Official Language:
French
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Currency:
EUR
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Population:
Approximately 218 ,948 people call the Bordeaux home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Bordeaux: France, including Bordeaux, is at its best in spring, though winter-like relapses aren't unknown. Autumn is pleasant, too, but the days are fairly short. Bordeaux's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean protects its grapes - and visitors - from both frosty chills and excessive heat, so expect a mild climate.
The best time to visit France is April-October, though August can be a bit hot and cities tend to empty out and close down as everyone heads to the coast. Day temperatures range from the mid 70s to the 90s °F/23-37°C, with nights in the 50s-70s °F/10-27°C. Temperatures generally increase as you go south; the extreme south is 10 F/6 C warmer on average. August can be very hot and humid. The months of May and October are probably nicest for touring In any case, take a sweater the nights can be cool any time of the year.
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Bordeaux is situated 350 miles southwest of Paris and is one of the best known cities in France. Its fine wines are appreciated the world over by millions of connoisseurs. Rich in history, culture, arts, music, legendary wines and fantastic food, Bordeaux is a wonderful place in which to learn French and discover the best that France has to offer. Practise your best santé - you'll be raising your glass a lot in Bordeaux, home to one of France's seven key wine regions and known for its award-winning big reds. Tour the chateaux, imbibe the world-class wines and indulge in the regional cuisine, but remember that Bordeaux offers much more.The city has excellent museums, lively nightlife and beaches close by.
Rolling hills, mighty rivers, beautiful landscapes, and world famous vineyards await you in Bordeaux, France's fifth largest city. Bordeaux's history begins with the Celts, who called Bordeaux Burdigala. Later, the area came under Roman rule, becoming the capital of the province of Aquitania. Eleanor of Aquitane married King Henry II of England in 1154, and as a result, the entire area came under British rule. This lasted until 1543, when the French regained control of the area, much to the dismay of the locals, who were thriving under the liberal guidance of the British.
While Bordeaux has existed for over two thousand years, the city has gained most of its fame from its world-renowned wine industry. The vineyards surrounding Bordeaux sold almost one billion gallons of wine last year, all under strict local government ordinances, to ensure that no bottle of wine that goes out under the prestigious Bordeaux name is in any way subpar. Today, Bordeaux struggles to expand its tourist appeal beyond the world's wine connoisseurs. This is unfortunate, as the Grand Theatre should rank among the most visited attractions in all of the world. The more famous Paris opera house borrowed liberally from Bordeaux's theater, designed by Victor Louis. A floating cruise under the Pont de Pierre, one of Europe's most beautiful bridges, is a must, as is a tour of the surrounding wine country that makes Bordeaux a recognized name worldwide.
Cruise ships dock at the Port of Bordeaux. There is easy road access to the rest of the city, and the rest of the country for that matter, from the port. Local Transportation in Bordeaux is a major hub in France's transportation system, so trains and buses travel in and out of the city with regularity. In the city itself, taxis are probably your best bet, as the local transportation workers have been known to go on strike from time to time.
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Attractions |
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Bordeaux's cultural highlights center more on its ornate cathedrals. An architectural highlight is the Grand Theatre (Place de la Comedie, tel. 05/5600-8595). Designed by Victor Louis, the Corinthian columns outside enclose perfect acoustics within. You can conclude your day with a walk across one of France's most beautiful bridges, the Pont de Pierre.
Day Trip To Wine Country Surrounding Bordeaux are thousands of vineyards, producing millions of gallons of wine annually. Many vineyards welcome visitors, and some offer free samples. And who are you to turn down free samples? Contact the Centre d'Information, de Documentation, et de Degustation (tel. 01/4545-4420) in advance of your trip for details.
CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain:
Bordeaux is not famous for its museums, and in fact, you may be tempted to skip the museum scene altogether. But Musee des Beaux-Arts (20 Cours d'Albert, tel. 05/5610-2030) has a fantastic collection of paintings, covering over five hundred years. Entrepôts Lainé was built in 1824 as a warehouse for the rare and exotic products of France's colonies. These days contemporary art has replaced the coffee, cocoa, peanuts and vanilla that used to fill the building's capacious spaces. Most of the exhibits and installations at the museum are temporary.
Cathédrale Saint-André:
(Place Pey-Berland, tel. 05/5681-6436). The cathedral, along with its adjoining tower, the Tour Pey-Berland, dates back almost one thousand years. Pay particular attention to the sculptures on the Royal Door. This cathedral has quite some history attached to it. In 1137, the future King Louis VII - he who kicked off Bordeaux' worldwide reputation for wine - married Eleanor of Aquitaine here. The exterior wall of the nave dates right back to 1096; most of the rest of the structure was built in the 13th and 14th centuries.The interior, reached via the newly cleaned north portal, is much more attractive than the stained, crumbling exterior. You can visit the cathedral daily. Behind the choir, the 15th-century Tour Pey-Berland, a 50m (164ft) belfry, can be climbed (for a fee). The cathedral and belfry are easy to find; they're just across from the city hall.
