Things you love to do in Bordeaux

If you like museums you may love the Museum of the Aquitine. Bring a translation app, quite a bit of the signage is French only. It's this part of a larger trip to also see the Dordogne Region? That was one of my favourite regions in Europe I've ever been to.

If you like wine, make sure to visit Le Bar a Vin. It is opposite the Tourist Office and near to the Opera House.

It is set up by local vignerons giving you the chance to taste local wines at a fraction of the normal price. They have a constantly changing list of wines from €2.50 to €12 per glass. You can also purchase charcuterie, cheese or mixed platters.

We had a wonderful lunch there, with terrific advice from the sommelier for a fraction of what anywhere else would have cost.

It is also housed in a spectacular historic building with some beautiful stained glass.

https://www.bordeaux.com/en/bar-a-vin-bordeaux/

We did the Cite du Vin and were completely underwhelmed. Nearby to that though is the Bassin des Lumieres, a digital arts space in old World War II submarine bases. This was excellent, although of course the art display changes constantly.

Dinner at l‘Entrecôte almost directly across the street from le Bar a Vin . Arrive early!

More detail about my stay.. My apt should be near Place Gambetta.

Thanks, Kay, but I am a vegetarian although will have fish in a pinch. Did you try any non steak main courses.

Vote #2 for the Museum of the Aquitaine! It is excellent!

I also enjoyed the big Cathedral Saint-Andre as well. While there is only one wall in the nave remaining from the time, this is where Alienor d'Aquitaine married her first husband in 1137. He became King Louis VII 2 weeks after their marriage when his father died.

I also did the Musee des Beaux-arts. It was fine, not superior after you've been in Paris but worth seeing. There are 2 buildings. I also did another art museum nearby but I can't tell from the map what it was. (apparently not memorable, hahaha. They were having a special exhibition which I don't recall either, hahaha.)

I also sought out the statue of Modeste Testas, an enslaved woman from Ethiopia who spent time enslaved in Bordeaux before she was shipped to Haiti. One of her descendants was a President of Haiti. It's along the very lovely esplanade beside the Garonne River.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modeste_Testas

I did not get to the botanical garden if that is of interest to you.

We made our second visit to Bordeaux in May of this year, after enjoying it for a one-night stay (in transit from the Dordogne to Paris) and liking it then.

The Museum of the Aquitaine was good, though yes mostly in French (I could read enough to get by). I had read there was a lot about Eleanor of Aquitaine, which I was looking forward to. If so, I missed that area!

The place that I was totally entranced by was the Water Mirror. We had been to it the first time, and I thought it was fine. That was before I found a great explanation of the cycle and system (probably on the City's website). It cycles through the shallow basin filling, then slowly receding. At a certain point, the water calms and the mirror appears as if by magic. Then, a mist comes up between the individuals cement squares of the basin. Then the water flows back into the reservoir, the water begins to evaporate, and the cycle begins again. If you make it there, stay for the entire cycle (I think 20 minutes).

Enjoy - Bordeaux is a great city, and less touristy than some others in France, which I liked (though I also like cities with lots of tourists, like Paris)

I really enjoyed le Musée Du Vin Et Du Négoce when we visited Bordeaux a few years ago. Learning about the history of Bordeaux wine, the Dutch and English influence on its development, and how it is made and marketed was very interesting. Perhaps more so because at the time we lived in Bourgogne and the two wine making areas could hardly be more different. Learning about Bordeaux wines really helped us understand the difference with Bourgogne.

Great ideas above (though I'm baffled by the "underwhelmed" reaction to the Cité du Vin). I would add the following:

1. Walk along the Garonne riverside from the Cité du Vin to the Porte de Bourgogne, and then returning on the other side of the street

2. Visit the excellent Musée des Beaux Arts

3. Visit the square that is home to the Hotel de Ville (city hall), the Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux and the Pey Berland tower

