Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Bordeaux (France). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Bordeaux Cathedral, Miroir d'eau, and Tour Pey Berland. Also, be sure to include BETASOM in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Bordeaux (New Aquitaine).
Table of Contents
Bordeaux Cathedral
Also known as: Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux
Landmark 11th-century Catholic cathedral. Bordeaux Cathedral, officially known as the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew of Bordeaux, is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Andrew and located in Bordeaux, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bordeaux.
In 1998, UNESCO designated the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France as a World Heritage site, including the three main churches of Bordeaux: the basilica of St Severinus, the basilica of St Michael and the cathedral of St Andrew.[1]
Address: Place Pey-Berland, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Miroir d'eau
Tourist attraction in Bordeaux, France. The Miroir d'eau in Bordeaux is the world's largest reflecting pool, covering 3,450 square metres. Located on the quay of the Garonne in front of the Place de la Bourse, it was built in 2006.
In the context of the quays embellishment operation (2000s), it was designed by landscape artist Michel Corajoud. Then it was built by the fountain-maker Jean-Max Llorca and the architect Pierre Gangnet, who reused a former underground warehouse to set the machinery and reservoir.
The reflecting pool is made of granite slabs covered by 2 cm of water, and a system allows it to create mist every 15 minutes.
The Miroir d'eau works only from April to October, and it is the most-photographed site of the Port of the Moon.[2]
Tour Pey Berland
Gothic bell tower with panoramic views. The Tour Pey-Berland, named for its patron Pey Berland, is the separate bell tower of the Bordeaux Cathedral, in Bordeaux at the Place Pey Berland.[3]
Address: Place Pey-Berland, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
BETASOM
Also known as: Base sous-marine de Bordeaux
Vast submarine base-turned art museum. BETASOM was a submarine base established at Bordeaux, France by the Italian Regia Marina Italiana during World War II. From this base, Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1940 to 1943 as part of the Axis anti-shipping campaign against the Allies.[4]
Address: Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux
Basilica of St. Michael
Also known as: Basilique Saint-Michel de Bordeaux
Landmark 14-16th century Gothic church. The Basilica of St Michael, is a Flamboyant Gothic church in Bordeaux, France.
In 1998, UNESCO designated the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France as a World Heritage Site, including the three main churches of Bordeaux : the basilica of St Severinus, the basilica of St Michael and the cathedral of St Andrew.[5]
Address: 22 place Meynard, Bordeaux
Place des Quinconces
The Place des Quinconces, located in Bordeaux, France, is among the largest city squares in Europe.
It was laid out in 1820 on the site of Château Trompette and was intended to prevent rebellion against the city. Its guns were turned towards the centre. Its current shape (lengthened rectangle rounded off with a semicircle) was adopted in 1816. Trees were planted (in quincunxes, hence the name of the square) in 1818.
With the installation of a tram system in 2003, the place has become the most important public transport hub of the area, with Quinconces tram stop serving three tram lines, 21 bus lines (including 3 night buses), an electric shuttle, and 12 coach lines through Gironde as well as a reception area in the south.[6]
Address: Place des Quinconces, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux
Also known as: Matmut Atlantique
Stadium in Bordeaux, France. The Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, currently also known as the Matmut Atlantique for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Bordeaux, France. It is the home of Ligue 1 club FC Girondins de Bordeaux and seats 42,115 spectators.[7]
Address: Avenue de la Jallere, 33300 Bordeaux
Grand Théâtre
Opera performances in a 1780 venue. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is an opera house in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April 1780. It was in this theatre that the ballet La fille mal gardée premiered in 1789, and where a young Marius Petipa staged some of his first ballets.
The theatre was designed by the architect Victor Louis (1731–1800). Louis later designed the galleries surrounding, the gardens of the Palais Royal, and the Théâtre Français in Paris.
The Grand Theatre of Bordeaux was conceived as a temple of the Arts and Light, with a neo-classical facade. It has a portico of 12 Corinthian style colossal columns which support an entablature on which stand 12 statues that represent the nine Muses and three goddesses (Juno, Venus and Minerva). Pierre-François Berruer made four of the statues, and his assistant Van den Drix carved the others from Berruer's models.
The interior grand staircase served as a model for the grand staircase of the Opéra Garnier in Paris.
On the ceiling of the auditorium, there is a large fresco painted by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Robin. It pays homage to the Arts, to the artisans that built the building, and to the city of Bordeaux. The late scene shows a woman, allegory of Bordeaux, protected by Hermes and Athena, and in the foreground, three wealth of the city : the wine, the sea trade and the slave.
In 1871, the theatre was briefly the National Assembly for the French Parliament.
The inside of the theatre was restored in 1991, and once again has its original colours of blue and gold. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is one of the oldest wooden frame opera houses in Europe not to have burnt or required rebuilding.
