Category: Travel

5 Reasons to Visit Bordeaux

  1. The old town districts of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul. These narrow and busy streets are the beating heart of Bordeaux and date back to medieval times. They are a joy to wander around with numerous small shops, cafés and restaurants. Don’t miss the Grosse Cloche, the bell tower is built in the gothic style and the bell has been used to warm the citizens of Bordeaux  of significant events for centuries. The current bell was made in 1775 and is rung at noon on the first Sunday of the month and for other significant occasions such as Bastille Day.

Place St. Pierre is a lovely space to stop for coffee, the tree covered terrace gives welcome shade if it sunny.

For those requiring something little stronger Vins Urbains (27 rue des Bahutiers) is an excellent wine bar, serving mainly French wines alongside small plates. Beware however, it is not open at lunchtime.

2. La Cité du Vin. 

Opened in 2016 and now one of the top tourist attractions in the city it is a must for wine lovers but there is also much to admire for others. Basic admission covers the permanent exhibition, the observation deck giving excellent views of the city and a wine tasting from the sixteen on offer in the Belvedere Bar. Many other booking options are available including a full wine tasting, sensory workshop and  tour of the building focusing on its design and construction. You can easily spend a full day here. You can read more bout it in my post here

3. The Water Mirror. The water mirror, constructed in 2006, is to be found opposite one of Bordeaux’s architectural gems, The Place de la Bourse. the mirror is the worlds largest reflecting pool of water. Constructed from slabs of granite, the surface is flooded with water to a depth of only 2cm. As the flow of water stops, the surface gradually clears to create a perfect mirror much loved by locals and visitors alike. The cycle repeats every 20-30 minutes to replenish the water which gradually drains away. There is even a system to create mist which gives an intriguing and alternative view. It gets very busy at times and you may have to wait awhile to get that perfect photo as adults and children just love going for a paddle.

4. One of the worlds greatest wine regions. The Bordeaux region produces somewhere around 700 million bottles of wine per year, 90% of which is red, some of which is the most expensive wine in the world. The good news is that the wine regions are relatively close to the city and make for an ideal day out from the city. You can hire an car or join one of the day trips that leave the city each day. A chateau visit is a great way to see how this famous wine is made and visits always finish with a short tasting. It is worth noting that for many of the well known chateau an appointment is necessary prior to visiting. This can usually be done via the chateau’s website and the advantage of this system usually means that you have your own private tour for as little as 15 euros in some cases.

5. Food. As in many towns and cities in France food is taken very seriously indeed. There are numerous options to suit all manner of budgets. If queues are anything to go by L’Entrecote (4 Cours de 30 Juillet) is a big favourite. When it opens at 7.15 there around 100 people waiting to get in. The queue moves quickly however as the restaurant is large. It is a set menu of steak, chips and salad with very reasonably priced drinks. It offers great value. Nearby, opposite the Opera House, the Grand Hotel offers a  more formal experience in the Gordon Ramsey restaurant L’Pressoir d’Argent which holds two Michelin stars. Les Noailles (12 Allées de Tourney) offers a traditional French bistro style experience.

The Canele is a small rum flavoured cake that is filled with a light custard which can be found in many shops and cafés of the city. They can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack with a cup of coffee. Well worth trying.

 

La Cité du Vin

In 2009 Alain Juppé, the mayor of Bordeaux, proposed that the city built a museum to celebrate the importance of wine to the city and the surrounding region. Furthermore it would also show how wine was important to heritage and culture of peoples around the world. It would be a wine museum like no other.

In 2011 an industrial site by the river and close to the district of Chartrons, where the city’s wine merchants had their cellars, was purchased. Construction began in 2012 and the building was finally open to the public on 1st June 2016. The total cost of the project was 94 million euros.

The design was by means of a competition which was eventually one by a firm of Parisian architects, chosen from a shortlist of five. To many it resembles a decanter but the winning design was not intended to be figurative. Rather the design was to have a roundness and flexibility to reflect the nearby River Garonne. However you look at it the building is stunning and a real contrast to the more formal style of architecture seen in and around the city. Over two thousand aluminium panels have been used to create the swirling base and 940 glass panels in the tower. The public areas are constructed of 524 laminated wooden arches, used to create the impression that you are inside a barrel as you walk through the exhibits.

The easiest way of getting to the museum is by tram. Line B will take you from central Bordeaux to the museum for less than 2 euros. The trams are modern, clean, comfortable and a great way to get around the city. Timing your visit may seriously affect the experience. In winter there may be 300-500 visitors per day but this can rise to 2000=3000 on weekends at the height of summer. You can avoid queues for tickets by purchasing online, a sensible plan if it looks like it might be busy. Whatever the season early in the day is a good time to begin your visit as you can easily spend all day here. On the day of our visit on a weekday in early October the museum was relatively quiet.

The ground floor is devoted to ticketing and cloakroom but there its also a shop, a rather  impressive wine cave and a small brasserie serving some very nice food indeed. It makes an excellent spot for lunch.

The first floor covers workshop space and temporary exhibitions. You can book a wine workshop when buying general admission and they are delivered in English as well as French. There is also a rather fine library and reading room which is open to everyone and the Thomas Jefferson auditorium for larger meetings and events.

