France

A weekend in Bordeaux

We took advantage of the attractive train ticket prices on oui.sncf to book an August weekend in Bordeaux. We had never really visited the capital of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, so it was the perfect chance.

9 August 2020

We took advantage of the attractive train ticket prices on oui.sncf to book an August weekend in Bordeaux. We had never really visited the capital of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, so it was the perfect chance. The tickets cost us 61.50€ for the return trip on the TGV inOui between Paris Montparnasse and Bordeaux Saint-Jean.
Luckily, a few days after booking our tickets, we won a competition run by the Bordeaux Tourist Office, which gave us two 72 hr City Passes (value each: 46€). Those magic passes let us discover the city in depth over two and a half days: we got free public transport (tram, bus, river shuttle), a guided tour of our choice (for us, the UNESCO cruise on the Garonne) and free monuments and museums. A real windfall!

What to see in Bordeaux

This article retraces our visiting route through the city over two and a half days, discovering Bordeaux’s must-see monuments and districts. Enjoy the read!

Day 1

Saint-Michel

Our flat was a stone’s throw from the place de la Victoire, where the porte d’Aquitaine marks the start of the very shop-filled rue Sainte Catherine. We then headed towards the Saint Michel district and the famous spire of the basilica of the same name. What’s special about this basilica is that it has a separate bell tower, the second tallest bell tower in France (114 metres high). Entry to the Flèche Saint Michel is included in the City Pass (otherwise entry costs 5€ full price and 3.50€ reduced price) and gives access to the top of the bell tower as well as to the crypt, where the morbid story of the mummies displayed there in the 19th century is told. The view over Bordeaux is panoramic and is worth climbing the narrow steps of the spiral staircase.

Monumental arch with a triangular pediment opening onto a lively square

Gothic spire rising at the end of a narrow street in the Saint-Michel district

Free-standing bell tower in pale stone and its gothic church under a blue sky

Stone dome pierced with arrow slits inside a tower

Tiled roofs of the city behind a stone parapet

View over the packed roofs and chimneys of the old centre

Quays and tree-lined esplanade along the river, big wheel in the distance

Bend of the Garonne and red tiled roofs from the heights

Saint Pierre

We then headed for the Grosse Cloche, a former defensive gate, a remnant of the time when Bordeaux was surrounded by ramparts. Unfortunately, the monument is currently closed to visitors. We really liked the Saint Pierre district, which is full of small shops, concept stores and cafés. Not to be missed!

Medieval belfry with two slate-capped turrets at the end of a street

Quiet street of pale stone buildings with closed shutters

Terrace with red chairs in a pedestrian street leading to the belfry

Town hall

Wandering through the streets of the Saint Pierre district, we arrived in front of the Saint André cathedral in Bordeaux and the Pey-Berland tower, once again a bell tower separate from the cathedral. The tower can be visited but is closed until further notice. The place Pey-Berland is huge and pedestrianised, which lets you walk right round the cathedral, passing in front of Bordeaux’s Hôtel de Ville.

Paved esplanade with a dark statue and the spire of the cathedral

Columned façade and blue door topped with French flags

Gothic chevet of the cathedral and its bristling twin spires

Tram rails running towards the spires of the cathedral

Shaded shopping street with strollers, spire in perspective

Pont de pierre

We finished the day by going to the Pont de Pierre, the oldest bridge in Bordeaux, with its 17 arches. Closed to cars, only the tram, bikes and pedestrians use it. It offers a superb perspective and pretty views over the façades of the Bordeaux quays and over its bell towers. A real playground for taking beautiful photos, especially at sunset.

Quay beside the Garonne, moored barge and arched bridge in the distance

Long brick arches of the stone bridge spanning the Garonne

Empty bridge deck, its cast iron lamp posts and its tram rails

Barge heading up the brown river in front of a big wheel

Man leaning on the bridge railing in the evening light

Woman standing beneath a five-globe lamp post on the bridge

Day 2

La Cité du Vin

For the first real day of this Bordeaux weekend, we got up earlier than usual to be at the Cité du Vin when it opened. Set to the north of the left bank, the museum is very easy to reach thanks to tram line B. Arriving early, we first went to the halles de Bacalan opposite to pick up a few pastries for breakfast. The halles are a modern, lively covered market that hosts producers and craftspeople, as well as a restaurant.

