The big five in Bordeaux
Just over two hours south-west of Paris on the high-speed TGV train, Bordeaux is undoubtedly one of the best cities to visit in France. Brimming with history and beauty, boasting an arresting mix of antique and cutting-edge sights and attractions, it's also the launchpad for multi-night cruises along the Garonne, a river that helped Bordeaux evolve from rural backwater to one of the world's richest trading ports. Here are five highlights in and around the city.
You'll find countless wine shops and bars, plus the show-stopping Cite du Vin (City of Wine). While its bold, sinuous contemporary exterior is said to conjure the 'soul of wine', inside themed galleries with engaging, interactive exhibits take you back through the centuries, telling the story of wine globally and regionally. You can also sign up for workshops that let you taste different tipples as you deepen your knowledge of wine (while becoming slightly merrier and light headed).
As you'd perhaps expect, Bordeaux wine pairs nicely with the region's cuisine, whether it's a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc with Atlantic oysters or a full-bodied red with a coq au vin or magret de canard (duck breast). Classic and contemporary bistros pepper the city and you'll also find more cosmopolitan eateries with recipes, trends and tipples from across the world.
Other options for food and drink are the old-school markets and modern food halls that offer a range of flavours under one roof. Possibilities include Les Halles Bacalan, opened in 2017 opposite the Cite du Vin, and La Boca, which launched south of Bordeaux's Saint-Jean station the following year. Steeped in history, with roots in the mid 1700s, Marche des Capucins is perhaps the city's most alluring market, a sensory feast offering everything from regionally-sourced meats and seafood to South American empanadas and desserts.
Thanks to its close links with royalty — Eleanor of Aquitaine, daughter of Richard the Lionheart of England, married Louis VII, King of France here in AD1137 — Bordeaux was one Europe's most important cities in the Middle Ages. And as transatlantic trading routes opened up, the city became wealthier still with the prosperity evident in the buildings sprinkling Bordeaux's strollable historic core. You will see handsome spired churches, gated remnants of the city's medieval walls, elegant squares and theatres, and Parisian-style palaces, shopping arcades and boulevards. One of the best places for viewing the mix of architecture is along the riverside promenade, especially by the Miroir d'Eau. Created in 2006, the world's largest reflecting pool mirrors the Place de la Bourse, a square edged by a neoclassical-rococo-style former stock exchange.
While Bordeaux has a beautifully-preserved old core — Victor Hugo was a fan — it's not a city that rests on its laurels. New districts are being built on disused land — with modern apartments and construction cranes rising either side of the railway station — and the city's tram network has been extended several times since 2003, most recently to the airport.
Around the city, previously abandoned or derelict sites have been repurposed into visitor draws and community hubs, including the Darwin eco-camp, which has galleries, bars, shops, street art and skateboarding facilities at a former military barracks. Another waterfront diversion is the Bassins des Lumieres, a huge digital arts centre with exhibitions in a former World War II submarine base on the docks of the Bacalan district.
You could gladly spend two or three days drinking in the pleasures of central Bordeaux (and more if you'd like to check out its fine arts, history and maritime museums, and its tidy parks and botanical gardens). Away from the wine-related tours and day trips, and cruises that sail on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, you could venture towards the Atlantic coast either by car, e-bike or rail.
One mesmerising location is the Bay of Arcachon, a huge tidal lagoon fringed by pine forests, Europe's highest sand dunes and cute and chic beach towns where you can tuck into seafood lunches and hop on and off sightseeing boats and ferries. The best-connected hub for the bay is the town of Arcachon itself. It's about 40 minutes on the train from Bordeaux and a little bit longer to drive, but well worth the journey, especially if good weather is on the horizon.
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