With a surface area of 6,500 hectares, the Blayais vineyards, under the marine influence of the Estuary, are mainly cultivated on the hillsides. The vineyards of the plain and the high plateau enrich the typicity of the appellation thanks to their clay-gravel and sandy-clay soils.

The Porte Royale, one of two entrances to the citadel of Blaye, was built in 1685. Its sophistication makes it one of Vauban’s major works: two fixed bridges; a ravelin; a turret; and an egg-shaped hallway protected by two draw-bridges, all designed to provide protection against possible enemy attack.