Jump on board for a pleasant train ride across the continent from Paris or London, headed towards Bordeaux wine and region. Bordeaux is France’s wine capital, and the France that we’ve fallen for.
Bordeaux is romantic – pretty, chilled, walkable, with street after street of 18th Century glamour, reminiscent of the good old days when this place was wealthy on the business of wine.
The city is historical, yet fresh, thanks to an ongoing regeneration project led by the local council. It’s like exploring an open-air museum, full of stunning old squares and beautifully designed spaces set along the Garonne river. If you’re like us, you’ll not spend a lot of time on the crowded pedestrian shopping hot-spot Rue Sainte-Catherine though: rather, veer off into the back streets filled with surprises like Parliament Square, featuring quaint French fashion boutiques and brasseries serving espresso and cheese platters.
The grand Place de la Bourse built under King Louis XV’s reign in the 18th Century isn’t far. It’s positioned on the riverfront, and magically mirrored by the world’s largest reflecting pool, the Miroir d’Eau (mirror of water).
Take a tram along the riverfront to La Cite du Vin which is, oh yes, a museum dedicated to wine! Your entry pass scores you access to the Belvedere Bar’s panoramic viewpoint; an opportunity to view 120 high-tech multimedia displays and thoughtful exhibits; participate in workshops and taste wine from a selection of the museum’s 7,000 international wines.
Bordeaux’s wine story is as fascinating as the building that all this is housed in (are the 900 glass panels and 2,500 aluminium panels designed in the shape of a large wine decanter, or wine swirling around a large glass?). Real abundance arrived when the astute Eleanor of Aquitaine married England’s Henry II, and established Bordeaux wines’ significant export trade. The rest is history, and you can relish in it all right here.
If you’re hungry afterwards, there’s a stylish food market across the road, Les Halles Bacalan. We were tipped off about it by our helpful Bordeaux Tourism walking tour guide, Veronique, who also led a half day excursion from Bordeaux to the Medoc wine region that we happily found ourselves on. We couldn’t help but get swept up in the wonder of it all that sunny afternoon. With thousands of chateaus and wine growers, hundreds of merchants and brokers bringing Bordeaux’s 113,000 hectares of international business to life, we were literally immersed in wine.
Our trip took us to famous Chateau Maucaillou and historical Chateau du Taillan to learn about wine production, view their spectacular grounds and cellars, and taste special vintages. You may think you can’t appreciate wine any more than you already do, but after visiting these places, trust us, you can.
In Bordeaux there’s a strong sense that the people here really care about their city and culture. It’s clean, interesting and liveable.
Ask a local about when the city markets are on (we liked Marché des Capucins for people-watching, and Marche des Quais, Sundays along the river), and which galleries they recommend – it’s easy to immerse yourself in all that’s fresh and delicious here. It’s your chance to try the best bits about being French! 💕