Bordeaux holidays

Bordeaux holidays and city breaks

Bordeaux is world famous for its Clarets, but there’s a lot more to discover in and around this city than just wine. A large part of the city centre has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the reason becomes obvious as you walk through the streets.

If you fancy a bit of shopping during your Bordeaux holiday, rue Sainte-Catherine is the longest shopping street in France.

Once you’ve explored the city itself, you then have the surrounding vineyards to visit, and there are a lot of them, over 120,000 hectares to be specific.

Things to do in Bordeaux

The Waterfront

As part of the city’s regeneration, the whole riverfront area has been redeveloped, turning the banks of the Gironde into a wide pedestrian boulevard punctuated with parks and gardens. This is the perfect place to walk, cycle, roller skate or just relax, while enjoying fabulous views of the city.

There’s a massive water feature on the quays next to Place de la Bourse called the Miroir d’eau (water mirror), a large sheet of water, shallow enough to be walked on, which acts as a mirror reflecting the amazing architecture of the Place. It’s also great for cooling off when the weather gets hot and kids can have a blast splashing about.

The town centre

There are so many fabulous buildings and monuments in the centre, it’s hard to pick just one. The tourist board organise a two-hour walk through the centre which takes in most of the main sights, including:

Grand Théatre
Cours de Chapeau-Rouge – neo classical architecture at its best
Place de la Bourse - where you can also see the mirroir d’eau
Porte Cailhau – a renaissance triumphal arch
The Medieval Saint Pierre district
Saint-Andre catherdral
Palais Rohan – a former Archbishop’s residence, now the town hall.

The tour is a great way to get your bearings and decide what you want to go back and visit at greater length during your Bordeaux holiday.

Quai des Marques – outlet village

Unlike most shopping centres in France, this outlet village is open on Sundays, so it’s a great place to go while away a few hours and pick up some bargains when most other things are closed. If you’re driving, there’s parking nearby and a handy tram stop if you’re not.

There’s a great view of the ultra-modern Chaban-Delmas lift bridge from the quay, so less enthusiastic shoppers can wait in one of the bars or restaurants watching the bridge lift to let boats through, while others are shopping in the 34 discount boutiques that stock over 400 brands.

La Cité du Vin

This space-age looking building is pretty much a temple to wine, everything you’ve ever wanted to know about it will be answered here. It’s a museum, a gallery, an exhibition space, a conference centre and a theatre, all rolled in to one amazing modern building and all focused on the glorious grape.

Do a wine-tasting workshop and find out how to taste wine like a pro. You can ask all those questions you’ve always wanted to ask about top notes and legs without feeling stupid. A lot of the classes are in French so do check before booking if you’re not too fluent.

Musée de la Création Franche

If you like your art a bit more challenging, then this little museum, slightly off the beaten track, is the place for you. The museum is a bit out of the centre so doesn’t get as much traffic as some of the more central museums, allowing you to really browse the exhibits.

This is not your usual art museum, so don’t go expecting classical works or well-known artists. This is all about art brut (outsider art), works by self-taught artists, psychiatric patients, children, anyone outside the official art scene. It’s raw, spontaneous and unpretentious and not everyone’s cup of tea.

The museum is open on Mondays, unlike a lot of other monuments and tourist sites in France. To get there, Stade Musard stop on Tramline C is about a 10 minute walk from the museum or you can take the bus.

Burgundy makes you think of silly things; Bordeaux makes you talk about them, and Champagne makes you do them.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin – French politician and food writer

Top 5 local specialities to try in Bordeaux

The best introduction to Bordelaise food is a visit to the Marché des Capucins, tram stop Place de la Victoire - Quai Sainte Croix. Here, you’ll find butchers, bakers, cheesemongers, seafood stands, chocolatiers and every other kind of food seller you could want. Stop and have a crêpe or a plate of moules frites if looking at all that glorious produce is making you hungry.

Canelés Bordelais

Slightly rubbery, caramelised sponge cakes with a distinctive fluted shape and a custardy centre - bit of an acquired taste. You’ll find them in Baillardran outlets all around the city.

Shellfish

Super-fresh mussels, oysters and all the rest are readily available due to the city’s proximity to the sea.

Entrecôte marchand de vin

Steak with a reduced (Bordeaux) wine sauce - a local favourite, found on most menus.

Noisettines du Medoc

Roasted hazelnuts coated in caramelised sugar and rolled in crunchy caramel. Delicious, moreish and tooth-achingly sweet.

Grenier Médocain

Local pork charcuterie made with pig’s stomach, garlic and spices – yum!

Getting around Bordeaux

Walking is generally the best way to see a city and soak up the atmosphere, but public transport is a useful option when your feet start to ache. Bordeaux has a great network of buses and trams that will get you pretty much anywhere in the city.

Public transport

Trams: Gare Saint-Jean station, tramline C will take you into the centre in no time. Trams run every 3-10 minutes from 5:00 am and a ticket costs around €1.70. There are four main tram lines, A, B C and D which all start in the centre and radiate out.

Buses: TBM (Transport Bordeaux Metropole) has a great interactive map that shows all the bus, riverboat and tram routes.

Riverboat: There is also the BAT3, a riverboat that connects with bus routes and tramways.

Bikes: Another great way to get around, once you’ve got your bearings, is by bike. V3 has 2,000 bikes at 186 bike stations throughout the city. The system is similar to Velib in Paris or Santander Cycles in London. The first 30 minutes is free for members, after that it’s €2 an hour.

Top tip

Get yourself a CityPass, this covers unlimited public transport, entry to most museums and exhibitions and a free walking tour through the old town (in French and English). It will also get you reductions on wine tours and other activities and comes with its own app which acts as a personal assistant giving advice, directions and even makes reservations.

There are three different versions, each for different lengths of stay. The pass is most useful when you are visiting in peak season as some buildings and monuments are shut off peak.