If you're heading south through Entre-Deux-Mers, Langon is the first town of any size you come to. But ST-MACAIRE, across the Garonne from Langon, is far better for a rest or food stop. The village still has its original gates and battlements and a beautiful medieval church, the Église-Prieuré. The well-organized tourist office, 8 rue Canton (April–Sept Tues–Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm, Sun 2–7pm; Oct–March Tues–Sat 10am–noon & 2–6pm; tel 05.56.63.32.14, fax 05.56.76.13.24), doubles as a Maison du Pays, promoting regional produce, which here means honey and wine. Staff can help arrange visits to the chais, and in season (April–June Sat & Sun; July & Aug daily) they organize tastings hosted by various local wine-makers. Opposite is a good hotel, Les Feuilles d'Acanthe (tel 05.56.62.33.75, fax 05.56.76.12.02; closed Jan; €55–70), with a restaurant serving a choice of crêpes and more substantial regional dishes. Just below the walls is the small, two-star Camping Les Remparts (tel 05.56.62.23.42; July & Aug only).LA RÉOLE, on the north bank 18km further east, boasts a wealth of medieval architecture along a well-signposted walk through its narrow, hilly streets. France's oldest town hall, constructed for Richard the Lionheart in the twelfth century, and the well-preserved simple Abbaye des Bénédictins – with a fantastic view over the River Garonne and the surrounding countryside – reward a stroll through the town, although little remains of the fortified castle. La Réole's tourist office is on place de la Libération (Easter–Oct Mon 3–6pm, Tues–Sat 9am–noon & 3–6pm, Sun 3–6pm; Nov–Easter closed Sun; tel 05.56.61.13.55, fax 05.56.71.25.40), and it conducts tours of the sights in July and August. For accommodation, the two-star Hôtel de l'Abbaye, 42 rue Armand-Caduc (tel 05.56.61.02.64, fax 05.56.71.24.40; €40–55), on the road up to the abbey, is a bit chaotic, but the rooms are clean and not too bad for the price. A good restaurant is Les Fontaines on rue du Verdun (closed Sun evening & Mon, also fifteen days in Feb & Nov), serving classic French cuisine, albeit with a modern touch, and a wide choice of menus from €12.96. A lively Saturday market on the esplanade des Quais along the Garonne provides good picnic provisions.
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