La Min-sú de Terrasson

Bordeaux

Y
ou are not a wine lover?! Actually, the city of Bordeaux has much more to offer! We highly recommend you to visit this gem in southwest of France. After Paris, it has the highest number of preserved historical buildings of any city in France.

With over a million inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Bordeaux is also the sixth-largest city in France. Its center has a pleasant atmosphere with 'everything you did hope to find in Paris’.

Built on the banks of the Garonne river, richly & beautifully decorated with Gothic style churches, medieval monuments, 18^th centenary architectures, the largest man-made ‘Water Mirror’ in the world, Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street.

Museums, bronze sculptures, fountains, places & gardens, culinary markets, luxurious brands, artisans & designers shops and thousands of bars, cafes and restaurants of local & international cuisines.

The dynamic capital of the Nouvelle- Aquitaine region is a 2 hours train ride away from Terrasson. Taking the early train from Terrasson and heading back by the end of the afternoon will give you enough time to explore the historic center. To visit the vineyard outside the city, have time to explore the museums or sample the nightlife, you should spend a few nights in Bordeaux.

For those who would like to avoid Paris.

You can take the TGV (High-speed train) straight from the Charles De Gaulle International Airport (Paris) reaching Bordeaux in about 3.5 hrs, fly to and from many European destinations, or take the EuroStar train direct from London. You will find more information on our page:
"Avoid Paris by traveling through Bordeaux"

Spend a day our two in Bordeaux on your way-in or out. At the consignes counter of the St.Jean train station you can leave your luggage and explore Bordeaux lightweight!

Getting around

Bordeaux city is very easy and economic to explore. Thank to its users friendly public transportation system (TBM, Transports Bordeaux Métropole). The tram line covers most places in the metropolitan area of Bordeaux and you can hop on & off the tram as you like for a price of €4.70 (1 day /24h pass), while a 1 hour pass is €1.70.

Tickets are available from machines at all tram stops. On the other hand, many attractions are within walking distance, and will allow you to enjoy strolling the streets and alleyways. Our suggestion to those arriving at St. Jean train station: hop straight onto the tram (line C) to the center (Quinconces) where you will find the tourist office.

The river ferry that connects Stalingrad pier to Quinconces - Les Hangars – (passes under the Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas) - La Cité Du Vin - Lormont Bas terminal. The ferries are part of the public transport system, a great way to get a different view of the city, and use is included in the TBM-daypass.

World Heritage

Bordeaux, city of art and history, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, provides day tours, gourmet trails, initiations of Bordeaux wine tasting and visits to wine storehouses in the city. The Water Mirror (Miroir d’Eau)(1) in front of Place de la Bourse together is a ‘must photo taking spot’!

The historic Saint-André Cathedral and Gothic style Peu Berland tower (4), Bell tower and Basilica of Saint-Michel (6), Monument aux Girondins (2), are stunning and enchant you with fantasy. Porte de Cailhau, La Gross Cloche (Fat bell) adore the center and the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux (3) is breath-taking… and the list doesn’t end!

Shop & Eat

There are over thousands of bars, cafes & restaurants of local and international cuisines spread all over the metropolitan of Bordeaux. And shops of high-end brands or designers & artisan shops are all awaiting to be explored!

The rue Sainte-Catherine, is a 1.2 km long pedestrian main shopping street (the longest of its kind in Europe). Marché des Capucins is a covered market where you will find all kinds of fresh and preserved food to satisfy you eyes and taste buds.

Art & Culture

Bordeaux offers Art & Culture through the Museum of Aquitaine (5), Musée des Beaux-Arts, CAPC musée d'art contemporain, Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design, public art pieces… You will be well satisfied, if you are an art lover!

The former submarine base was transformed into the Bassins des lumières, digital art center and is a must for contemporary art lovers (The easiest way to get there is by bus 9 from ‘Brandenburg ’, take tram B to one stop passed the Cité du vin), the Méca is a modern new 12.000 m² multi-purpose venue for cinema, performing arts and publishing.

The Darwin Écosystème, the TOAD (Temporarily Obsolete Abandoned and Derelict) former military site that became a playground for the more edgy street artists, was formally handed over in 2007. And became Bordeaux’s multi-purpose space for the ‘alternative, innovative and politically engaged’ turning it into a ecological concrete utopia.

Tasting wine in the city

In Bordeaux, the wine merchants (cellar men) offer you thousands of references, red, rosés, whites, crémants...

The Cité du Vin
Bordeaux has gone through a remarkable transformation since the days it was known as ‘The Black Pearl of the Aquitaine’. Under mayor (and former Prime Minister) Juppé decades old dossiers on public transport, markets and infrastructure started to move. But Bordeaux was also in need for modern statement architecture to mark its maritime entrance.

A High-tech ‘cathedral of glass and metal, curved and rounded, where with the help of innovative technologies, visitors will be able to discover ancestral savoir-faire’, ‘a place to celebrate wine, its culture, its economy, its traditions, and the men and women who produce it.’ The architects were given the explicit instruction not to construct a traditional wine cellar or wine barrel, the building ‘evokes the swirling of wine in a glass’. Reserve 2 hours to visit and end at the roof terrace to sample a glass of wine.

Musée du Vin et du Négoce de Bordeaux
Close to the Les Hangars (Médoc) river ferry stop this museum is everything the The Cité du Vin does not like to be. Old equipment from 2000 years of wine production in the region housed in the building of the royal broker of Louis XV. Discover three centuries of history and fame in the vaulted cellars built in 1720. The Museum offers; Self-guided tour with tasting 2 glasses of Bordeaux wines (€10), Wine workshops (€40) and a 3-hour guided tour: Bordeaux city center + Tasting of 4 wines (€49)

Tasting wine outside the city

There are some 250 guided tours of the city, its vineyards and its wine. If this is what you are looking for, the website of the tourist office (https://www.bordeaux-tourisme.com) is a good place to start.

Find out more about wine tasting in the city, and ways to explore the vineyards through our Hidden Vineyards page. Including tips on how the train Ligne du Médoc (42), Bordeaux – La Point de Grave allows you to explore the vineyards of the Médoc, and walk the Boucle des Chateaux in Margaux (our recommendation). Or Join the Médoc Wine Marathon (every September).