Bordeaux France

FYI: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187079-Activities-Bordeaux_Gironde_Nouvelle_Aquitaine.html

As a wine drinker, my "must-sees" were dominated by the wine trade. And honestly, though I absolutely love the city, there's not all that much to see that isn't wine related. The Cité du Vin is an exceptional museum, and the Musée du Vin et du Négoce de Bordeaux shouldn't be missed by a wine lovers. The old submarine pens are now home to the art space Base sous-marine, and it's worth a look.

I will say that the nearby town of St Emilion, important as it is to wine production, is also an extremely scenic and charming village. I'd recommend it even to teetotalers.

We'll soon be in Bordeaux for five weeks, and if other ideas arise I'll post again later.

The city itself is beautiful, you can easily spend a day wandering around.
I also agree about St Émilion.

For the rest... I wouldn't bother with vineyards in January (barren) or with Arcachon (dead), so I'm not so sure what to recommend!

The Bassins de Lumieres light show was a treat for my family. The cathedral and Museum of Aquitaine and Museum of Fine Arts are definitely worth a visit.

January is a pretty quiet time in Bordeaux however, there is still a lot to do. Visit museums: Cité du Vin, Musée d'Aquitaine, Musée du vin et du négoce; Take a tour of the Opéra (arranged through tourist office); visit Bassin des Lumières; take a food tour (Devour Food Tours does a nice one); If weather is nice, stroll through Jardin Publique; stroll through the old town; Visit the beautiful churches; Visit the markets--Marché des Capucins and if you are around on a Sunday, the weekly market along the Quai; Eat oysters as it will be oyster season, fresh from the sea. Take a day to visit St. Émilion, tasting at wineries (prebook), wandering around town (through an organized tour or on your own), and visiting the Monolithic church (tickets available online through tourist office.) All of these things will be open during January. You may find some places closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays, so do some research on opening hours and plan appropriately. I also recommend taking a look at www.lostinbordeaux.com as she will post on her blog upcoming events for every month. January's should come out end of November.
January is definitely quieter but it's still pleasant and there are no crowds. I hope you enjoy your visit!

Thank you so much for all the information! Am really looking forward to my trip, now that I have your tips.

January will certainly be a quiet time. Pack for potential bad weather.

As far as things to do, all the museums will be open and Saint-Emilion is still worth a visit. A lot of wineries will take visitors. Some of the smaller ones maybe busy blending and be less keen in January.

I’d recommend you take a look at this website www.sauvistication.com, it’s genuine and will help you plan your travels.

Safe Travels

Stefan

St.-Emilion is rather hilly, and the cobbles can be very slippery when wet.

As I recall, the St.- Emilion train station is a considerable walk outside town. In the summer there was one of those little tourist "trains" running from the station to the top of the town (definitely worth seeing). The price was reasonable in 2019--I think 4 euros one way.

Thank you all so much again for the Bordeaux information.