It is on the second floor where you will find the permanent exhibition. This consists of 19 different themed areas which you can plan your own route through. The admission price includes an audio guide which is available in eight different languages. Sensors on the exhibits trigger the relevant piece of audio for your own immersive experience.  The exhibition is interactive and multi sensory. A lot of thought has gone into giving you useful information in a fun and engaging way. I particularly enjoyed the video walls showing aerial footage of the worlds major wine regions, the photography here was stunning. There is a series of bell jars from which you can explore the scents associated with wine, an in-depth interactive explanation of cultivating vines and of course an area devoted to the wines of Bordeaux. The best thing about the permanent exhibition is that there is something for everyone, it appeals to all ages and levels of interest in the world of wine.

To end your visit your ticket also includes a wine tasting in the Belvedere Bar at the top of the tower, which also gives superb panoramic views of the surrounding area. You can choose your tasting sample from the sixteen or so wines on offer. The roof of the bar has been constructed from 3800 litre glass bottles and makes quite an impressive sight.

You can take your glass of wine out onto the viewing platform to enjoy the view.

A perfect ending to a great day at a superb museum. The city can be justifiably proud of such a magnificent attraction.

 

Things to do in Berlin

Berlin is a fascinating city to visit and is an ideal location for a weekend or short break. There is something here for everyone here; history a plenty, great museums of all kinds, some fine shopping and an excellent bar and restaurant scene.

Reichstag

Since unification the Reichstag is the seat of the German parliament. The glass dome gives superb views of the city but must be pre-booked as it is very popular. You can do this here

Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate with its sculpture of the winged goddess of victory atop is a potent symbol of the city. In the Cold War it represented the division of the city but now serves as a symbol for German unification. Get there early to avoid the crowds.

Holocaust Memorial

The memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe opened in 2005. It was designed by Peter Eisenman and consists of 2711 concrete columns called stelae arranged over an area about the size of a football field. The ground underfoot rises and falls as you walk between the columns and their close proximity to each other give a sense of discomfort and disorientation. There is an information centre is located underneath the monument and should not be missed. An audio guide is available for a small charge (3 euros). It is a very moving experience indeed as you discover something about families involved in the holocaust. The Room of Names gives the name and a short biography  of all those Jews that were murdered or missing. It would take nearly seven years to hear them all.

Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Platz was destroyed by the building of the Berlin Wall in the 1960s. Since the wall came down it was been reborn and is a busy and thriving area. Home to the Sony Centre, shops and restaurants, cafés and bars it is now hard to image that it was once a place of division and separation. Panels from the wall can be seen outside the S-bahn station where there is a short but informative display

Hitler’s Bunker

You could walk past and not be any the wiser as all that remains today is a car park and an information display that shows the layout of the bunker complex. It also details how the bunker was collapsed and filled in following the end of the war.

Checkpoint Charlie

During the Cold War this was the main crossing for foreigners to pass into East Berlin. In October 1961 it was the site of a standoff between American and Russian tanks which made the world hold its breath for 16 hours. Today it’s a tourist trap where you can pay 3 euros to have your photograph taken with a fake border guard. Nevertheless it is worth a visit to help understand just how divided this city was.

Gendarmenmarkt

Just a short walk fro Checkpoint Charlie but a different world away. A square with two cathedrals, the German and French, and the Berlin concert hall. Its grand,imposing and a most beautiful square. The area around the square is full of bars and restaurants so is an ideal spot to stop for a refreshing break from all the sightseeing.

East Side Gallery

A preserved section of the Berlin Wall that is now home to over 100 murals  is a must see on any visit to Berlin. You may not like all the art but you can’t fail to be touched by some of the messages of hope and reconciliation. Get there early to avoid the crowds. I have a more detailed post about it here

Friedrichshain

Home to the East Side Gallery, Friedrichshain is a neighbourhood well worth spending some time in. A former working class area which has evolved since the fall of the wall to become an area full of restaurants, bars and clubs with an artsy side. The area around Boxhagener Platz is particularly vibrant and the square itself is a welcome area of green space. North of the square is Karl Marx Allee. A jewel in the crown of East Berlin when it was constructed in the late 1950s. This incredibly wide boulevard is flanked by apartment blocks and was the scene of military parades. Today it is an opportunity to wonder at some of the functional architecture of the eastern block.

DDR Museum

Almost opposite the Berliner Dom just before you cross onto museum island this small museum explains, by means of a large number of interactive displays, what life was like in the former East Germany. I found the experience to be very good but it was very busy and I would suggest getting here early.

Gedenkstätte Berliner Maur

The Berlin Wall memorial is includes a fully preserved section of the Berlin Wall where you can see the border wall on the western side (nearest in photo) and the inner wall on the eastern side. Between then was the death strip, complete with floodlights and watchtowers. There is an information centre which shows an excellent film in English every hour on the half hour. The nearby documentation centre includes a tower which gives you a view over the area.

There is so much to see and do in Berlin that we couldn’t possibly do it all in just two and a half days. We didn’t have time visit any of the world renown museums on museum island for example. Not to worry though, Berlin is a city that is well worth a revisit in the near future.