Bordeaux Old Town (Saint-Pierre)
Quartier Saint-Pierre / Grosse Cloche
Porte Cailhau, the Grosse Cloche and one of Europe's longest pedestrian shopping streets tie together Bordeaux from the Middle Ages to the 18th century; cobbled lanes are lined with bars and restaurants.
Bordeaux's old town centers on the Saint-Pierre district, where narrow lanes preserve medieval layouts and 18th-century stone houses. A suggested walking route starts at Place de la Bourse and passes Porte Cailhau, built in 1495 to commemorate Charles VIII's victory, which you can climb. Then enter the café quarters of Place Saint-Pierre and Place du Parlement. Heading south, you reach the Grosse Cloche, one of the few surviving medieval city gates, hung with a bell weighing 7.8 tons and topped with a golden lion weather vane. Continue east to the Basilica of Saint-Michel, whose freestanding bell tower is 114 meters tall, one of the tallest in southern France; on Sunday mornings the square hosts a flea market. Rue Sainte-Catherine, on the western side of the old town, is about 1.2 km long and is said to be one of Europe's longest pedestrian shopping streets. The stone Pont de Pierre over the river, completed in 1822, has 17 arches, said to correspond to the letters in Napoleon's name. The old town also has several long-established canelé shops. The full walk takes about 2–3 hours. Getting there: tram line A to Porte de Bourgogne, or tram line C to Porte de Bourgogne/Place de la Bourse.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Grosse Cloche
- Musée d'Aquitaine
- Porte Cailhau
- Rue Sainte-Catherine
- Marché des Capucins
- Place de la Bourse & Miroir d'eau
- Basilica of Saint-Michel
- Bordeaux Cathedral & Pey-Berland Tower