Whether you are a family with kids looking for holiday entertainment or a retired couple looking for peace and quiet in beautiful surroundings there is something for you in Aquitaine.

The best place to start is probably with the river Dordogne which meanders through the region. It actually rises in the peaks of the Auvergne, way to the east before cutting a dramatic swathe through the region and flowing into the Gironde estuary north of Bordeaux. The lifestyle, history and culture of the Dordogne valley attracts visitors from all over the world. The towns of Sarlat, Beynac, Bergerac, St Emilion and Bordeaux are particularly well known and you will find a variety of languages spoken in the bars and markets as tourists visit throughout the year. The river comes alive with canoeists, swimmers and pleasure cruisers vying for space in the summer months - the perfect holiday retreat.

But the Dordogne is not just about the river. It plays host to over 1,500 chateaux (castles) as well as the caves of Lascaux, famous for their Paleolithic cave paintings. It is well known that many British house buyers in particular have populated the department, attracted by the sunny climate, reasonable house prices and the beautiful scenery.

The neighbouring Gironde is the largest department in the whole of France and boasts Europe's longest beach, the Cote d'Argent which attracts surfers from all over the world. The Dune du Pyla in Arcachon Bay is the tallest sand dune in Europe - climb to the top and you tower over the pine forest behind you while enjoying sweeping views over the bay.

Of course, the Gironde also boasts some of the most wonderful wines in existence. Bordeaux reds are famous throughout the world and many people buy them as an investment. There are over 8,500 producers in Bordeaux and you will probably have heard of (or tasted) wines like Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.

The city of Bordeaux is on the World Heritage List and combines beautiful architecture with world class restaurants and first class shopping facilities.

The Landes department is famous for its beaches and, inland, the huge swathes of pine forests. It has a totally different feel to the Dordogne and contains many "undiscovered" towns and villages. Similarly, the neighbouring Lot et Garonne department has a totally different landscape - indeed it is named after the two rivers that flow through the department. It is sometimes called the "Tuscany of France" and has a totally unspoilt feel about it.

The Pyrenees Atlantique department stretches down to the Spanish border and the Basque influence plays a big part in the architecture, cuisine and culture of the region. Towns like Biarritz and Bayonne are famous for the quality of their beaches and surfing. Inland the towns and villages in the Pyrenees offer some of the finest walking and biking trails in France.

If great food and wine is what you are looking for then this is the region for you.

Let's kick off with the black Perigord Truffle which can be found in late Autumn and Winter. You will find that it dominates the local cuisine, enriching the flavour and offering tastebuds something unique in the world. They sell for around €1,000 a kilo in the local farmers markets and retail for around four times this price. They are used in soups, sauces, patés and with meats. Foie Gras too plays a big part in most local cuisines and can be seen on most menus, usually as a starter. Food in this region is often cooked in goose fat, giving the dish its own distinctive taste. Walnut oil is a common salad dressing.

There are 120,630 hectares of vineyards in Bordeax (more than the whole of Australia), almost all of which produces wine of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) quality, making it the largest producer of this qulaity wine in France. Bordeaux is regarded as the world capital of wine and is famous for producing fine wines for many centuries. It is renowned for deep, velvety reds, elegant dry whites and deliciously sweet dessert wines.

The other departments in Aquitaine boast some fine local wines too and it's clear that this region holds an attraction that simply can't be matched by any other in France.

Bayonne ham is also renowned for its quality - it is usually cured for 9-10 months before being sold and will keep for another year after this.

The river rises from a height of 1,885m in the mountains of the Auvergne. It flows westward for around 500 km before flowing into the Gironde estuary.
The upper valley of the Dordogne consists of a series of deep gorges. The cliffs, steep river banks, fast flowing water and beautiful bridges attract both walkers and those simply looking for a scenic drive. In several places the river is dammed to form long, deep lakes. Camp sites and holiday homes can be found wherever the valley floor is wide enough to accommodate them.

Below Argentat and around Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, the river valley widens to allow fertile farmland, well-watered pasture and many orchards.

In the towns (which are themselves major tourist attractions because of their history and architecture) the quaysides are lined with pretty restaurants and lively bars.

In Périgord, the river valley widens to take in one of France's most famous gastronomic regions, dominated by vineyards, poultry farms and truffle-rich woodlands.

The main tourist season along the river valley is from June to September with July and August being particularly packed with tourists. The small, local, roads can become incredibly busy and log-jammed. The lifestyle and culture of the Dordogne valley attracts visitors from all over France and, indeed, from all over the world

When looking to buy a house in France the famous saying of "location, location, location" is just as applicable as it is elsewhere in the world.

You will find that Aquitaine is brilliantly situated with great links to the rest of France and beyond.

The international airport in Bordeaux is supplemented by airports in Bergerac, Biarritz and Pau.

You'll find TGV stops with connections to the Eurostar in Lille & Paris and the motorway network is easily accessed through the legendary Autoroute d'Aquitaine.

To find a full list of TGV destinations and timetables visit the website here - SNCF.