{Aquitaine

Anne-Marie Leroy

Lying in the southwestern corner of France, Aquitaine is a region famed for its wine, its beaches, and its countryside. The southern part of the region is mostly low lying.

Julius Caesar named the south-western part of France Aquitaine, after the Latin word “aqua”, meaning water. This was because his troops discovered an abundance of thermal springs, lakes and rivers coming down from the Pyrenees to meet the vast coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Capital of Aquitaine is Bordeaux and the population there is about 4.8% of the entire French population. However, it is a gorgeous vacation spot with many points of interest for tourists.

A Brief History

{The Great Dune of Pyla

Points of Interest

The Great Dune of Pyla is located in the South of the Arcachon Bay.

It is the highest dune in all of Europe; reaching an impeccable height of 107 meters.

The sand that the dune is made of are about the same size.

The Great Dune of Pyla

{Lascaux

Points of Interest

The Lascaux cave paintings were discovered on September 12, 1940 by four teenagers.

after World War II ended, the entrance to the cave was enlarged and the floor was lowered to enable easier access for visitors. Nearly 1,200 tourists visited the cave every day.

The cave was closed to the public in 1963 due to the damage to the paintings that was being caused by the high levels of carbon dioxide from the visitors' breath. After the cave was closed, the paintings were restored to their original state.

In 1983 an exact replica of the Lascaux Caves was opened, 200 meters from the original cave. Reproductions of other Lascaux artwork can be seen at the Centre of Prehistoric Art at Le Thot France. The cave contains nearly 2,000 painted figures.

Lascaux

{Cordouan Lighthouse

Points of Interest

The Courdouan Lighthouse is the oldest French lighthouse that is still in operation.

It was built in 1862, the same time the Notre Dame Cathedral was built.

The heighth of the lighthouse is 67.50 meters.

Cordouan Lighthouse