With its urban elegance and provincial charm, Bordeaux is an appealing tourist destination in a beautiful region of Southwest France. Bordeaux is called the “Port of the Moon” because of its romantic location on a crescent-shaped bend of the Garonne River. In this splendid setting that allowed trade to flourish, the city has a rich cultural heritage dating back to antiquity. All visitors passing through Bordeaux– be it for business or pleasure, whether you’re just getting started or you’re a connoisseur of the region – live the Bordeaux experience: history, architecture, essential knowledge or old stories, gastronomy and wines or the simple spectacle of everyday life… Discover our list of the 10 best things to do in Bordeaux.
At the Capucins’ market, known as “les Capus” to the locals, you feast your eyes on fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses, breads and pastries. You can navigate between the stalls and vendors, rubbing their hands with local chefs who are doing their morning shopping! In addition to the superb quality food, this food market is full of interesting characters, from vendors with big moustaches and earth-weathered hands, to authentic ol’ blokes in berets! This is a must-see!
Enjoy a unique moment in the biggest market of Bordeaux which is the pride of its inhabitants and where each corner is a great experience.
Regarded as the world’s oldest and most prestigious winegrowing area, the wine region of Bordeaux is closely tied to the history and prestige of the city of Bordeaux since antiquity. The gateway to the vineyards, Bordeaux invites you to discover this fabulous region. Perhaps you are keen to visit Bordeaux’s famous chateaux within the city’s walls or in one of the five renowned local winegrowing subregions? Do you want to learn more about local winegrowers’ environmental concerns and commitments? Or maybe you wish to discover the vineyard on your own or with a guide?
Located in Blanquefort, an hour’s drive north-east of Bordeaux city center, Majolan’s Park offers a serene and unique place; you can enjoy a walk in this magnificent natural environment. Designed at the end of the 19th century, the park is home to a 4 hectare lake, artificial caves, as well as fountains and geysers designed in a Baroque style. This park, ideal for families, offers a large playground for children and free-range animals such as swans, peacocks and nutria. Guests can enjoy lunch at La Maison des Jardiniers, a casual restaurant located at the entrance to the park, or bring a picnic to enjoy on the lawn.
Imagine… A place located in the heart of the city, but in the countryside. A place where the blond Bordeaux stone mixes the harmony of its 18th century architecture with the nonchalance of a stream surrounded by hundred-year-old trees. A place where strollers, joggers, children and grandparents live together with swans and ducks in harmony. Bordeaux Public Garden is that place! It has accompanied the life of all Bordeaux residents since its creation in 1746. A true green lung of the city center, its 11 hectares of oxygen are home to numerous fields and play areas for children, as well as the famous Guignol Guérin puppet theater. .
Bordered by a series of mansions, home to the Natural History Museum, a Botanical Garden, and a very pleasant bar-restaurant, the Orangery, the Public Garden is classified as a “Remarkable Garden of France”.
Since 1987, located in the heart of Bordeaux, the Aquitaine museum retraces the history of Bordeaux and its region, from prehistory to the present day. It exhibits rich collections of regional and extra-European archeology, history and ethnography. “Museum of civilization”, it presents each year several temporary exhibitions on the history and cultures of the world. It offers the public a varied cultural program: lecture cycles, screenings, round tables, guided tours, concerts, meetings with foreign communities, educational workshops and workshops for children and schools.
As straight as an arrow from Grand Théâtre in the north down to Place de la Victoire, Rue Sainte-Catherine is the longest pedestrianised shopping street in Europe.
If you’re looking for peace and quiet, this won’t be for you: The street thrums with activity at all hours, and if you’re here for a mammoth shopping trip you can rest those legs at a cafe and watch the multitudes in amazement. The upper part of the street has all the usual international brands, while the further down you go the younger and more bohemian the street becomes.
Visible if you look downriver from the quays on the left bank of the Garonne is this vertical lift bridge, inaugurated in 2013. Spanning almost 600 meters and reaching 77 meters in height, it’s the tallest vertical lift bridge in Europe and has quickly become a treasured landmark for the city.
Despite being “brand new” it manages to complement the historic cityscape, becoming both a technical and visual accomplishment. The city runs ferries as part of its public transport network, and it’s exciting to see the bridge from the water.
We recommend you to come to the quayside at night when there are captivating light displays on the bridge’s four sky-scraping columns.
Place de la Bourse, on the edge of the Garonne river, is doubtlessly the most recognizable sight in Bordeaux. It is where you’ll find the ‘miroir d’eau’, a large shallow pool of water in which children and adults alike dip their toes as they admire the reflection of the Palais de la Bourse, an exemplar of classical French architecture. The square’s impressive symmetry is enhanced by a staggering attention to detail: figures on the buildings represent Roman gods and characters from Bordeaux’s rich merchant history.
Bordeaux has at its heart a marvelous monument of elegance. The Grand Théâtre has shone for more than three centuries and carries the dreams of its visitors far. With the opera houses of Versailles and Turin, the Grand-Théâtre has one of the most beautiful 18th century performance halls in the world!
The auditorium’s structure is mainly made up of wooden pieces which ensure perfect acoustics. The harmony of colors blue, white and gold (colors of royalty) recalls the hues of the opera house of the Palace of Versailles, built a few years earlier by Jacques Gabriel.
With its pretty caramelized look and sweet perfume of vanilla and rum, the canelé is the emblem of the city of Bordeaux. Place to find the best canelés in Bordeaux:
- Luc Dorin (Grand Master of the canelé fraternity), 284 Rue Judaique , Bordeaux
- San Nicolas (Member of the canelé fraternity), 11 Rue Duffour Dubergier, Bordeaux
- La Toque Cuivrée
- Baillardran
I hope you enjoyed this post on our list of the 10 best things to do in Bordeaux. Do not hesitate to scroll through our other posts, there must be blog posts you will like!