4. Take in rhe Cours de l'Intendance and the Opéra National de Bordeaux - Grand-Théâtre at its eastern end

5. Shoppers shouldn't miss the Rue Sainte-Catherine

6. Take a ride on one of the excellent trams; if you're arriving by plane you can take it right into the city center

7. Take the short train ride to Saint-Emilion and walk up the hill to the beautiful old village

Hi Laurie Beth! Bordeaux is a wonderful choice (I am biased!) Here is what I'd suggest:
1) Mollat book store (it's huge!)
2) Musée d'Acquitaine (as others have said it really is a must see.)
3) Place de la Bourse
4) Mirror d'Eau
5) Cité du Vin (I consider this a must see for first time visitors who also enjoy wine)
6) Musée du Vin et du Négoce (the 'original' wine museum filled with lots of Bordeaux history)
7) Marché des Capucins (big food market. Go in the morning as it starts closing up around 12:30pm)
8) Churches: Église Ste. Croix, Basilique St. Michel, Cathédrale St. André (this one also has concerts throughout the year so check their website to see if anything is happening during your visit), Église de St. Louis des Chartrons (cute church in a very charming neighborhood with tons of good restaurants.)
9) Restaurants: Lots of good ones. I think you mentioned you don't eat meat so check out Books and Coffee it's by the Grosse Cloches (also worth seeing). And for other restaurants, download the Fork app. I use it all over France and have never been disappointed with restaurant recommendations.
10) Day trip to St. Émilion. You can take train or there is a bus from Place des Quinconces. This could be a half day or a full day.
11) Arcachon. A lovely, art-deco beachtown towards the Atlantic Ocean on Arcachon Bay. Charming! With lots of great restaurants and a beautiful art-deco style.
12) Le Grand Théâtre (this is where the Opéra of Bordeaux performs) is stunning. Visits are by pre booked tours only through the Tourists office.

I'm sure there's more but that's what I can think of off top of my head. Happy planning!

Wow, now I am getting excited about my visit next spring. I have so many wonderful places to research. Thank you, everyone.

Hi Laurie,

I visit Bordeaux regularly and can offer some suggestions:

• La Cite du Vin, Bordeaux’s premier museum and the best wine museum in the world
• Bassins des Lumieres, an art exhibit in an old German U-boat base. A very unique experience.
• The Cathedral

Lastly and most importantly you need to visit wineries. There are many great ones to visit. I recommend that you visit this website: https://sauvistication.com/ It will teach how to navigate Bordeaux’s wineries on your own. The planning page is very helpful.

Safe Travels

Dinner at l‘Entrecôte

Something I still haven't done. Not sure I will.

Hello,

We were in Bordeaux for the first time last month. We had planned to visit the Museum Aquitaine on May 14th, but after arriving at the museum, we realized that is was closed due to the Ascension Day holiday. So be sure to take that into consideration if your trip falls within that time frame (May 6, 2027).

At first, we weren't too excited about spending very much time at Cite du Vin, because it seemed too modernistic or something :) ha ha, but once we got there, we actually enjoyed it alot. And, in fact, could have used about 4 hours because we spent one hour taking a Via Sensoria experience.

We took the bus one day to Saint-Emilion, which I recommend over the train, because you can catch the bus right in town and it drops you off right in the center of Saint-Emilion too. You can buy your ticket on the bus. But he only takes cash.

In Bordeaux we stayed at Quality Hotel Bordeaux Center. The front desk will sell you tickets for the tram, which was convenient for our Cite du Vin visit. Everything else was walkable from there. We ate dinner a couple of times at a place around the corner called BIG Bistrot Girondin.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks, again, everyone. SunnyBlueFlax, thank you for the tram suggestions & suggesting the bus to St. Emilion especially.

You're welcome, and if you need the bus schedule, please let me know via P.M.

one must food-item are les Dunes Blanches (a cream puff - it's the only thing they make)

also canelés are a bordelais treat - usually cinnamon but my favorites is the vanilla ones at Baillardran.

Dinner at l‘Entrecôte almost directly across the street from le Bar a Vin . Arrive early!

L'Entrecôte is currently closed, apparently for renovations. It's unknown if or when it will reopen.

I've never really understood the fascination with L'Entrecôte. It's a chain restaurant found all over France. Sometime within the past year the chain was sited for claiming their food was "fait maison" when most of the sauces are/were actually made pre-made at a central facility (this was in the French papers, not sure if any English papers picked it up.) There are so many other choices for great steak. You will get a decent meal here but it's a bit like going to Colorado or Montana in the states and then eating at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

KimberlySEA

I'm glad to see you posting. With the evacuations of Bordeaux due to fire, and including the airport, as reported on the BBC today I have been concerned about your welfare

Thanks for the info, Kimberly, but I'm a vegetarian and wouldn't be going to a steak restaurant anyway.