Jardin Public:
If you need some respite from the frenetic pace of wine tasting, head to the beautifully landscaped Jardin Public. The park was established in 1755 and laid out in the English style a century later. It features the meticulously catalogued Jardin Botanique, founded in 1629 and at its present site since 1855. Also part of the park is the nearby Musée d'Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) and a children's playground. The Jardin Public runs along cours de Verdun, just north of the city centre.
Musée des Beaux-Arts:
This museum occupies two wings of the Hôtel de Ville complex, built in the 1770s. Founded in 1801, the museum has a large collection of paintings, including Flemish, Dutch and Italian works from the 17th century and a particularly important work by Delacroix.
Arcachon:
Give your liver a break and your tan a boost at the seaside resort of Arcachon, southwest of Bordeaux. The town became popular with bourgeois residents of Bordeaux at the end of the 19th century and today remains a favourite. It is extremely popular - and crowded - in summer, making accommodation expensive and hard to find. During winter it returns to its somnolent state, with nary a vistor to be seen. Its major attractions are the sandy seashore and the extraordinary Dune de Pyla, Europe's highest sand dune.In town, when you're not lying on the beach, you'll want to explore the Ville d' Été (Summer Quarter), which abuts the Plage d'Arcachon (the town's beach). The liveliest section is around Jetée Thiers, one of the town's two piers. The other place to go is the Ville d'Hiver (Winter Quarter) on the tree-covered hillside south of the Ville d'Été, which dates from about a century ago. Its 300-plus villas, many decorated with delicate wood tracery, range in style from neogothic to colonial.Outdoor junkies will appreciate the town's lovely pedestrian promenade lined with trees and playgrounds, the high-quality bike paths that wind around the area and the opportunities to dive, sea kayak, windsurf and take boat excursions.Eight km (5mi) south of Arcachon, the Dune de Pyla starts. This remarkable sand dune stretches from the mouth of the Bassin d'Arcachon southward for almost 3km (2mi). It is creeping eastwards at about 4.5m (15ft) a year. It has already swallowed trees, a road junction and even an entire hotel. The view from the top - around 114m (370ft) above sea level - is magnificent.Not far from Arcachon is Gujan Mestras, one of France's prime oyster-farming centres. Most of the area's attractions are, naturally enough, based around oysters and the water. Close by is the idyllic Le Teich Parc Ornithologique (Bird Reserve), in the Bassin d'Arcachon, a 155 sq km (60 sq mi) tidal bay. Some 260 species visit the area each year.
Gujan Mestras:
Not far from Arcachon is Gujan Mestras, one of France's prime oyster-farming centres. Most of the area's attractions are, naturally enough, based around oysters and the water. In and around town you can buy huge, fresh oysters; dine at seafood restaurants; visit an oyster display; cool down in an aquatic fun park; let loose in an amusement park or stroll around the botanical park.
Le Teich Parc Ornithologique:
Close by is the idyllic Le Teich Parc Ornithologique(Bird Reserve), in the Bassin d'Arcachon, a 155 sq km (60 sq mi) tidal bay. Some 260 species - including the spoonbill, little egret, blue throat and black kite and 30 pairs of nesting storks - visit the area each year, making the reserve an outstanding place to see some of Europe's rarest and most beautiful birds.More outdoor fun is right at hand. A few hundred metres away from the bird reserve is Europe's largest butterfly garden, the Jardin des Papillons. The Sentier du Littoral footpath offers walking through the area, to Gujan Mestras and Lamothe. Nature discovery trips, including guided sea kayak tours and unguided canoe cruises are on offer from the Maison de la Nature du Bassin d'Arcachon at the Parc.Gujan Mestras is a mere nine-minute trip from Bordeaux on the Bordeaux-Arcachon line. The Parc is on the same line, with a short (1km/.62mi) walk from the Le Teich station.
