Bordeaux may lovingly be called La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty), but with a large student population and two and a half million tourists annually, it’s hardly a sleepy little French town. Life in Bordeaux offers a little bit of everything for those looking to live and intern abroad in France, with its perfect combination of bustling city life and surrounding smaller, historic villages.

Take a walking tour of the city, in order to get to know the beauty of Bordeaux, pay a visit to the famous water mirror outside the Place de la Bourse, and explore what has become a true symbol for the city of Bordeaux in your free time.

Spend your weekends exploring the many parks and public gardens, after hitting the local markets for a relaxing picnic with friends, take a cruise along the river Garonne, or tour one of the 10,000 wine-producing châteaux. Looking for more of an outdoor adventure? Bordeaux is ideally situated so you’re never far from the mountains or the beach.

You’ll have plenty of weekend adventures in Bordeaux, but don’t expect to share your tales of adventure at the water cooler Monday morning with your colleagues. In France keeping your personal life and professional life separate is common practice. There also won’t be “casual fridays” in the office, so you’ll have to dress to impress.

While interning in Bordeaux it will be best to get from place to place by bike, it is also the best way to get to know the city, but public transportation is also very accessible. Between three tram lines, 75 bus routes, 13 night-bus routes, an electric shuttle through the city center, and boat shuttles on the river, getting around Bordeaux is a breeze.