Bordeaux | aaarticle.com

Bordeaux is the elegant capital of the world's most famous wine region, a port city of pale eighteenth-century stone on a bend of the Garonne. Its restored waterfront and grand squares make it a destination in its own right, beyond the vineyards around it.

Overview

Bordeaux grew rich on wine and Atlantic trade, and the money built a centre of uniform golden limestone that is now a World Heritage site. A long clean-up turned the riverfront from working docks into promenades and the mirror-like Miroir d’eau, and the old core became one of France’s most walkable. The city is the gateway to the vineyards of the Medoc, Saint-Emilion and Sauternes, but its own streets and tables are reason enough to linger.

Highlights

The Place de la Bourse faces the Miroir d’eau across the quay, the signature view of the restored waterfront. The Cite du Vin tells the story of wine in a striking modern building, while the old town holds the cathedral, markets and the long shopping street of Rue Sainte-Catherine. Day trips reach Saint-Emilion and the Medoc chateaux, and the Atlantic dunes and beaches lie an hour west.