Saint-Emillion, France

· France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Tournon-d'Agenais
Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 1Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 2Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 3Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 4Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 5Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 6Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 7Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 8Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 9Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 10Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 11Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 12Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 13Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 14Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 15Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 16Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 17Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 18Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 19Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 20Saint-Emillion, France – Tournon-d'Agenais, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – photo 21

Saint-Emillion is said to look like something out of a fairy tale, with steep, winding cobblestone streets (called tertres) and golden limestone buildings. It gets its name from Émilion, a Breton monk who fled his hometown in the 8th century and lived as a hermit in a natural cave, performing miracles and attracting followers.

We took a tour of the Monolithic Church which is the town’s crown jewel. Carved entirely out of a single limestone cliffside between the 9th and 12th centuries, it is the largest underground church in Europe.

Beneath the town and its surrounding vineyards lie over 200 kilometers (124 miles) of subterranean limestone galleries. Originally dug out as quarries to build Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, they now serve as the perfect, naturally climate-controlled wine cellars.

The countryside is covered with wineries and vineyards and is quite lovely. It is all about wine! We did not do any wine tasting nor did we visit a winery, but we enjoyed our tour and the town.

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