Photos

View on the walls of small city of Saint-Macaire, on the north bank of river Garonne, about 50 kilometers south east of Bordeaux. In medieval times Saint-Macaire used to be a rich merchant city thanks to the river Garonne that flows foot of the city and that used to be the main commercial road in Middle-Age. The wine produced around the city was conveyed by boat from Saint-Macaire to Bordeaux and was then exported to foreign countries. But from the 17th century, the river Garonne moved to the south so the harbour of Saint-Macaire slowly became unusable. The city then had other activities (quarry, cooperage, ...) in next centuries, but never recovered its past prestige. Today the city enhances its very nice historic heritage, but the wine culture still remains the main activity. The vineyards around the city produce a white wine called "Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire".