Bordeaux is notorious for its great wine, but there is so much more to do and see. It is a perfect city to visit, not only due to its friendly size but also because it is on a primarily flat terrain which allows you to walk, skip, cycle or tram around with amazing ease.
With more listed buildings than any other city in France (excluding Paris), Bordeaux showcases an intricate architectural history dating back to the Roman Empire (such as the Palais Gallien, the remains of a Roman amphitheater dating back to the 3rd century BC) all the way through the age of Enlightenment (embodied by the 18th-century buildings that run along the scenic riverfront such as the Place de La Bourse) to the modern additions that make it stand out as an emerging metropolis (La Cité du Vin). Merely walking around a city could not be more interesting!
Bordeaux boasts several museums for you to visit no matter what your interests are. If you would like to learn more about the city of Bordeaux and the region then the Musée d’Aquitaine is the place to go. Tracing Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region’s history from the Prehistoric Age to today, this museum prides itself on a vast collection of objects and documents that represent Bordeaux as well as tell its story. Other museums that focus on the historical aspects of Bordeaux are the Musée National des Douanes (which focuses on the history of French Customs) and the Musée du Vin et du Négoce, a museum about the wine and trade history of Bordeaux that showcases the old and new technology used in the production of wine (and ends with a wine tasting).
If you were to visit just one wine museum while in Bordeaux however, La Cité du Vin is the one to go to. Opened in 2016 this interactive museum offers 3000 square meters of exhibits ranging from educational to sensorial. With a digital guide, you can learn about the wine-making process, the different aromas that can be found in wines, how making wine has evolved over the centuries, and more. With 20 different themed sections, you can want to take the time to get the most out of it.
Bordeaux also has several art museums to visit if you enjoy Modern Art (CAPC – Musée d’Art Contemporain), Fine Art (Musée des Beaux-Arts) or design (Musée des Arts Decoratifs et du Design) as well as several different exhibitions on all year round, some even taking place in the German Submarine base from WWII.
Other notable museums include the recently refurbished natural history museum (Museum de Bordeaux), the science museum (Cap Sciences), and finally Bordeaux’s newest maritime museum (Musée Mer Marine)
Shopping is another great way to spend your time in Bordeaux. It is home to the Rue Sainte Catherine, the longest pedestrian street in Europe that spans 1.2km (0,75 miles) which is adorned by a wide variety of shops, from clothing to beauty products to furniture. Starting beside the Grand Theatre, it is one of the busiest streets in Bordeaux and represents the backbone of the city. As you walk down you will see places such as the Galeries Lafayette, an upmarket French department store, and the Promenade Sainte Catherine, a shopping alcove that is found beside Rue Sainte Catherine that is the home to stores, cafés, and restaurants. Within what is referred to as Le Triangle D’Or (The Golden Triangle) of Bordeaux is Cours de l’Intendance, a pedestrian street on which you will find some of Bordeaux’s more upmarket shops (Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Massimo Dutti, and more), besides one of Bordeaux’s most impressive shopping malls: La Galerie des Grands Hommes, a mall made entirely of glass and metal pillars. There are two more shopping malls in Bordeaux – St Christoly and Meriadeck, that house major supermarkets and stores. Finally, along the riverfront, you have the Quais des Marques, an array of boutiques and restaurants that stand side by side in the renovated Hangars of Bordeaux.
If you’re looking to fit in with the locals then you cannot miss the marchés (markets). Every Sunday there are several Markets to visit in Bordeaux. Starting with the latest addition we have the Halles des Bacalans (open Tuesday to Sunday), a modern market hall that houses different gourmet food and drink stalls and can be found opposite the Cité du Vin. It is quite upmarket and part of several “Halles” that are opening up in the suburbs of Bordeaux. A short walk down the riverfront you would come across the Marché des Chartrons, an outdoor stretch of stalls that offer fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, cooked food, wine, and more that is found on the riverfront by the Skate Parc. For some locals (Dan and Andrew included), a perfect Bordeaux Sunday breakfast consists of a glass of white wine in a plastic cup and half a dozen fresh oysters while basking in the sun at this market. Further south of Bordeaux you can find the Marché des Capucins (open Wednesday to Sunday), Bordeaux’s biggest covered market where you can find bakers, butchers, florists, greengrocers, and an array of different restaurant stands. A stone’s throw away is Bordeaux’s weekly flea market, Marché Royal besides the St-Michel church, that takes place on Saturdays and Sundays where you will find a wide range of tidbits from different generations of Bordeaux.
In 2007 the city of Bordeaux became a UNESCO World Heritage Site mainly due to the Port de La Lune (The Port of the Moon), the name given to Bordeaux’s port, for the role it played in being a historical place of cultural exchange but also for the breathtaking architecture it houses. From the Quais on the riverfront to the Palais Gallien, the remains of a Roman amphitheater, there are many sights to see in Bordeaux. Most of the major ones will be seen while doing the walking tour on the first day of your vacation (Le Grand Theatre, La Grosse Cloche, Le Miroir d’Eau, etc), but in your free time, we can suggest many others that are worth a visit, such as La Tour Pey Berland (which you can go up for an impressive panorama of the city), one of the six portes (in this instance “gates”) that are scattered around the city (Porte Dijeau, Porte Cailhau, Porte de Bourgogne…) or one of Bordeaux’s many churches (St André, St Michel, St Seurin…).
There is so much to see and discover in Bordeaux and we at Bordeaux Wine Vacations want to help you see as much of it as you can during your visit. If however, you would prefer to just enjoy the wine we can help with that as well.