is not very good for Photography 


In a nutshell

VincentJJ profile photo

 A MUST if your in the region! 

 

Explore Saint-Émilion

Things to Do  

St. Emilion Wine's House

St. Emilion Wine's House, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Located next to the Cathedral and cloister, I couldn't figure out what this little wine museum and shop was all about. Apparently you can join a class ( I think there is a fee) to taste local wines with a local Free entrance, but the only thing of interest was an aroma table... 

Cloitre des Cordiliers

Cloitre des Cordiliers, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  This old cloister was part of a long abandoned monastery. It is a little gem in a town so focused on wine, that stumbling upon it is a nice break. There is a nice little, understated wine bar adjunct. The convent/monastery goes back at least to the 14th Century. The name if... 

Discover Saint-Émilion

Discover Saint-Émilion, Saint-Émilion

 King_Golo Says:  As Saint-Émilion is only a village, it can be easily discovered within a few hours. You might want to get some information beforehand at the somewhat oversized tourist information, but it is not exactly necessary. Nonetheless, the tourist information makes a good starting... 

Remnant Wall of a Gothic Church

Remnant Wall of a Gothic Church, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  The ruins of a Dominican convent and church greet you at the entrance to St. Emilioin if you are coming from Libourne. This huge wall with the remains of three vaults was abandoned after the 100 Years War around 1,200. Now the vineyards come right up to the wall. 

Pottery Museum

Pottery Museum, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  The Musee de Potterie located in the caves under St. Emilion is an interesting exhibition of the history of pottery in the region. There are many historical exhibits, including rectangular "plates" featuring scenes from medieval life through contemporary art pieces. The... 

Belltower of the Monolithic Church

Belltower of the Monolithic Church, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Built over the underground Monolithic Church, from the surface one does not even connect it with the Church. The view from the top provides wonderful panoramic views of St. Emilion and the nearby vineyards. Access costs 1.25E when you get the key from the tourist office. You... 

Cave of St. Emilion

Cave of St. Emilion, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Below the belltower and across from the entrance to the Monolithic Church is the cave of St. Emilion. St. Emilion developed a following when, as a monk in Britttany, while distributing misappropriated loaves of bread to the poor, he was caught, told to show the bread and the... 

Monolithic Church

Monolithic Church, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Under the hill upon which the town of St. Emilion sits is the Monolithic Church. As the hill was excavated for the limestone blocks needed to build the town, an underground church was created. Carvings on the walls add to the mystery. On the South ceiling is a carving of... 

Jewel of Stones

Jewel of Stones, Saint-Émilion

 Toyin Says:  One thing that is unique to St Emilion is the architectural sites which for a long time was designed by men to blend in with the surrounding landscape.St Emilion is such a jewel of stones, in a natural settings of utmost beauty. 

Hotels  

Hostellerie de Plaisance

 1 Review and 82 Opinions  I took my husband here for a birthday lunnch and had reserved a room for the night. The restaurant... 

Logis des Remparts

 58 Opinions

Restaurants  

O 3 Fountaines: O 3 Fountaines - Wine Bar

O 3 Fountaines: O 3 Fountaines - Wine Bar, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Not only is there a great selection of local wines by the glass, but the tables are made of old wine barrels. The setting is very open, with large beams, lots of air and space. The prices are very reasonable and you can get a very satisfying lunch and glass or two of... 

Les Cordeliers: Les Cordeliers - Wine and light snacks

Les Cordeliers: Les Cordeliers - Wine and light snacks, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Located in part of the 16th century Cloitre des Cordeliers is a wine/drink/light snack shop where you can take a break in the remains of the cloister of the old monastery. The attitude is light and friendly in an informal atmosphere. They serve a selection of modestly priced... 

Transportation  

Walk, walk, walk

Walk, walk, walk, Saint-Émilion

 Gypsystravels Says:  Exploring St. Emilion is best by foot. There are narrow paved streets called tetres and small flights of steps called escalates which make it a bit hard to travel any other way. Bring some good walking shoes as St. Emilion is an elavate town and can only be reached by foot. 

By Car

By Car, Saint-Émilion

 Gypsystravels Says:  As we had hired a car for the week we would be traveling around France, we were able to arrive and leave at our lesiure. We arrived by car by late morning and spent the whole afternoon visiting the town. 

Shopping  

Wine straight from the case: Not so formal wine shops

Wine straight from the case: Not so formal wine shops, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  In addition to the more formal wine shops, with the bottles of wine and wine paraphenalia appropriately displayed, there are several wine shops where they stack the wine boxes with a handwritten price. Some of these prices seemed pretty good. A 2008 St. Emilion Grand Cru for... 

Numerous wine shops: Wine Shops

Numerous wine shops: Wine Shops, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  There are numerous wine shops representing not only wines from the St. Emilion appellation, but all over the Bordeaux region. The shopkeepers are very knowledgable of their product. They also have the ability to ship to all corners of the world. 

Wine School - Ecole Du Vin: Vignobles & Chateaux

Wine School - Ecole Du Vin: Vignobles & Chateaux, Saint-Émilion

 ceswho Says:  They will give a wine lessons as well as wine tasting, depending on how much time you have. All the wines grown in Saint Emilion. Depending on how much wine you order or the quality of . They shipped wines all over the world. You pay shipping and Handling. You also have to... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Steep Cobblestone Streets

Steep Cobblestone Streets, Saint-Émilion

 Roadquill Says:  Near the top of the hill at St. Emilion are narrow, steep streets paved with cobblestones. You have to be very careful with your footing. Personally, I would not wear high heels. Interesting note about the cobblestones...... the area does not have natural cobblestones,... 

Vehicles On Rue GUADET

Vehicles On Rue GUADET, Saint-Émilion

 Toyin Says:  Vehicles wider than 2 meters are to be parked outside the town limits. Also, there are not many parking places in St Emilion, so you must be careful where you park your car. There are charges for parking in the main street, rue Guadet. It is also instructive to note that... 

Favorites  

The Trees of St. Emilion

The Trees of St. Emilion, Saint-Émilion

 Gypsystravels Says:  I'm not sure what the name of these trees are but I found them to be quite interesting. I love trees and at any chance will try to photograph them.The trees looks like they belong in a haunted story book with its nobby trunks and stick like branches. I've seen these... 

Familiarize yourself with this compact town

Familiarize yourself with this compact town, Saint-Émilion

 Gypsystravels Says:  In my travels around these small towns I've noticed that many have these wonderful illustrated maps of the main attractions with some really good information of loactions, etc. It's a great way of just familiarize yourself before heading out to explore, even if you have a... 

Comments

Map of Saint-Émilion