Travel

From flea markets to wine museums: the undiscovered side of Bordeaux


Experience urban Bordeaux
Bordeaux has enthusiastically embraced urban regeneration, converting abandoned spaces into art, music and community projects. Kick off with the Darwin Ecosysteme, a sprawling army barracks that now houses an urban farm, artisanal brewery, skatepark, and venues for live music. Stroll along the Garonne river, marvelling at magnificent 18th-century palaces “mirrored” in the world’s largest reflecting pool, Miroir d’Eau. And from summer 2020, experience the Bassins de Lumières, exploring the immense water bunkers of an old Nazi submarine base, immersed in giant projections of Gustav Klimt’s art.

Sample the local markets
The Marché des Capucins, established in 1749, is the belly of Bordeaux and boasts locally produced caviar, charcuterie and around a hundred different cheeses. Head to Chez Jean-Mi, packed with locals jostling for a glass, while tourists vie for a table to feast on plump local oysters. Down the street, enter the vibrant square of Basilique Saint Michel, which transforms, four days a week, into a giant flea market.

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The exterior of the Cité du Vin.



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Tantalise your taste buds
Stay at concept hotel, Eklo, an inexpensive and classy take on the youth hostel, with wooden-clad bunks, private rooms, and a funky bar to have an evening apéro. Wine lovers and kids alike can embark on a sensory and interactive adventure to discover the cultures and civilisations of wine at the Cité du Vin, the swirling glass and metal wine museum stealing the Bordeaux skyline. The tour ends on the rooftop, where you can admire panoramic views of Bordeaux while sipping a glass of wine (or grape juice, if you prefer). Across from the Cité du Vin is new food market, Les Halles de Bacalan, whose vast brasserie serves a cuisine dubbed “démocrachic”: simple terroir recipes made from outstanding organic produce at affordable prices.

Hang out with the locals
The cobbled backstreets of Bordeaux are a food lover’s paradise. Don’t miss Le Petit Commerce, where you can indulge in freshly caught grilled sea bream with a bottle of white Bordeaux. Prefer a wine bar crawl? Check out Vins Urbains for organic wines, and Le Bar à Vin, for everything from bubbly Crémant to Sauternes. Out of town, following the grape trail first planted by the Romans, is Château Lestrille, where winemaker Estelle Roumage runs her sustainable vineyard. She showcases her wine in chic locale, Un Château en Ville, her tasting room and restaurant in the centre of town.

Darwin Ecosysteme.



Grafitti in Bordeaux.



Le Petit Commerce.



Hit the vineyards for a wine tour
In June 2020, the city gives itself over to the Bordeaux Wine Festival, providing a great opportunity to discover more than 80 of the region’s wines. Alternatively, head out on one of five wine routes, detailed on the official Bordeaux Wine Trip website. Drive one hour north through the Médoc peninsula, described as “the wine lover’s equivalent to Route 66”, stopping off at famous wine estate Château Mouton Rothschild, which can be visited by appointment. To the south, on the Graves and Sauternes wine route, is the Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey. Reserve a room, wander the vineyards with a guide or eat at the restaurant, Lalique.

Head upriver on a wine cruise
Let someone else do the work by opting for a river tour along the Garonne or Dordogne. Day trips are magical, but a cruise with CroisiEurope, snaking through Gironde’s estuary, lakes and canals “lets mother nature put on the show”, incorporating châteaux stop offs around Pauillac, a tour of Saint-Émilion, and excursions for bike rides, cheese tastings and glasses of grand cru.

The CroisiEurope cruise ship MS Cyrano de Bergerac.



The city as seen from a cruise.



Escape to the beach
If you have a little longer, follow the locals to a nearby seaside bolthole. Surf in the white-topped waves of Lacanau, or build sandcastles on the supervised beaches at Hourtin. Visit the mammoth Dune du Pilat at Arcachon bay, Europe’s tallest sand dune; the easterly wind changes its height and direction slightly every year. Taste the spoils of nearby oyster farmers, cycling the scenic coastal paths from wild Cap Ferret to the clear blue waters of Pereire.

Start planning your adventure in Bordeaux. From guidance on vineyard tours, to suggestions for arts and culture, find a host of inspiration at uk.france.fr/en/bordeaux

EasyJet flies to Bordeaux from London Gatwick, London Luton, Southend, Belfast, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester. Flights (some seasonal) arrive at and depart from the low-cost Billi terminal.

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