One Day in Bordeaux

Bordeaux is an interesting port city located on a sweeping crescent-shaped bend of the River Garonne in South-West France.  Known as the Port of the Moon because of its shape, this UNESCO world heritage site has a rich history.  For more than 2000 years the city has operated its port, facilitating the exchange of human values and commerce as the capital city of the famous wine region.  One day in Bordeaux was not enough time!  

One day in Bordeaux

Sometimes when you are planning a holiday, you fall into the trap of thinking in terms of “nights” instead of “days”.  Booking a two night stay doesn’t equal two days at your destination. It actually only gives you one full day, after you take out the travel/check in & out times.  This is what happened to me with Bordeaux.  Trying to fit as much as possible into my holiday in France, I ended up short on days.  I had to choose:  spend one day in Bordeaux, or none at all.  I chose the one day!

Travel takes time

Arriving in Bordeaux, we walked out of the train station in search of the public transport system.  It turns out that Bordeaux actually has a fantastic public transport system comprising trams, busses and even a boat on the river.  It is run by TBM, and you can click here for more details from their website.  There are ticket machines available at every tram stop along the way with a “dial your language” solution to make it easy to buy a ticket if your French is not up to speed.   

This is the tourist map showing the public transport routes in Bordeaux.

Unfortunately for us, when we arrived in Bordeaux on a Saturday, the public transport had been cancelled due to the Gilets Jaunes protests.  We ended up having to take a taxi to our hotel instead, which was not too bad. Anyway, it saved us having to walk around in circles trying to find our hotel. 

Where we stayed

Hôtel de La Boetie was our choice for Bordeaux.  Centrally located and an easy walking distance to the nearest tram stop, restaurants and Bordeaux’s Hôtel de Ville. 

It was a small hotel with no lift. Leading to one of those situations in which you find yourself wishing, more with every step, that you had packed lighter. Click To Tweet

Finally arriving at the hotel and checking into our room gave us a few hours in the late afternoon to go for a walk. 

After settling in to our room, we headed out for a meal, and a walk around Bordeaux at night. 

Bordeaux by night

The historic buildings and monuments around the city are illuminated at night and this creates a lovely atmosphere. 

Having worked out how to use the ticket machine at the tram stop, we triumphantly boarded the tram and took a ride across the Pont de Pierre to the other side of the Garonne River.  From this vantage point we had lovely views back across the river to the city, which was beautifully light up. 

Pont de Pierre

This lovely old bridge was the first stone bridge ever built in Bordeaux. Connecting the left and right banks of the Garonne, it was commissioned by Napoleon and finished in 1822.

Porte de Bourgogne

Walking towards the city of Bordeaux on the Pont de Pierre, you come directly to the arch called the Porte de Bourgogne. It is a large stone archway built in 1757 which marked the official entry to the old city of Bordeaux. 

Basilique Saint-Michel

This gothic church has a separate bell tower, which is the second largest in France.  It is a UNESCO world heritage listed church under the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

Porte Cailhau

Because Bordeaux was once a walled city, there are several gates or Portes left around the city.  These Portes used to be the only way to enter the city through the walls and were often built to celebrate important events.  This one dates back to 1495 and was once the main entrance in to the city.

Bordeaux by day

Now, of course, it was going to rain on the one day in Bordeaux that we had.  What to do?  Armed with umbrellas and raincoats, we bought ourselves a 24 hour TBM ticket and used the tram network to get us around from A to B.  We only got a little bit wet, but we still got to see some sights around the city. 

Porte d’Aquitaine and Place de la Victoire

Never used as an actual entrance, this Porte is a symbolic archway in the middle of the Place de la Victoire.  By the time we arrived, it was pelting down with heavy rain.  We ran from the tram stop to the nearest open looking building, which happened to be McDonalds.  Sheltering from the storm, the possibilities of exploring the city looked bleak. 

After a while the rain eased off, so we ventured out into the place to take some photos.  The Porte d’Aquitaine was looking worse for wear, having graffiti spray-painted over it during the recent protests.  I also noticed a lot of shopfronts were boarded up due to having been smashed in the protests. 

These cute tortoise sculptures didn’t escape the spray painting episodes unscathed either. 

La Cité du Vin and the Halles de Bacalan

We decided to take the tram all the way to the other side of the city, because, it was raining, and the tram was dry.  We hopped off up near La Cité du Vin and the Halles de Bacalan.  As we were walking along we saw these electric cars at their charging stations. 

I had been wanting to visit a Les Halles in France, but hadn’t been able to get the timing right.  So a rainy Sunday in Bordeaux seemed like the perfect opportunity to check it out.  It was so interesting inside.  A mixture of fresh produce stalls, bars, and cafes.  Butchers selling raw meat to take home, but also hot food and snacks that were ready to eat.  People bought the food snacks, then sat at the bar or café tables to eat the food.  So it is a place to go and have some lunch and a drink, while also collecting fresh produce to make food at home.  Plus you can take your dog with you.  We sampled a few of the readymade snacks, pastries, and some fresh fruit.  It was a great place to stop by. 

I had heard that the Cité du Vin was a museum about wine, rather than involving the consumption of wine.  We decided to take a photo of the carafe shaped building and hop back on the tram.  (Maybe next time I’m there I will go inside when I have more than one day in Bordeaux.)  