Today, the theatre is home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux, as well as the Ballet National de Bordeaux which has many international dancers.[8]
Address: Bordeaux, Place de la Comédie
CAPC
Museum in Bordeaux, France. CAPC musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, formerly the Centre d'arts plastiques contemporains, is a museum of modern art established in 1973 in Bordeaux, France.[9]
Address: 7 rue Ferrère, 33000 Bordeaux
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux
Also known as: Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux
Museum of mainly French and Dutch fine art. The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux is the fine arts museum of the city of Bordeaux, France. The museum is housed in a dependency of the Palais Rohan in central Bordeaux. Its collections include paintings, sculptures and drawings from the 15th century to the 20th century. The largest collection is composed of paintings, and its strong points are works by French and Dutch painters.
In front of the building, there is the Galerie des Beaux-Arts, where temporary exhibitions are housed.[10]
Address: 20 cours d'Albret, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Pont de Pierre
Also known as: Pont de pierre
Historic bridge inaugurated in 1822. The Pont de pierre, or "Stone Bridge" in English, is a bridge in Bordeaux, which connects the left bank of the river Garonne to the right bank quartier de la Bastide.
It is 487 m in length and 19 m wide. It constitutes the legal frontier between the maritime domain and the river domain in the port of Bordeaux.[11]
Address: Pont de Pierre, 33000 Bordeaux
Cité du Vin
Museum in Bordeaux, France. The Cité du Vin is a museum as well as a place of exhibitions, shows, movie projections and academic seminars on the theme of wine located in Bordeaux, France.[12]
Address: 1 esplanade de Pontac, 33300 Bordeaux
Palais Rohan
Building. The Palais Rohan is the name of the Hôtel de Ville, or City Hall, of Bordeaux, France. The building was constructed from 1771 to 1784, originally serving as the Archbishop's Palace of Bordeaux.[13]
Address: 1 Place Pey Berland, Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Place de la Bourse
Historical landmark in Bordeaux, France. Place de la Bourse is a square in Bordeaux, France and one of the city's most recognisable sights. Built from 1730 to 1775 along the river Garonne, it was a multi-building development designed by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel. It is within the historic part of the city that has been recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.[14]
Address: Place de la Bourse, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Musée d'Aquitaine
History museum in Bordeaux, France. The Museum of Aquitaine is a collection of objects and documents from the history of Bordeaux and Aquitaine.[15]
Address: 20 cours Pasteur, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Holy Cross Church
Also known as: Abbatiale Sainte-Croix de Bordeaux
Abbey church with a historic pipe organ. The Church of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic church located in Bordeaux, southern France.
It was formerly the church of a Benedictine abbey founded in the 7th century, and was built in the late 11th-early 12th centuries. The façade is in the Romanesque architectural style.
The church has a nave and four aisles, a transept with apses on each arm, and a polygonal apse. The nave is 39 m long, while the apse is 15.30 m high. Its organ dates from the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the church was renovated by Paul Abadie. The former Benedictine abbey now houses the École des beaux-arts de Bordeaux.[16]
Address: Place Pierre Renaudel, 33000 Bordeaux
Château du Hâ
Historical landmark in Bordeaux, France. Château du Hâ is a château in Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The castle was built on orders by Charles VII to secure his claim over Bordeaux and the Gascon region at the end of the Hundred Years War.[17]
Musée national des douanes
Also known as: Musée national des Douanes
Museum in Bordeaux, France. The Musée national des douanes is a national museum on the history of French customs located at Place de la Bourse in the city of Bordeaux, France. The building was built in the 18th century to receive the new Ferme générale.[18]
Address: 1 Place de la Bourse, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Jardin botanique de Bordeaux
Landscaped gardens with regional plants. The Jardin botanique de Bordeaux is the historical municipal botanical garden, located inside of the Jardin public", at Place Bardineau, Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France.
It is open daily without charge. This old garden has been recently supplemented by the modern Jardin botanique de la Bastide, located across the river.
Although the garden's origins extend back to 1629 AD, with the creation of Bordeaux's first medicinal garden, today's botanical garden dates to 1858. It currently contains more than 3000 plant species, both those indigenous to Aquitaine and exotic plants from North America, China and Japan. It is organized as a systematic collection. The garden's seed collection contains 2,000 taxa, and its herbarium contains about 85,000 specimens.[19]
Address: Place du Champ de Mars, 33000 Bordeaux
Tépacap
Amusement, Theme park, Amusement park
Address: 33700 Mérignac, 33700 Mérignac (Mérignac)
Porte Cailhau
The Porte Cailhau or Porte du Palais is a gate in the city of Bordeaux, in the French department of Gironde. It served as both a defensive gate and a triumphal arch. It is classified as a historical monument since May 28, 1883.
