What to do in Bordeaux

I really enjoyed the Museum of the Aquitaine and could have spent more time in there than I had. I went to the Musee des Beaux Arts and it was good but maybe not wonderful. The cathedral was interesting to me but I am an Alienor d’Aquitaine fan and there is still one wall of the nave that was there when she married in 1137.

I had good weather there and enjoyed walking the esplanade alone the river. I particularly sought out the statue of f Modeste Testas, an enslaved Ethiopian woman who was brought to Bordeaux, then sent to Haiti. One of her grandsons was a president of Haiti.

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

I’m not much of a shopper but there are many stores in the old city area. I’m not mich on wine tasting so skipped that aspect as well.

The Bassins Des Lumieres is a good show. My kids and grandkids were suitably impressed. And even if you're not a wine drinker, the Cite Du Vin is very interesting and we spent about 3 hours there learning a lot about wine. I haven't been to St. Emilion, but others here have said the town is charming, and maybe a day trip there?

The Musée des Beaux arts is a bit of a disappointment, if you ask me.
The Musée d'Aquitaine is sensational. I could have spent hours there. Unfortunately I was with "non museum people".

Other than that, wine activities. Totally not my bag. The Cité de Vin was so boring to me, but I loved the architecture. But I did enjoy Bordeaux, though I don't find it to be the most interesting city in France. I'd recommend going to Arcachon for a weekend nearby.

The Museum of the Aquitine may be the most interesting museum I've visited in France. It was the highlight of Bordeaux for us.

Hi James,

Wine is the main attraction in Bordeaux. However, there are a couple of other things worth seeing.

1. Saint-Emilion: It's a medieval town an a UNESCO world heritage site. Make sure you do the underground tour.

2.Bassin d'Arcachon: A beautiful coastal area with Europe's largest sand dunes.

1. Bassins des Luumieres.
   

I strongly recommend that you do some wine tasting while you are there. This website may help you: https://sauvistication.com/must-see-non-vineyard-activities/

Hi James! Bordeaux is a fabulous city to explore! I'd suggest (as others) visiting Musée d'Aquitaine and lucky for you it just reopened this week! I'd also take some time to visit Le Jardin Publique where, currently, Zeus the Horse (from the Olympic Ceremonies in Paris) is on display. It's also just a really lovely park to wander around. I would schedule a tour of the Opera (done through the tourist office), visit Marché des Capucins in the morning. If you are there on a Sunday, there is the big outdoor market along the Quai. There are various churches to visit including Basilique Saint-Michel which was a stop on the pilgrim trail to Santiago (Route de St. Jacques de Compostelle or Camino de Santiago). The Bassins des Lumières is also great. Also, a fun (and off the beaten path to explore) is Darwin neighborhood, which is just across the river from old town (you can take one of the water buses, which is included in any tram pass you buy.) A funky and cool place. I would check out the blog Lost in Bordeaux (www.lostinbordeaux.com) as I think she's sent out her June update, which is sure to have all the events listed. Finally, unless you have more time to allocate to the region, I'd stick to the city of Bordeaux with only 1-2 days. However, if you have a day or two more, you could hop over to St. Émilion or Arcachon for a half or full day (both are beautiful.) I know you said wine tasting isn't important to you but it will be good for you to know that the big wine festival happens June 19-22 with booths along the Quai. It's pretty fun and here's their web site (https://www.bordeaux-wine-festival.com/) in case any of their activities interest you or are happening during your dates.
Enjoy your visit to this charming part of the world!

Even if you aren't interested in tasting wines, please consider visiting the Cite du Vin. It's a terrific place to learn about the importance of grapes and wine as agricultural products.