Colourful fruit and vegetable stall under the glass roof of a market hall

High tables and empty counters inside a food hall

Terrace of tables and parasols at the foot of a curved glass building

Contemporary dark-clad building of the Halles de Bacalan

Thanks to our City Passes, entry to the Cité du Vin was free (for entry before 12pm), otherwise allow 20€ for adult entry and 16€ reduced price to visit the permanent route and taste a glass of wine at the Belvédère. We were bowled over by this museum, which is like no other, it’s so complete (you could easily spend the day there), interesting, interactive and modern. We can only recommend it, especially if you’re interested in the world of wine and vines. The exterior architecture is unique, imitating all the curves you find in the world of wine. For us it’s a real must when you come to Bordeaux!

Woman sitting on a bench in front of a wavy metal structure

Flared wooden columns beneath a white vault in a museum

Shiny aluminium shell of the Cité du Vin under a blue sky

Glass entrance of the Cité du Vin and its sign in golden letters

River and lift bridge behind the window of a panoramic viewing deck

Gold and silver silhouette of the Cité du Vin above the trees

Chartrons district

After a good two hours of visiting, we came back down by tram towards the Chartrons district and the quays, where you find the Bord’eau factory outlet shops and a few restaurants on the banks of the Garonne. We then took the rue Notre-Dame, parallel to the quays, which we absolutely fell for! The street has a real bohemian spirit that gives it all its charm, with its antique dealers, its trendy shops, its little cafés and food shops. A certain gentleness of living reigns there, as in a village. Don’t miss the Saint-Louis des Chartrons church and the Chartrons market.

Quayside promenade with passers-by walking, lift bridge at the end

Bare stone square lined with bourgeois buildings in pale stone

Straight quay running along the converted warehouses beside the Garonne

Sloping street lined with stone façades and climbing plants

Balconies filled with trailing plants above a narrow street

Busy pedestrian street, terraces and cyclists on a summer day

Narrow cobbled lane, clusters of blue flowers overhead

Neo-gothic church with two openwork spires overlooking a small square

Café terrace under a white awning in front of a red brick façade

Low-angle view of the rose window and pinnacles of a church façade

Packed terraces under the metal hall of a neighbourhood market

Cruise on the Garonne

We then had a 4pm appointment for an hour-long trip on the Garonne, with the company Bordeaux River Cruise, based on the quai des Chartrons. Thanks to our City Passes, we had the chance to take part in the UNESCO commentated tour (15€ for adults), which presents the history of the city of Bordeaux and that of the monuments the boat passes. Our guide Marie was excellent and knew how to captivate her audience for the whole trip, thanks to anecdotes about the city. We went along the port de la Lune, as far as the pont de Pierre, then we passed under the Jacques-Chaban Delmas lift bridge to turn round in front of the Pont d’Aquitaine. From the boat, you get another view of the city and above all a lovely view of the so-called 18th-century façades, listed by UNESCO. We recommend this tour too!

Couple posing on the deck of a boat with red sun loungers

Lift bridge and its two white pylons above the Garonne

Underside of the red deck of a suspension bridge just above the Garonne

Cité du Vin glittering on the bank, seen from the water

Orange lifebuoy on the rail facing a silt-coloured river

River cruise ship moored in front of the aligned façades of the quays

White big wheel behind the rostral columns of the Quinconces

French flag flapping in the wind in front of the arches of the bridge

Classical façades of the place de la Bourse lined up facing the river

Jardin Public

After this cruise on the Garonne, we went to the Jardin Public, listed as a “Jardin Remarquable de France”, taking the shady cours Xavier Arnozan. With its Jardin du Luxembourg air, the Jardin Public won us over too! Bordered by numerous mansions, the park has lots of trees and also holds a stream and a botanical garden. We came out via the place Bardineau, next to the Museum of Bordeaux, to carry on our walk through the quiet streets of the district and reach the ruins of the Palais Galien, the oldest remains in Bordeaux.

Gravel path shaded by trees alongside pale buildings

Green pond lined with trees where ducks are dozing

Green cast iron footbridge crossing the water in a park

Colourful carousel glimpsed behind a footbridge and a clipped pine

Clump of palms and banana trees at the edge of a sunny lawn

Lone walker on a wide path lined with tall trees

Colonnaded open-air café with orange parasols at the top of a staircase

Flower beds in front of a neoclassical pavilion and its parasols

Arcaded orangery reflected in a pond overrun with greenery

Lane lined with a stone façade and a red brick building

Roman ruins with brick arches standing on the dry grass

Place des Quinconces

The last stop on our Bordeaux route: the famous place des Quinconces, which measures no less than 12 hectares! On the river side, it holds two columns topped with statues dedicated to the city’s trading activity, and a big wheel. And on the other side, you find the Monument aux Girondins and its fountains with turquoise water, a tribute to the Girondins of the French Revolution. Even though the square is very impressive in size and is a must-see place in Bordeaux, it isn’t our favourite spot in the city.

