Saint-Émilion is one of the leading tourist destinations, a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages and famous for its wines. It has also recently been discovered by UNESCO for its cultural landscape. Between the vine-covered hills and waterways, along wooded slopes and picturesque streets, the municipality of Saint-Émilion extends over 75 km² around the well-protected medieval town. Only half an hour from Bordeaux or an hour from Bergerac or Périgueux, Saint-Émilion is the perfect starting point for an unforgettable vacation.
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ReisenTranskript
00:00For a long time we have read about Saint-Emilion, heard about it and talked about it.
00:15Now we are there, in a medieval village, completely surrounded by vineyards.
00:25The medieval village is like an open-air museum, founded, according to legend, by a humble
00:29hermit in the 8th century.
00:31Attracted by the cult of the monk Emilion, several religious communities settled here.
00:39There were Benedictines, Augustinians, Franciscans, Dominicans and Ursuline sisters living together
00:45in the heart of the city between the 8th and 18th century.
00:50This is commemorated by the monolithic church, which is said to take its name from the massive
00:54rock into which it was carved.
01:04It is an underground church from the early 12th century with gigantic dimensions of 38
01:09meters long and 12 meters high.
01:11The church in the middle of the village reminds of religious activities in the Middle Ages
01:15and fascinates with its unusual appearance.
01:40The nave was dug into the limestone plateau, whose present structure still consists of
01:44a single block.
01:46Presumably, at the time, the city wanted to encourage pilgrims to visit the tomb of the
01:50patron saint, St. Emilion, and so needed a building large enough to accommodate hundreds
01:55of pilgrims.
02:08Legend tells, the pilgrimages are the reason for another culinary highlight, besides the
02:12wine grown around the village.
02:25The first ones were baked in 1620 by nuns of the Ursuline order.
02:35The recipe, according to legend, was given to a nun as payment for accommodation and
02:40a meal.
02:41After that, for centuries it remained the secret of a few families.
02:58Even today they are made here completely by hand.
03:00longer by nuns, but that clearly does not detract from the taste.