On an April Sunday morning, we arrived in this gorgeous port city.
Bordeaux is inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. After Paris, that’s the city with the highest number of preserved historical buildings in France. It’s the 5th largest city in the country, so we’ll give you just a few of the many attractions the city has to offer. Though it was a very cloudy day, we had a few showers but we could indulge in fantastic walks in the city.
What you absolutely cannot miss to visit:
- Place de la Bourse and Miroir d’Eau (water mirror) – this stunning square is worth a thousand photos! Plus, since 2006, just in front of it, you can find the world’s largest reflecting pool, the Miroir d’Eau…lovely!
- Pont de Pierre – the Stone Bridge, which connects the city centre (left bank) to the Quartier de la Bastide (right bank).
- Place du Parlement – historical monument situated downtown, in Saint Pierre neighborhood, near Place de la Bourse.
- Quartier Saint Pierre – historical heart of the city, where today’s downtown is. An absolute must-see and walk-in!
- Porte Cailhau – Thirty-five metres tall, it’s a very beautiful monument, remained unchanged since its building in 1494, to celebrate King Charles VIII’s victory in Italy. It was part of the town walls. There’s a beautiful view over the town from here.
- Grosse cloche (Big Bell)- it was used as a prison and had a defensive function. From here, you can have a marvelous view over the stone bridge.
- St. Andre cathedral and Pey-Berland tower – 229 steps to get to the top! Both deserve a visit.
- Basilique Saint-Michel and its tower – Its tower is 114 metres tall!
- Galérie Grands-Hommes – this shopping centre is beautiful to visit, if you have time for some shopping. There’s also a brasserie if you want to eat.
- Esplanade des Quinconces – one of the largest squares in Europe, with very beautiful monuments, like the column by Dumilatre and Rich.
- Rue S. Catherine – it’s the main shopping street in Bordeaux. It’s also a pedestrian street, so you can take a relaxing walk!
- Quais des marques – a shopping district, situated in front of Garonne river, with many fashion stores and restaurants. Open at weekends.
- Maison du vin – Discover Bordeaux wines and get lost among the thousands of bottles!
Of course, we were looking for culinary stories to tell you…and there’s a lot to say about Bordeaux!
We were two lucky foodies, because Sunday morning is market morning along the Garonne river. It’s a big street-food market, full of food to taste! We opted for a huge seafood skewer and a big portion of delicious seafood risotto! But you really cannot miss a plate of incredibly fresh oysters!
Two stops foodies absolutely cannot miss:
- La Patisserie Essentielle (2, place Saint Pierre): it’s an artisanal viennoiserie, where we had two delicious pastries and coffee.
- La Petite Savoie (27, rue des Argentiers): the kingdom of fondue, reblochonnade and raclette, this restaurant serves heaven in your plate…look at our photos if don’t believe us!