Column topped with a gilded statue above a bronze fountain

Bronze sea horses bursting from the basin of a fountain

Fluted shaft of the Girondins monument standing out against the sky

Black lamp posts framing the esplanade and its big wheel

Couple posing in front of the fountain, big wheel in the background

Sprays of water from the fountain bursting backlit behind a railing

Day 3

Porte Cailhau

For our last day in Bordeaux, we wanted to walk through the historic city centre, in particular in the Saint Pierre district. So we stopped at the porte Cailhau (visit included in the City Pass), a defensive gate dating from the Middle Ages. From the top of the tower, you get a superb panorama over the Garonne and the city’s rooftops: the view is worth the visit! On the first floor of the tower, a very interesting film retraces the history of the stonecutters who helped build the city.

Medieval gate with pointed turrets pierced by a vaulted passage

Square and river glimpsed from above between two stone façades

Window with red stained glass opening onto the square and the quays

Low-angle view of the turrets and the spire of the medieval gate

Slate roofs and waterside esplanade seen from a high window

Wooden mullioned window with blue stained glass opening onto the tiled roofs

Radiating wooden roof frame seen from below

Row of roofs, chimneys and dormer windows of the old centre

Right bank

We then took tram A to head to the right bank, to discover another side of Bordeaux, far from the stone façades and the historic monuments. We started our visit of the bank with the Botanical garden and its Mediterranean glasshouse (free with the City Pass; entry 4€), where an ecologist gave us a guided tour. The garden is fairly recent, as it only dates from 1997. It’s a cool, quiet place where it’s good to walk and wander between the different plots.

Greenhouse of succulents behind a ribbed glass wall

Lone large tree in the middle of the cultivated beds of a botanical garden

Greenish stretch of water ringed by trees in a park on the right bank

Straight pond with water lilies crossed by a low footbridge

From there, we made our way to the parc aux Angéliques, which acts as a promenade along the Garonne, offering a lovely view of old Bordeaux. Along the park there are guinguettes, such as Les chantiers de la Garonne, which was highly recommended to us for a drink with your feet in the sand. But what we mostly wanted to see on the right bank was the espace Darwin, an alternative, fairly trendy place set in a converted former barracks. There’s a skate park, an organic grocery, a food court, a space for taggers to express themselves… it’s pretty unusual!

Reed bed protected by a chestnut paling fence along a park path

Path lined with scrub running along the Garonne

Orange Volkswagen camper van parked in the courtyard of former barracks

Mural of a Native American chief with a yellow feather headdress

Bicycles lined up in front of a row of converted stone warehouses

Picnic tables under the trees and a wooden signpost

Canteen set up under a glass roof between two stone buildings

White parasol and wooden benches in front of graffiti-covered walls

Darwin sign in gilded letters on a structure of branches

Waterfront of the city seen from the opposite bank

City centre

Back to the centre of Bordeaux after a good morning on the right bank of Bordeaux. We took the chance to wander in the old streets of the city, which are rather well renovated and showcased.

Small tree-lined square with terracotta pots in front of a stone church

Side of a church and its rose window beside a sloping street

Narrow street in the old centre where a lone passer-by is walking

Place de la Comédie, Grand Théâtre

We couldn’t miss the famous place de la Comédie, where the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux and the Intercontinental hotel face each other. It’s one of the most beautiful squares in the city! Thanks to the City Passes, we visited the Grand Théâtre free of charge, along with the exhibition “Plus que parfaits: métamorphoses des corps en scène” (on until 6 September 2020), where we discovered the costumes and accessories used at the Bordeaux Opera. The place is sumptuous, especially the auditorium, its ceiling and its crystal chandelier. From the Theatre’s windows, you get a splendid view over the place de la Comédie and over the cours du Chapeau rouge. A visit not to be missed!

