Discover Saint-Estèphe

Saint-Estèphe brings together architectural history, winegrowing and routes along the estuary. Depending on whether you are interested in the church and remembrance, wine visits or a circular route, you can tailor your stay in different ways.

Church, remembrance and annual festival

The present-day Église Saint-Étienne was built in 1764 on the walls of a Romanesque church dating from the 11th century. Its history therefore encompasses two clearly distinct building phases: the older Romanesque church and the later building, which today bears the name Saint-Étienne.

Another historical landmark is the Mausolée du cimetière de Saint-Estèphe. It contains 187 caskets holding the remains of soldiers who died for France in 1914–1918. The number and time period give the mausoleum a specific connection to remembrance, distinct from the church’s architectural history.

The traditional Foire à la Chapelle takes place once a year around the Sunday of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in early September. The exact date may vary from year to year. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the date for your travel year.

Winegrowing and visits

It is important to note what each land-area figure refers to: the commune has 1,250 hectares of vineyards. The AOC Saint-Estèphe comprises sixty châteaux; more than nine million bottles are produced there on 1,200 hectares. Thus, figures are available both for the commune’s vineyard area and for the appellation and its production.

Château Cos d’Estournel offers private visits by appointment. These include discovering the vineyards, a guided tour of the cellars and a wine tasting. At Château Meyney, you can take visits with tastings of the Grand Vins and Second Vins by appointment. Château Meyney also offers a free outdoor wine-themed trail. Since visit arrangements may change, it is advisable to book your preferred visit in advance.

Estuary and routes

At the Port de Saint-Estèphe, traditional fishermen’s huts line the estuary shore; they are called “carrelets.” Saint-Estèphe’s eastern side, along the estuary, has the highest concentration of these fishermen’s huts on the left bank. This makes the estuary a distinct point of interest alongside the vineyards and historic buildings.

The Chemin d’Amadour reaches the Port de la Chapelle de Saint-Estèphe, which is surrounded by 1,250 hectares of the commune’s vineyards. By contrast, the Saint-Estèphe en boucle starts in the square by the Église Saint-Étienne. This circular route is designed for discovering château architecture in the local districts by bicycle or car.

The Saint-Estèphe en boucle is 15 kilometres long and rated easy. It takes about two hours by bicycle and 40 minutes by car. Before setting off, visitors can get information and advice from the reception team at the Maison du Vin de Saint-Estèphe. This lets you factor both the starting point and the approximate time for each mode of transport into your plans for the day.

Plan your stay

First decide which of these activities you would like to shape your stay; you can then plan your travel dates around it.

Discover more destinations: Auros, Francs, Gans, Créon, Saint-Ferme, Paillet, Cérons, Tizac-De-Curton.

For the wider travel overview: Gironde.