Place de Quinconces

Next stop was Place de Quinconces.  This place is also an interchange between two of the tram lines which is a convenient way to change directions.  With a break in the weather, we took the opportunity to walk around this large park and see the Monument aux Girondins.  The monument is a raised marble platform supporting a pillar with a figure standing at the top.  At each end of the platform, there is a fountain with seahorses drawing chariots.  Although, February is probably not the best time to see this monument, as the fountains were still and the pools drained. 

It was pretty cold so we stopped in for hot chocolate at this super fancy restaurant overlooking the Place de Quinconces.  “Sorry, you can’t come and sit inside unless you are going to order food”.  So we sat outside and had our hot chocolate. 

Place de la Bourse

Back on the tram again, and around the corner to one of the most recognisable squares in Bordeaux with the famed Mirror d’Eau sitting between the place and the river.  The water comes up out of the pavers and fills a large area with a shallow film of water.  When the water is still, you can take beautiful reflective photos of the 18^th Century buildings. 

Except in February. 

Not then, because the fountain is turned off and the water is non-existent. 

From this stop you have easy access to the riverside quay.  The large paved pedestrian area is light up at night with colourful lamps.  By day you have a panoramic view of the Garonne River in each direction.  All within short walking distance from the tram stop. 

Basilique Saint-Michel

Taking the tram down the line further we decided to visit the Basilique Saint-Michel, named for the angel Michael.  This gothic church was built between the 14^th and the 16^th centuries.  In 1940 the stained glass windows were destroyed by bombs and had to be replaced.  The church is in need of restoration which has already been started. 

Some of the restored stained glass has a modern appearance which creates an interesting contrast between the antique interior and the modern glass panels. 

The organ has also been fully restored and looks magnificent.  The separate bell tower reportedly provides some of the best views over the city of Bordeaux.  I didn’t climb it during this visit though. 

La Gross Cloche – Porta Sancti Jacobi

By this time, the weather had cleared up, and seemed to be taking pity on time-poor travellers!  This allowed us to continue our journey on foot.  Taking a walk through the ancient quarter of Saint-Michel, we headed towards Cours Victor Hugo in the direction of Rue Saint-James.  I did feel, strangely enough, that we had walked into a different country as all the shops seemed to be from a different geographical location.  Continuing on, we came to Rue Saint-James and La Gross Cloche. 

The Big Bell in Bordeaux is one of the oldest bell towers in France.  This bell has been a symbol of Bordeaux since medieval times.  The plaque on the tower below the bell says:

I call to arms, I announce the days, I indicate the hours, I chase away the storm, I ring the holidays, I cry at the fire. 

La Gross Cloche, Bordeaux

“This bell was erected in 1775, and like those preceding it, was bearer of all good and bad tidings to the people of Bordeaux.

After taking several photos of the iconic bell tower, we walked back towards Cours d’Alsace-et-Lorraine.  My feet could take no more walking this day, so we hopped back on the tram to take us to Place Pey Berland, and the cathedral of Saint-André.

Saint-André Cathedral

I was beginning to think that we were not going to get a chance to look inside this cathedral.  It was next to the police riot barricades on Saturday night, and when we started out on Sunday morning, there were soldiers patrolling the area with tear gas guns, and machine guns.  Needless to say, this made me nervous, so I wanted to be in a different location.  Luckily for me, by the time we came back on Sunday afternoon, everything was back to normal, and we were able to go inside the church to admire its beauty.  

I was very impressed with this church.  It was started in the 11^th century, and through a series of additions, completed in the 15^th century. 

The church is beautifully decorated inside with painted stone columns, colourful stained glass, and delicately carved stonework. 

I also liked the statue of Joan of Arc that was inside. 

An impressive organ and a beautiful clock sit at the back of the church.  Usually, the western façade of the church is the most ornate and serves as the main portal.  Saint-André Cathedral is a bit different because it uses the North façade as the main entrance, and this façade has the usual twin towers and elaborate stonework you see on the main entrance. 

Jardin Public

The day was not yet over, so we caught the tram out to see the Jardin Public.  This is a picturesque public garden in the city of Bordeaux.  There is a large lake, and a child’s play area, complete with carousel. 

A grand pavilion is the featured building in the park and there is a small museum inside.  Beautifully landscaped with meandering pathways, it is a peaceful place to visit.  After we took a stroll through the gardens, we headed back towards the hotel for our last night in Bordeaux.

Street Art in Bordeaux

I was impressed with the street art in France that I found in various cities on my travels.  These are just a couple of the ones I saw on my brief visit to Bordeaux. 

Where to eat?

There are so many restaurants in Bordeaux that you won’t have to walk far to find something you like.  For our first night, we chose to eat at an Italian place called La Mama.  The food was delicious, and the service was great. 

For the second night we went out for some pre-dinner drinks at Bistro de la Porte.  We chose a long island ice tea cocktail from the menu, one of our favourite drinks anywhere in the world.  As we were enjoying our drinks, we saw some food being served at a table nearby.  It looked so good we decided to stay here and eat dinner as well.  We were not disappointed!  This place is right on the Porte Dijeaux with a choice of indoor and outdoor dining areas. 

Next time

Spending one day in Bordeaux was lovely, and it just made me realise that it will be a city I re-visit.  Next time I will be spending more than just one day in Bordeaux!

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