Stone clock column in front of the colonnade of the Grand Théâtre

Façade of a luxury hotel with balconies full of red geraniums

Corinthian colonnade of the Grand Théâtre crowned with statues

Gilded canopy and sign of a grand hotel at nightfall

Close-up of the face of a street clock in front of the theatre

Place de la Comédie crossed by passers-by under a blue sky

Italian-style auditorium with blue and gold boxes, curtain open on the stage

Stage costumes displayed in a gilded room with crystal chandeliers

Woman leaning against planters near self-service bicycles

Painted ceiling and large chandelier of a theatre auditorium

Busy avenue and bandstand seen from a window up above

Woman at the foot of a monumental staircase under a columned vault

Musée d’Aquitaine

To round off this weekend and to make the most of our City Passes one last time, we decided to visit the big Musée d’Aquitaine, which retraces the region’s history from Prehistory to the present day. The museum is huge, you could spend hours there! The guide from the UNESCO cruise had advised us to linger in the room dedicated to slavery and to the consequences of slavery today: the space is well documented and really interesting. Don’t miss the restored cenotaph of Michel de Montaigne either (the author of the Essays, who was twice mayor of Bordeaux), listed as a Historic Monument.

Ancient statues and floor mosaic in front of a red museum wall

Openwork stone rose window displayed on its own in a dark room

Marble recumbent figure on a richly carved Renaissance tomb

Model of a three-masted ship in full sail in a display case

Reconstruction of a grocer's shop of the past and its enamel advertising signs

Yellow and red surfboards standing in front of a seaside display

Our accommodation in Bordeaux

We booked a whole place on Airbnb for our two nights in Bordeaux (197€ for the two nights). The flat has a lot of charm, with its stone walls, and is set at the start of the rue Sainte-Catherine, a stone’s throw from the Victoire tram stop (line B) and 20 minutes’ walk from the station. We were in a quiet spot because it looks onto a courtyard, with a small terrace, which we couldn’t enjoy because of the scorching heat. It’s ideal for visiting Bordeaux over a weekend!

Our favourite places to eat in Bordeaux

La Toque Cuivrée: the place to go for Bordeaux canelés at a reasonable price (0.50€ for the small one, 0.70€ for the medium one), several shops in Bordeaux.
Pâtisserie Micheline et Paulette: desserts as good as they are beautiful (4.50€-5€ each), rue Notre-Dame in the Chartrons district. Recommended by my friend Margot.
Mousses et chocolats: a chocolate mousse bar concept in the Halles de Bacalan, opposite the Cité du Vin. We tasted the dark chocolate mousse and the yuzu chocolate mousse (5€ for 100 grams).
La P’tite Boulangerie: a bakery in the Halles de Bacalan, perfect for breakfast before visiting the Cité du Vin.
Glacerie Dumas: delicious ice creams (3.70€ for 2 scoops) to enjoy in a beautiful setting, opposite the Saint-Paul church in Bordeaux. This new place also offers desserts, drinks and small dishes for lunch.
Bocce: a very good Italian in the historic Grosse Cloche district. Recommended by my friend Paola.
La Pelle Café: an excellent place in the Chartrons district, rue Notre-Dame, to eat fresh and fast (very generous salmon and avocado toasts, 9.50€).
Bar à vin: a must-visit spot in the city centre, opposite the Tourist Office and a stone’s throw from the place des Quinconces, which offers glasses of wine and above all very good boards of cheese, charcuterie and foie gras. Recommended by my friend Margot.
Petit Mignon: a spot we found by chance, rue Saint-Rémi; for eating salads and burgers (14.90€), very generous and colourful.

Plates of charcuterie, cheese and foie gras set on a wooden table

Wall of wine bottles between two columns in a bar lounge

Arched glass door of a wine bar under an iron lantern

Display of golden pastries under the sign of a market hall bakery

Refrigerated counter of a mousse and chocolate shop

Cup of chocolate mousse held out at arm's length in front of the Cité du Vin

Burger, chips and a large loaded board served at the restaurant

What we thought of Bordeaux

No surprise, we loved this city that we had already passed through several years ago! Bordeaux has everything to please us: beautiful architecture, stonework, historic monuments, typical districts, food to die for and a sunny climate. We particularly liked the Chartrons district, and above all the rue Notre-Dame, which we fell for, the Grosse Cloche area, the exceptional Cité du Vin and our boat trip on the Garonne, which let us see the city from another point of view. The City Passes were really very useful, especially for moving around freely on public transport and visiting as many museums and monuments as possible.
So we’d recommend devoting at least two or three days to Bordeaux, because there’s a lot to visit and the city is fairly spread out with its two banks. If you fancy it, get yourselves the City Passes, you won’t regret it!

Couple in red sun loungers on a boat, Bordeaux title superimposed

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