# Saint-Émilion A medieval limestone village among World Heritage vineyards, about 35 km from Bordeaux, with a church carved into the rock beneath the square. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/nouvelle-aquitaine/saint-emilion · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## What is Saint-Émilion like? A small village of pale limestone built on a hillside, with steep, cobbled streets that run down from the collegiate church, at the top, to the market square, at the bottom of a hollow. All around there are only vines: the former jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion, with its villages and châteaux, has been a World Heritage Site since 1999 as a living wine-growing landscape. What you can't see from the street is the most curious part: much of the village is hollowed out underneath. Galleries remain from the quarries that supplied the stone, and a hermitage, catacombs and an entire church were carved into the rock. The village can be seen in two or three hours; to understand the wine, add an afternoon. ## How do you visit the monolithic church? Only with a guided tour; you can't go in on your own. The church was carved in the early 12th century into the rock beneath the square: it is about 38 m long and 12 m high. The Saint-Émilion Souterrain tour takes in four underground monuments: the hermitage of Émilion, the monk who gave the village its name; the chapel of the Trinity, with medieval paintings; the catacombs, and the monolithic church. It lasts from 45 minutes to an hour, leaves from the square of the monolithic church and is booked in the tourist office's online shop. The guide speaks French, but at the office they give you a printed translation in Spanish if you ask beforehand. Under-6s go in free, with a ticket, and from 6 to 17 there is a reduced rate. Above the church rises the bell tower, 68 m high. You climb 196 steps and it costs €2 more, with a ticket from the tourist office. You must go up at least in twos. At the top you see the whole village, the roofs and the vines to the horizon. ## What else is there to see on foot? The collegiate church and its cloister, at the top of the village, next to the tourist office. The Tour du Roy, the medieval keep from which the wine festivals are proclaimed. The Market square, below, with terraces facing the entrance to the monolithic church. The Porte de la Cadène, an arch over one of the most photographed streets. The ruins of the Cordeliers, a convent with an open-air cloister. For something sweet, the macarons of Saint-Émilion are almond biscuits from a convent recipe, different from the coloured macarons of Paris. ## How do I visit a winery? Many châteaux in the surrounding area open for visits and tastings, almost always by prior booking and with a price per person. The tourist office organises visits and wine tours and guides you according to what you are after: a classified grand cru or a small family estate. Without a car you can cycle along the roads between the vines, which are narrow but quiet. If you are going to taste, don't drive: the alcohol limit in France is 0.5 g per litre of blood. ## How do you get there? From Bordeaux, on the TER regional train on the Bordeaux–Sarlat line, with tickets from about €9.50. Saint-Émilion station is 1.5 km south of the village: about twenty minutes' walk uphill, with pavements for only part of the way, or by taxi or tuk-tuk. Bus 304 of the regional network leaves from Quinconces and in high season drops you about 100 m from the centre; the rest of the year it goes to Libourne, 7 km away. By car, the N89 from Bordeaux to Libourne; the Libourne exit of the A89 is 12 km away. From Spain, on the A63 from Irún to Bordeaux, or by train to Bordeaux and then the regional. ## Where do you park? At the top, next to the collegiate church, and below, in place Bouqueyre, there are paid car parks at €2 an hour, up to 5 hours. The Gendarmerie one is free. Motorhomes can spend the night free of charge in the Parc Guadet, without services, or in the station car park, with paid toilets. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Arcachon Bay (a 84.2 km), Périgord Noir (a 107.9 km) ## Qué hacer - **Underground Saint-Émilion and the Monolithic Church** (1 h · All ages; free for under-6s, with a ticket): With a guide only: the doors of the four underground monuments open only with him or her. You see Émilion's hermitage, the Trinity Chapel with its medieval paintings, the catacombs and the Monolithic Church, the largest carved into rock in Europe according to the tourist office. The visit is in French; ask at the office for the printed Spanish translation before you begin. It leaves from the square of the Monolithic Church, in groups of up to 35, with no photos inside. Book at the online shop and arrive in good time: parking costs money, and if you are late you don't get in. - **A walk through Saint-Émilion, from the collegiate church to the Porte de la Cadène** (2 h · All ages; steep, cobbled streets): Start at the top, at the collegiate church and its cloister, next to the tourist office. Go down the steep streets to Place du Marché, with the entrance to the Monolithic Church, pass under the arch of the Porte de la Cadène and climb to the Tour du Roy, the keep from which the wine festivals are proclaimed. Finish in the open-air cloister of the Cordeliers. Try the village's almond macarons. - **Visit and tasting at Château de Ferrand, grand cru classé** (1 h · Adults · Desde 25 € per person): Ferrand is an estate dating from 1702 in Saint-Hippolyte, a grand cru classé since 2012. The simplest visit tours the cellar and ends with two vintages discussed by the sommelier. If you want more, there is a blind tasting, a food pairing or a workshop to make your own blend. If you are going to taste, don't drive. - **Bell tower of the Monolithic Church** (30 min · Once they can climb stairs on their own · 2): The bell tower rises above the church carved into the rock. You climb 196 steps, taking them two at a time at least, and at the top you have the village rooftops and the vineyards to the horizon. The €2 ticket is paid separately at the tourist office: it is not included in the underground visit. - **Saint-Émilion by e-bike among the vineyards** (3 h · Adults and teenagers aged 14 to 18 · Desde 75 € per person): The roads between the vines are narrow but quiet, and on an e-bike the village's hills don't count. The ride leaves from Ferrand, tours the vineyards of the