Youll be raising your glass many times in Bordeaux, which is renowned for its wines, considered amongst the best in the world. As the capital of the department Gironde in the region Aquitaine, it has a population of one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate. After years of neglect, the former wet docks are the countrys new hot spot, with a number of cafes, gardens, and musuems springing up all the time. A lively university community of over 60,000, (Bordeaux Campus is the biggest in France) establishes that Bordeaux is about more than just wine.