Bordeaux

The world's wine capital: the 18th-century classical architecture of the "Port of the Moon", ringed by the great estates of the Médoc and Saint-Émilion — a pilgrimage for wine lovers.

Bordeaux lies in the Gironde department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The Garonne curves through the city in a crescent, giving it the name "Port of the Moon" (Port de la Lune). Prosperous in the 18th century thanks to wine and colonial trade, it left behind vast swathes of uniform classical stone architecture, and in 2007 about 1,810 hectares of the city were added to the World Heritage list — one of the largest urban World Heritage areas. Once blackened by soot, the old town was transformed in the early 21st century by cleaning, car restrictions and a new tram network. Visits fall into three parts: ① the city — Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'eau, the Saint-Pierre old quarter, Bordeaux Cathedral (Saint-André) and the Cité du Vin; ② the wine country — the Médoc on the left bank north of the city (great estates in Margaux, Pauillac and beyond), Saint-Émilion on the right bank to the east, plus regions such as Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers; ③ the Atlantic coast — the oysters of the Arcachon Bay and Europe's highest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat, about 60 km away. The climate is mild, with sunny, hot summers and rainy winters; May–June and September–October are best, with the grape harvest from late September into October, and the Bordeaux Wine Festival held in June in even-numbered years. Getting there: the TGV from Paris Montparnasse takes about 2 hours to Bordeaux Saint-Jean; from Mérignac Airport, the airport bus reaches the city in about 40 minutes; tram lines A–D cover the main sights. Allow 3–4 days: 1–2 in the city, 1 at the châteaux and 1 at Arcachon and the dune. Most top estates require advance booking via their website or by email, and the first growths are often closed to individual visitors or have very limited places; the tourist office and the Cité du Vin run half-day and full-day winery tours. Schengen visa required for entry. Try canelés, entrecôte à la bordelaise and Arcachon oysters.

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Itineraries