Designed for students at an advanced level of French, the C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in France provides opportunities to experience French culture in Bordeaux, a larger city with a rich culinary and wine growing tradition.

The capital of the Aquitaine region, Bordeaux was referred to as "Little Rome" in ancient times and is considered by many to be France's most beautiful city. Its name is synonymous with France's famous wine industry, but Bordeaux also offers a vibrant cultural life and a rich historical tradition that is well preserved in the city's architecture. Now a modern and thriving city that is home to 230,000 residents, Bordeaux features a number of museums, public gardens, and architectural sites of note, such as its Grand-Théâtre and the Cathédrale Saint-André, as well as a thriving student culture and nightlife. Bordeaux is located in southwestern France, less than an hour from the Atlantic coastline.

The University of Bordeaux dates back to 1441. Students are enrolled at the the Université Michel de Montaigne Bordeaux 3 (French literature, comparative literature, linguistics, history, theater, film, music, art history, archeology, geography, and philosophy) and/or at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques Bordeaux (political science, history, and economics). Special arrangements can be made to study at other branches of the Université de Bordeaux, at Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 in psychology, for instance. Both Bordeaux 3 and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques are located in Talence on a large green campus, about 30 minutes by tramway from the center of the city.