Have you always wanted to learn about the art de vivre? The art de vivre is the knowledge of how to enjoy life, or the practice of it. Well, look no further than Bordeaux. Bordeaux is know as “the pearl of Aquitaine” and its beautiful city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Here are 17 essential things to do during your visit to Bordeaux:
Do a walking tour
The first thing I like to do to get a feel for a new city is a walking tour. There are many free walking tours in Bordeaux; I did one organised by the French school where I was studying French at the time, but a quick google will give you plenty of choices in a number of languages.
Visit the Cité du Vin
The “City of Wine” is an absolute must-see. Expect to spend between 2-3 hours visiting this incredible exhibition.
It’s pitched at people with all levels of knowledge about wine, so dig in! You’ll even discover how wine affects your senses with their smell buffet!
Visit Saint-André Cathedral and Pey Berland tower
The Cathedral is free to visit and the tower costs 6€; to go up the tower you’ll need to take a long narrow, spiral staircase, so get ready to count steps.
Try a Canelé
Make sure to try a canelé, which is a bordelais specialty flavoured with rum and vanilla. It has a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelised crust.
Find them in any pâtisserie.
Go to Capucins market
The Marché des Capucins started in 1525! This isn’t just your average market. Here you can have morning coffee, a brunch, lunch or a wine tasting. It’s known as “The belly of Bordeaux” so is not to be missed!
Visit the Bassins des Lumières
The Bassins des Lumières is the largest digital art space in the world. It’s an ex-Nazi submarine base, that now houses a different exhibition each year. I saw last year’s exhibition, Venise, la Sérénissime, which you can view in the video. This year’s an exhibition of Dalí’s work. Don’t look it up, just book the tickets, if you want a true surprise!
See a performance at l’Opéra National de Bordeaux
There are two sites of the National Opera House, the Grand-Théâtre and the Auditorium. They’re fairly close to each other and are both spectacular spaces to see anything from ballet, to classical music performances, to conferences.
You’ll want to book online far in advance to have the change to see something during your visit.
I had the pleasure of seeing pianist Lucas Debargue play pieces from Mozart, Chopin and Alkan last year.
Visit Darwin
Darwin is a funny little place, which is potentially contributing to the gentrification of the rive droite – the right bank… It’s got shops and cafes and plenty of great street art.
Visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux
The Bordeaux Museum of Fine Arts has permanent and temporary collections. I had the pleasure of visiting when they had a temporary collection up that featured female artists who specialised in a number of different areas. It’s a shame that one wasn’t permanent!
Discover the city’s street art
Darwin has a lot of street art, but there’s also a fair amount dotted around other parts of the city, including: Bassin à Flot district, rue Bouffard, Quai des Platitudes, the Mur in Chartrons, rue Bergeret, and more.
Cycle along the Garonne
Bordeaux is a city for cyclists, with long stretches of wide cycle paths and fabulous views across the Garonne river.
Rent a bike from any number of rental shops in Bordeaux; I’ve used Cool Bike before, which is the ideal starting point to head up to Chartrons neighbourhood or to cross the river to Darwin.
Relax in the Jardin Public
The Jardin Public is the best spot for a picnic, or just to lie in the sun on a lazy afternoon. It also houses the Science and Nature Museum of Bordeaux and a botanical garden.
Go bougie in Chartrons neighbourhood
Chartrons didn’t become part of Bordeaux until the 19th century (previous only those parts inside the city walls were “Bordeaux”).
Chartrons started as a district bustling with Flemish, Irish and German wine traders, and later flourished further when it attracted artsy and other creative types.
To this day, it’s Bordeaux’s bougie spot and it’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon wandering around pretty cobbled streets and sipping coffee in the sun.
Visit Bordeaux’s Musée du Vin et du Négoce
Unlike the Cité du Vin, which provides a general education about wine, at the Musée du Vin et du Négoce, you’ll learn specifically about Bordeaux wine; this is located in Chartrons.
Watch some French comedy at L’Engrenage bar
These nights are free, but bring cash and pay what you think the performances were worth at the end of the night. These evenings get booked up quickly, so make sure to reserve a ticket on the L’Engrenage Comedy Club Eventbrite page.
Get immersed in French at Cap Sciences
Cap Sciences is a cultural centre and science museum, housing permanent and temporary exhibitions. A lot of what they create is immersive, and in French, making it a really useful experience for improving your French.
Watch a film in a gothic church: Cinéma Utopia
Cinéma Utopia is an independent cinema in the old town, which screens big-budget films as well as those created by independent producers. It is known particularly for screening foreign films in their original language, with subtitles in French.
It’s also cheaper than the cinema complexes in the city.
Hop over to Sarlat, Saint Émilion or Bergerac
If you plan to visit Bordeaux, don’t forget to check out other local gems, including Saint Émilion, Sarlat and Bergerac. Quick tip: you don’t pronounce the “t” on the end of Sarlat. Read my post on A week in Bergerac: 11 essential activities.
Have you visited Bordeaux before? Is there anything you did that I haven’t mentioned? Comment below!
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