If Paris is the French city best known to the rest of the world, it is highly probable that the second most recognised name is that of Bordeaux, capital of the Aquitaine region. The city has 215,000 residents (700,000 if the suburbs are counted), and the mayor is none other than the former Prime Minister of France, Alain Juppé.

The Place de la Bourse.

learly, the city on the River Garonne owes its fame to wine. The names are famous the world over - Saint-Emilion, Margaux, Pomerol, Saint-Estephe - to mention but a few of the labels that make wine-lovers' hearts beat faster. The world's best-known wine-growing area extends over 135,000 hectares (more than half a million acres) and produces over 500 million bottles a year.

A major Roman commercial centre

Former French star midfielder, Alain Giresse Picture: Pressesports

It is a historical fact that the wine-growing and trading were started by ... the English of all people, who occupied the town from the 12th to the 15th century. Even then, the town had a thousand years of history behind it; during Roman times Bordeaux was a major commercial centre. It owes some of its prominence to a fortunate geographical location; on the one hand it is an important point for north-south trade, and on the other, it was a link to the New World from the 16th century onwards. Thanks to its port and its maritime activity down the Gironde estuary, the city has been exceptionally prosperous since the 18th century.

   The surrounding region too is a rich one. Apart from the wine there is also significant trade in wood and related products, and this too contributed to the wealth of the city.

University with over 60,000 students

The Town Hall in Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is preparing thoughtfully for the turn of the millennium in the year 2000. Its industries continue to develop and its technological skills too. The university of Bordeaux is one of the oldest in France and with some 60,000 students one of the largest as well.

   The town's dynamic approach is also felt in various other areas, such as in sport and culture.

   Les Girondins de Bordeaux, the town's football club, is regularly among the top few in France and in 1997 reached the final of the UEFA Cup.

   Among other sports, top level rugby, athletics and tennis occupy prominent places in the annual calendar. Bordeaux is also a major cultural centre. Although it has a wealth of exceptional monuments, Bordeaux is not content just to exploit its past; one example of efforts in this direction is the internationally renowned "Mai musical de Bordeaux". Bordeaux is 580 km from Paris, and can be reached by plane, by train, TGV (high speed train) or by motorway. There are similar links to other major cities.

THE LESCURE STADIUM The Lescure Stadium before and after renovation. For more information on the Girondins de Bordeaux, visit the official site of the French Football League Located only two kilometres from the centre of town and four from Bordeaux railway station, the Lescure Stadium is a classified historical monument. The current capacity is 46,990, of which 21,200 are seated. Renovation and improvement work has increased the number of seating places to 36,000, and of these 15,000 will be under cover. In addition to increasing the number of seats, press facilities were improved and other work was done to provide better access to the ground and to modernise amenities for the players, the media, and officials. In addition the lighting is being improved, and a video system of surveillance is being installed. Next to the stadium itself, a multi-media press centre is ready for the World Cup, which will later be transformed into a multi-sports centre. The provisional budget for all this work was 51 million francs. The state is contributing about 36% of the total, the rest coming from various local and regional authorities (town council, urban community, general council and regional council).