Address: 23-24 Place du Palais, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Also known as: Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas
Vertical-lift bridge in Bordeaux, France. The Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas is a vertical-lift bridge over the Garonne in Bordeaux, France. It was inaugurated on 16 March 2013 by President François Hollande and Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux. Its main span is 110 m long. As of 2013, it is the longest vertical-lift bridge in Europe. It is named in honour of Jacques Chaban-Delmas, a former Prime Minister of France and a former mayor of Bordeaux.[20]
Address: Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
Botanical Garden
The Jardin botanique de la Bastide is the new municipal botanical garden located on the right bank of the Garonne, along the Allée Jean Giono in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France.
It is open daily without charge. This garden is an offshoot of the older Jardin botanique de Bordeaux, located across the river.
The garden opened in 2003 and is organized into six sections, including an arboretum, fields of grain, an alley of vines, and a water garden (1,250 m²). It also contains greenhouses, as well as eleven landscapes representing the environments of Aquitaine, including dune, cliff, wet grassland, moorland, etc.[21]
Address: Quai de Queyries, 33100 Bordeaux
Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons
Catholic church in Bordeaux, France. The Church of Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons is a Roman Catholic church located in Bordeaux, France. It is a gothic revival church dedicated to Saint Louis, king of France.[22]
Traffic
Traffic is the title of a group exhibition of contemporary art that took place at CAPC musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, France, through February and March, 1996.[23]
Rue Porte Dijeaux
The Dijeaux Gate is a gate in the city of Bordeaux, in the French department of Gironde.
It was classified as a historical monument on June 2, 1921.
Address: 4 Rue Bouffard, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Grosse Cloche
The Big Bell of Bordeaux is the nickname given to a building that served as the gateway to the medieval rampart and as the belfry of the old city hall. It is also called the Saint-Eloi gate or porta Sancti Jacobi.
The gate and the towers are classified as historical monuments by order of July 12, 1886.
Address: Rue Saint-James, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Maison carrée d'Arlac
Also known as: Château Peychotte
Castle in Mérignac, France. The Maison carrée d'Arlac is a neoclassical folly building constructed between 1785 and 1789, in the town of Mérignac just outside Bordeaux, France. It was built for Bordeaux banker Charles Peixotto.[24]
Centre Jean-Moulin
The Jean-Moulin National Center is a museum and documentation center in Bordeaux dedicated to the history of the Second World War and in particular to the French Resistance, the deportation and the Free French Forces. It was created in 1967 on the initiative of Jacques Chaban-Delmas. Since April 2006, it has been attached to the Musée d'Aquitaine and publishes reference works on the Second World War period.
The museum is closed until 2022 for renovation. Some of the contents have been transferred to the Musée d'Aquitaine.
Address: Place Jean Moulin, 33000 Bordeaux (Hôtel de Ville Quinconces)
Bordeaux municipal library
Also known as: Bibliothèque municipale de Bordeaux
Bordeaux municipal library is the central library of Bordeaux, situated in the Mériadeck neighbourhood and linked to nine smaller libraries. It has noteworthy collections and rare documents which earn it a French government designation of classée, meaning it is a library of national significance.[25]
Address: 85 Cours Maréchal Juin, 33000 Bordeaux
Pont d'Aquitaine
Suspension bridge in Bordeaux, France. The Pont d'Aquitaine is a large suspension bridge over the Garonne, north-west of the city of Bordeaux, in France. It forms part of the ring-road of Bordeaux and carries the A630 autoroute. It was completed in 1967 and its main span is 394 m long.
The eastern and western aspects of the bridge are dramatically different. To the east there is a ridge of land which allows the roadway to enter the bridge with little or no slope. By contrast, to the west there is an area of flat land, forming part of the Medoc, which means the roadway across the bridge slopes dramatically upwards in order to gain sufficient height to enter the bridge.[26]
Le Bouscat
Commune in France. Le Bouscat is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux and is adjacent to it on the north side.
Its sister city is Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA[27]
Talence
Commune in France. Talence is a commune in the Gironde department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the south side. It is a member of the Bordeaux Métropole.
Talence is the home of Décastar, a prestigious yearly international decathlon event.
In Talence, there are different universities: Bordeaux University, Architecture School of Bordeaux and KEDGE Business School.[28]
World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Also known as: Chemins de Compostelle en France
UNESCO designated the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France as a World Heritage Site in December 1998. The routes pass through the following regions of France: Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Midi-Pyrénées, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. UNESCO cites the routes' role in "religious and cultural exchange", the development of "specialized edifices" along the routes, and their "exceptional witness to the power and influence of Christian faith among people of all classes and countries in Europe during the Middle Ages".
UNESCO designated 71 structures along the routes and seven stretches of the Chemin du Puy. The structures are largely monuments, churches, or hospitals that provided services to pilgrims headed to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Some are places of pilgrimage in their own right. Other structures include a tower, a bridge, and a city gate.[29]
Cenon
Commune in France. Cenon is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the east side.[30]