Saint-Émilion:
Beautiful medieval St-Émilion is a quaffer's delight - the village is surrounded by vineyards renowned for their full-bodied, deeply coloured red wines and there are almost 100 chateaux to visit. You won't go short for a drink in town either; St-Émilion's quaint streets and squares are lined with a liver-testing 50-odd wine shops. Wine tasting, chateaux tours and information on all things grape can be had from the tourist office.If you can tear yourself away from the pleasures of the vine, the village itself is suitably gorgeous. Situated on two limestone hills that look out over the Dordogne River valley, St-Émilion's 13th-century ramparts and the rest of the town take on a luscious golden hue as the sun sets. Not even the vast numbers of tourists who flock here can spoil this sort of charm.There are a bunch of interesting historical sites, although the key attractions can be visited only by taking one of the tourist office's 45-minute guided tours. Don't miss
The Église Monolithe:
Don't miss carved out of solid limestone from the 9th to the 12th centuries or the impressive former Collégiale (collegiate church), which has a narrow, domed, Romanesque nave dating from the 12th century and a spacious vaulted choir (14th-16th century) that's almost square. The 13th century donjon Castel daou Rey (King's Tower), is another highlight, affording exceptional views of the town and the Dordogne Valley.If you have a sweet tooth, try some authentic St-Émilion macarons (macaroons), the recipe for which was brought to the town by Ursuline nuns in the 17th century.
The Médo:
Less off the beaten track, and more front, centre and absolutely on the - very well-worn - track, the Médoc, northwest of Bordeaux, is king of the chateau when it comes to Bordeaux' 1000 sq km (309 sq mi) wine-growing region. Some of Bordeaux' most celebrated vineyards - those of Haute Médoc, Margaux and neighbouring appellations - can be found in this area, making it an essential inclusion on any grape-grazing trip.The gravelly soil of the Médoc's gently rolling hills supports orderly rows of meticulously tended grape vines (mainly Cabernet Sauvignon) that produce some of the world's most sought-after red wines. The most beautiful part of this renowned wine-growing area is north of Pauillac, along the D2 and the D204 (towards Lesparre).Chateaux in the Pauillac appellation that welcome visitors by appointment include the beautifully landscaped Château Lafitte Rothschild, famed for its premier grand cru classé, and the equally illustrious Château Mouton Rothschild. Both offer tours and tasting sessions. In the nearby St-Julien appellation, the impressive
Château Beychevelle:
Also has tours. About 20km (12mi) to the south in Margaux, you can visit the celebrated Château Margaux. Château Palmer, on the D2 just south of Margaux in Issan, has tours and tastings weekdays. Both require advance reservations.
Maison du Tourisme et du Vin:
The Pauillac tourist office houses the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin, possibly the best resource in the region for vineyard-visiting tourists. Open daily, year round, it sells wine, makes chateau appointments, offers wine tasting, has a permanent wine exhibition and provides general information about the region. Be sure to grab a copy of their Médoc Guide Découverte brochure, which lists chateaux and how to visit them.Teetotallers and those who need to put a cork in their wine tasting will enjoy the Médoc's fine-sand beaches. Bordered by dunes and lagoons, they stretch for some 200km (124mi) from Pointe de Grave south along the Côte d'Argent to the Bassin d'Arcachon and beyond. Seaside resorts include Cap Ferret, Soulac-sur-Mer, a lively town with a wide, safe beach and Euronat, a relaxed naturist village.
Shopping:
Shopping in Bordeaux should center on fine wine. La Vinotheque (8 Cours du 30-Juillet, tel. 05/5652-3205) is one of Bordeaux's finest wine merchants, with a hugeselection and a friendly staff who will not patronize you for not knowing the subtle differences between the bottles. In the vineyards surrounding Bordeaux are many small wine houses, and you are sure to find something that tickles your palate. Chateau Les Bouzigues (Saintes Gemmes, tel. 05/5661-6592) is a personal favorite. If you are looking for something other than spirits to lift your spirits, find some priceless antiques in Village Notre-Dame, an antique mall. On the Rue du Chateau d Eau, the Centre Commercial Meriadeck (05/5699-5900) is home to clothing stores and upscale boutiques. Bordeaux has a thriving art community, and some of its better works are on sale at the Galerie Condillac (24 Rue Condillac, tel. 05/5679-0431).
Bordeaux's tourist office:
(12 Cours du 30-Juillet, tel. 05/5600-6600) will get you started with maps and brochures, along with suggested itineraries. A great way to introduce yourself to the city is by taking an organized tour. If you need a little culture mixed in with your exercise, the Bordeaux tourist office offers walking tours to get your mind as well as your heart racing. The Médoc has some great beaches, and sea kayaking, windsurfing, diving and boat excursions are all possible. If naturism is your thang, Euronat, a relaxed naturist village 80km (50mi) north of Bordeaux is one of France's prime spots to get nude. (You'll need a membership card or International Naturist Federation naturist passport). The tourist office does a great job of organizing a walking tour, touching upon many of Bordeaux's best sites. The tour lasts approximately two hours, and is conducted in both French and English. Another great starting point is a boat tour, which lasts for about ninety minutes. The boat captain's office (tel. 05/5652-8888) can help you with departure times.
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Bordeaux Fance:
Bordeaux Travel Information
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