Things to Do in Bordeaux

Bordeaux's Grand Theatre was built in the late 1700s during the reign of Louis XVI by architect Victor Louis. It is one of the most beautiful 18th-century concert halls in the world, with a facade adorned with 12 Corinthian columns, each topped with a statue. Nine statues represent the art muses, and the other three represent the Roman goddesses Juno, Venus and Minerva. Over the past few years, the theater has gone through restoration to repair damages from oil lamps and revive the 18th-century decor.

The name Bordeaux most commonly passes our lips when we are talking about French wine, but the city of Bordeaux has more to offer than just its famous grapevines. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as Port of the Moon, filled with stunning historic architecture largely unchanged for over two centuries.

There are over 350 buildings and monuments listed as Historic in the city and in the past decades a major project has been undertaken to clean the facades and put in a tram-service with no overhead wires to mar the beauty of the city.

Greeting arriving ships to the port is a one kilometer stretch of gracious historic palaces which line the quay built in the 17th and 18th century - even back then Bordeaux was keen to make a good first impression on visitors and it continues to do so today.

How to Get to Bordeaux

This is a river port which lies 60 miles (90 km) inland from the Bay of Biscay. Ships travel up the Gironde Estuary and the Garonne River for about six hours before heading under a suspension bridge and round a bend to reveal the city of Bordeaux in all its 18th century magnificence. Ships dock alongside the quay, right in the heart of the city. To reach the historic city all you need to do is cross the road.

One Day in Bordeaux

If you have only one day in Bordeaux you will need to choose between wine and architecture. If you choose wine there are many excursions outside town to respected vineyards such as Medoc and Chateau Mouton Rothschild and pretty wine towns such as Saint-Emilion. If your preference is for architecture - and perhaps shopping and dining - Bordeaux is a wonderful city to explore on foot, or on the new improved tram system.

The opera house Opera National de Bordeaux is the cultural heart of the city and an elaborate building in itself as well as host to world-class music. Place Parlement is filled with outdoor cafes for people watching, and St Andre Cathedral is a lovely 17th-century church. Place de la Bourse (Place Royale) is a pinnacle of the style of the city and is wonderfully lit up at night. And of course there are many places you can taste, learn about and buy wine from the local region.

Port Information

The language spoken is French but Bordeaux has many visitors so English is spoken in many shops and restaurants, although the French may be reluctant to use it. The currency is the Euro. Be aware that the river is tidal so the gangway may change angle quite dramatically over the hours as the waters rise and fall with the tide. These tides are also the reason the river is murky.

Often considered to be the very birthplace of Bordeaux wine (with some vines being over 2,000 years old), Graves also happens to be the largest wine-growing area in all of France–120,000 hectares of vineyards to be exact. A top destination for wine aficionados!

The Place de la Bourse (or Place Royale) faces onto the river Garonne. It was laid out in the 1700s by Louis XV's architect, Gabriel, to act as a dramatic frame for an equestrian statue of the monarch. 

The Place de la Bourse is framed on one side by the Stock Exchange (the 'Bourse' that gives the square its name) and on the other side by a museum. In the center of the square is its chief beauty and attraction, the fountain of the Three Graces, built by Visconti in 1869. When it's lit at night it is highly photogenic.

Pomerol is an undersized, wine-oriented village located about 45 minutes east of Bordeaux. But its relatively small size–just 2,000 acres–definitely isn’t an obstacle to quality; indeed, Pomerol has become one of the region’s most respected Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) over the second half of the 20th century, despite being slightly different from the strictly categorized, upmarket Bordeaux wines.

Opened in 2008 in the historic Chatrons district of Bordeaux, the Bordeaux Wine and Trade Museum is a must for anyone interested in learning more about the history of the wine trade in France from the Middles Ages to the present day.

Arcachon, a popular seaside resort and bay in the Gironde department in southwest France, is fairly new, having only officially been declared the City of Arcachon by Napoleon III 150 years ago, back when it was still a minuscule fishing hamlet. Fishing still plays an important role in the town’s economy today, not only because of export but also tourism; indeed, Arcachon is said to have some of the best oysters in all of Europe, and tourists from all over the country flock to the bay in the name of gluttony and seafood.