From the estuary to the vineyard: Saint-Julien-Beychevelle loop

The starting point is located in the village of Saint-Julien, in front of the town hall.

Follow the arrows towards the church square passing by the rue des Acacias, then to the right by the porch of the rue des noisetiers. You are on the church square in front of the first terminal Saint-Julien Beychevelle: a history of the Medoc, "It is one of the prettiest parishes, not of the diocese of Bordeaux, but of France" Monsignor Donnet Archbishop of Bordeaux ( 1850). It was the wine boom of the 18th century that encouraged the reconstruction of the church. The population had increased and the wine growers wanted a church to match the prestige of the vineyard. This is how the church of Saint-Julien is totally different from all the other churches in the Médoc.

Cross the church square and go straight down towards the port. On the left, you will find the history of the village around the vineyard, the reputation of a vineyard, the workers' habitat ...

Continue under the alley of plane trees to the port. Turn left, cross the lock and head towards the edge of the Gironde. Very nice view of the estuary and its islands. The estuary, the mouths of rivers, is an area subject to tides, characterized by deposits of sediment and the mixture of salt and fresh water. Straddling the departments of Charente and Gironde, the Gironde estuary is the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Its dimensions make it the largest estuary in Western Europe (75km long, up to 12km wide and an area of ​​635km²).

Retrace your steps, cross the lock and turn left, walk along the estey to the explanation panel. The Esteys, mouths of streams, jalles, you will see them all along the Estuary. Médoc means: in the middle of the water, it is a particular hydrographic network. 4 An important river port, imagine the barges loaded with barrels and various foodstuffs ready to leave…

Facing the estuary, turn right and walk along the shore by the small path. You will find unspoiled nature, and can discover the riches of the estuary. On terminal n ° 5 you can turn the rollers to assemble the remarkable flora and fauna of our estuary.

Continue straight on until the plaice. All fishing! Pull up the net and you will learn all about fishing.

Then take the right turn and head towards the vines. Special lands: notice the line between the lands of palus and the gravel and discover the geological evolution of the terroir.

Continue straight ahead, pass in front of the wastewater treatment plant to the sign for the various vineyard work. Vines and men: over the seasons, continuous work from pruning to harvest.

Continue straight ahead to the Léoville Barton castle. 9 Welcome to the château: formerly the properties were family owned and everyone lived in all these buildings, the bourdieu. The Barton family, owner of this estate, is an example of these families present in the same property. These are 3 centuries of history with 7 successive generations on this property.

Going up the coast you will pass in front of the water tower and reach the starting point in front of the town hall.