Things to do in Bordeaux

TravelFrance

Feb 10

My first visit to Bordeaux and right away I was hooked. Only two hours by train from Paris, Bordeaux is an elegant, cosmopolitan, and tourist friendly city with something for everybody. While the name Bordeaux is most famous for its world renowned wines and stately châteaux, the city itself is inclusive of beautiful bridges, a grand theatre and opera house, historic buildings and cathedrals, parks and gardens, international food halls, an iconic wine museum, cultural events, nightlife and an ultra modern public transport system.

Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, Bordeaux is a beautiful port city that sits on the Garonne river which joins the Dordogne estuary to the east, and to the west is the Bay of Arcachon (of the Atlantic Ocean) known for some of the best and most delicious oysters. Another not-to-be missed food that comes from the region is the canelé, a small French pastry made with rum and vanilla that is so good! And needless to say, when in Bordeaux, a visit to the wine chateaux in the French countryside is an absolute must. Afterall, it is the world-class wines from this region that put Bordeaux on the map, n’ est pas ?

Here are some of my favorite top things to do in Bordeaux. While you can easily visit the city on a day trip from Paris, because Bordeaux is so lovely with a wide assortment of things to see and do, I highly recommend making this an overnight stay for a weekend or even better, staying over several days.

Porte Cailhau was once the main gate to the city.

Place de la Bourse & Miroir d’eau opens directly onto the Garonne with the reflecting pool being the largest in the world.

Place de la Comédie & the Grand Théâtre is the heart of Old Bordeaux and was once the site of a Roman temple. During the summer you can go up to the Night Beach Rooftop Bar located at the Intercontinental Hotel and take in beautiful views of the city while having a cocktail.

Canelés– Baillardran is probably the most famous shop for this pastry, but is also the most expensive being in the centre of the tourist area. However, you can find canelés in many places throughout the city, and will pay a lot less when farther away from the tourist center.

Rue Sainte Catherine & its side streets for restaurants, shopping, nightlife and entertainment

Marché des Capucins food market and food hall located at Place des Capucins

Bordeaux has the most amazing wine bars! Maison du Vin with an extensive wine list and small plates and Max Wine Gallery known for featuring Grand Crus by the glass, are both in the heart of the city and within walking distance from each other.

Maison du Vin

Max Wine Gallery

Cité du Vin– Bordeaux Wine Museum is a multi-level and interactive museum that has everything you needed to know about wine, plus a tasting room at the top floor.

Les Halles de Bacalan food hall is just across from the wine museum. Here is an excellent choice for a bite to eat before or after the visit, preferably before since there will be a glass of wine waiting for you at the museum.

Cathedrals– Check out Cathedral Saint Andre at Place Pey Berland, Église Notre Dame at 1 Place du Chapelet, and Basilica St. Michel at Place Meynard. Be sure to stop by the weekly Saint Michel Market (Marché Royal) which takes place every Saturday morning in front of the basilica St. Michel.

Pont de Pierre– one of Bordeaux’s beautiful and pedestrian friendly bridges crossing the Garonne River

La Grosse Cloche (The Great Bell)

In addition to the above there’s also the Bordeaux Wine Festival which takes every other year in the month of June along the quais of the Garonne

Wine tours to Médoc, Graves, Saint-Émilion or Sauternes are easily booked through the Bordeaux tourism center. Most châteaux require advanced reservations so call or visit the tourist information center at least 24-48 hours ahead of time.