old jurisdiction, a World Heritage Site since 1999, and returns for a tasting of the house wines. - **A glass of wine at the village's first wine bar** (1 h · Adults): Founded in 1987, it was the first wine bar in Saint-Émilion. Its cellar has more than 500 labels from Bordeaux and all over France, with a selection by the glass: the simplest way to try several wines from the area without going to a winery. It is open seven days a week, with a garden next to the collegiate church. ## Dónde comer - **L'Envers du Décor** (Restaurant, Saint-Émilion, €€€). Qué pedir: A house dish, such as the lamb shoulder for two, and a glass of a local wine. - **Logis de la Cadène** (Restaurant, Saint-Émilion, €€€€). Qué pedir: The chef's menu with a bottle from the area; for something lighter, La Cave. ## By car: From San Sebastián, three hours on the A63 Take the A63 from Irun to Bordeaux and the N89 towards Libourne. The car lets you see châteaux in the surrounding area; in the village, park and walk. If you taste, let someone else drive. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–180 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Logis de la Cadène** (Small hotel): Sleeping in the village The Logis de la Cadène is on a little square in the medieval centre, with a view of the bell tower of the Monolithic Church. Sleeping here gives you the village empty first thing and at dusk, when the Bordeaux coaches leave, with the underground visit and the bell tower two minutes away. Rooms and suites The hotel has rooms and suites decorated in fine, natural materials, each different. Next door, the Maison de la Cadène is an 18th-century house with suites such as the Porte Brunet, which can also be booked as a whole. Downstairs is Thibaut Gamba's fine-dining restaurant and La Cave. Getting there and parking The streets of the centre are steep and cobbled: park in the paid car park next to the collegiate church (€2 per hour, up to 5 hours) and ask the hotel about access with luggage. Without a car, the regional train from Bordeaux reaches the village station, 1.5 km away. - **Yelloh! Village Saint-Émilion** (Campsite): A campsite among the vines Yelloh! Village Saint-Émilion occupies 10 hectares of greenery with a lake, on the route de Trimoulet, among the vineyards north of the village. It has four stars and is open from early May to late September. It is the base for a family that wants to see Saint-Émilion without paying for a hotel in the centre, with a pool for the afternoon. Pitches and accommodation There are 104 spacious pitches, some with a private toilet block, for tent, caravan or motorhome, and 78 rental units: mobile homes and wooden cottages named after wine villages (Bergerac, Lussac, Pomerol, Figeac), cabins on the lakeshore and a floating cottage on the water. Things to do at the campsite Heated water area, partly covered, with slides; fishing in the lake; clubs for babies, children, juniors and teenagers in season, and activities such as vineyard visits and an introduction to wine tasting. The team speaks several languages. ### Servicios - **Grand Saint-Émilionnais Tourist Office**: Place des Créneaux · tickets for the underground visit and the bell tower, wine tours and bikes - **Saint-Émilion railway station**: TER regional train Bordeaux–Sarlat · from around €9.50 · 1.5 km from the village, twenty minutes uphill ## As a family: A village with a church underground Saint-Émilion isn't just about wine: the catacombs, the church carved into the rock and the bell tower work very well with children, and under-6s get into the underground visit free. ### What works best Underground Saint-Émilion, 45 minutes to an hour with a guide The 196 steps of the bell tower, for €2 The village walk, with almond macarons ### Where to stay Yelloh! Village Saint-Émilion, with a lake, pool and children's clubs ### Where to eat L'Envers du Décor, with a garden, open daily ### Bear in mind Steep, cobbled streets: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair The underground visit is in French: ask for the Spanish translation ### Qué hacer as a family - Underground Saint-Émilion and the Monolithic Church - A walk through Saint-Émilion, from the collegiate church to the Porte de la Cadène - Bell tower of the Monolithic Church ## With teenagers: Catacombs, bell tower and bike among the vines Teenagers are hooked by the underground and the climb up the bell tower; from age 14 they can do the e-bike ride through the vineyards. ### What works best The Monolithic Church and the catacombs The bell tower, 196 steps E-bike among the vines, from age 14, €75 ### Where to stay Yelloh! Village Saint-Émilion, with a teenagers' club in season ### Where to eat L'Envers du Décor, in the centre ### Bear in mind The underground visit has a reduced rate for ages 6 to 17 The bike is booked at least 24 hours ahead ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Underground Saint-Émilion and the Monolithic Church - Bell tower of the Monolithic Church - Saint-Émilion by e-bike among the vineyards ## Consejos ### Book the underground tour on arrival, or before Groups are up to 35 people and in summer the morning slots fill up. Buy online and take a stroll while you wait. ### Climb the bell tower at the end of the afternoon The low light gives colour to the stone and the vines. Remember you must go up at least two people. ### Wear flat shoes The streets are steep, cobbled and slippery when it rains. ### Book the winery days ahead Château visits are almost always booked. At harvest some don't receive visitors. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Can I visit the monolithic church on my own? No. Only with the tourist office's guided tour, which also includes the hermitage, the chapel of the Trinity and the catacombs. ### Are there tours in Spanish? The guided tour is in French, but the tourist office gives you a printed translation in Spanish if you ask before you start. ### How do I get from Bordeaux without a car? On the regional train to Saint-Émilion station, 1.5 km from the village, or on bus 304, which in high season stops 100 m from the centre. ### How much time do I need? Half a day for the village and the underground tour. A full day if you add a winery or a bike ride among the vines. ### Can I climb the bell tower? Yes, for €2. There are 196 steps and at least two people must go up. ### Can I go by motorhome? Yes. The Parc Guadet and the station car park allow a free overnight stay, without services.