How to Spend a Weekend in Bordeaux, FRANCE
While most people travel to Bordeaux to visit the nearby wineries such as Saint-Emilion, the city itself also has a great array of offerings with plenty of things to explore and see! Only a little less than a 3 hour train ride on the SNCF from Paris, it’s definitely worth a weekend trip or spending an extra day or two to walk around this architecturally beautiful city in the southwest of France.
My vlog on how I spent a weekend in Bordeaux, France
First Impressions
To be completely transparent, my first impressions of Bordeaux within the initial 2 hours were not so great! I was starving, hence, hangry - but also the streets were so empty and quiet! The city seemed dead. Furthermore, we went down a wrong street that was filled with graffiti and broken windows, and we were just 7 minutes walking distance from downtown aka supposedly not a sketchy part of Bordeaux. Obviously, that made me even more sketched out!
And I’m sure the following is a France thing, not just a Bordeaux thing, but because I was starving, it was this awkward time period between lunch and dinner time in the late afternoon, SO MANY restaurants were not even open! The few that were open did not serve actual lunch or dinner menus and only had snacks available. I was so dejected and annoyed by that point, which made my impression of Bordeaux even worse!
Luckily, my mood and overall experience took an upward turn once I found a restaurant that served comforting enough “aperitif” with wine….and after the entire 24 hour experience in Bordeaux for the first time, I have to say, it is quite a charming city indeed.
Panoramic view of Bordeaux with Basilique Saint-Michel and Grosse Cloche in the Backdrop <3
Moving on to the Itinerary!
We arrived around 3pm in Bordeaux from Paris on a Sunday and left around 4pm on Monday, so technically it’s 24 hours in Bordeaux. But since we stayed one night, it helped us break down the points of interest. Here’s what I recommend if you are spending one or more days in Bordeaux!
My curated list of points of interest were based on both the Lonely Planet and Michelin Guides. All within walking distance! We did end up taking an uber from a few points to another but it is totally not necessary. We just got lazy :P
Day 1
Arriving early in the afternoon from Paris, we took a leisure walk around Bordeaux and took 2 breaks in between to grab drinks and food (because obviously that’s one of the best things to do while in France!)
Place de la Bourse
One of the signature spots in Bordeaux, the Place de la Bourse is a must and also a great spot to begin the exploration. It’s also a spot that’s worth walking through more than once as the scenery is very different during the day when compared to the night. During the day, there are many parents with kids, especially near the fountains. The wet flooring also creates a magnificent reflection of the rows of buildings in front. At night, the romantic view of the Garrone with Pont de Pierre and other bridges gives a completely different ambiance.
Grande Theatre de Bordeaux
This Greek architecture inspired theatre sits magnificently within 450m from Place de la Bourse. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited so we only got to see the exterior.
Front entrance of Grand Theatre, Bordeaux
L’Eglise Notre-Dame de Bordeaux
Bordeaux is home to a plethora of churches built throughout different time periods and influenced under varying architectural styles. The Eglise Notre-Dame de Bordeaux is a relatively smaller church under the Baroque style that began construction in 1684 and finished in 1707.
L’Eglise de Notre-Dame, Bordeaux, France
Jardin Public
A gorgeous public garden with walking paths, open grass area for picnics, and a botanical garden. Beautifully landscaped, the park was built in 1746. We spent about a little more than an hour in this park just walking around and taking in its lush greenery and serenity!
Le Palais Gallien
Upon finishing exploring Jardin Public, head back towards downtown Bordeaux in the direction of Place de La Bourse. The Palais Gallien will be on the way. Remnants of a Roman coliseum, the Palais Gallien is much smaller than I imagined and hidden in a very residential street.
Remnants of Palais Gallien, Bordeaux, France
“mystery stolen from history, for it was neither a palace nor was it home to Emperor Gallienus. Instead it was the amphitheater of Roman Burdigala - the city’s Coliseum. Some 15,000 people would regularly squeeze into it, to cheer on the gladiators as they wrestled with wild beasts. But at the end of the 3rd century, the curtain of oblivion came down, with brick and rubble stone taking over. Formerly believed to date from the Severan dynasty (193-235 AD), it is now thought to have been built during the first century in the year of our Lord.”
-Official Plaque at Palais Gallien
Basilique Saint-Seurin de Bordeaux
I wasn’t kidding when I say Bordeaux is home to many architecturally diverse churches! According to legends, the basilica is built on top of a Christian metropolis that goes back as early as the 4th century CE and named after Saint Severinus, who arrived in Bordeaux during the same era.
Basilique Saint-Seurin de Bordeaux, France
Backview of Basilique Saint-Seurin de Bordeaux, France
Place Saint Pierre
End the day with Place de Saint Pierre, a plaza in the Old Town of Bordeaux where it’s surrounded by restaurants! It’s a great place to grab a drink and food before heading back to the hotel for the day.
Day 2
The day will begin with a nice pleasant walk through the old cobble stoned streets of Bordeaux with a stop around noon for brunch! This day will also be filled with varying architectural styles of ancient churches.
Eglise Sainte-Croix (Church of the Holy Cross)
A Roman Catholic Church that was constructed in the late 11th century, this Romanesque architecture style church was built on the former site of a Benedictine abbey founded in the 7th century.
I absolutely adored the stone carvings and statues on the facade of the entrance wall. Stunning handiwork!
Magnificent stonework at the Eglise Sainte-Croix (Church of the Holy Cross), Bordeaux, France
Basilique Saint-Michel
One of the most famous landmarks in Bordeaux, the basilica along with its clock tower is a Gothic styled Roman Catholic Church in Bordeaux. Supposedly, there was a crypt that housed over 60 mummies that were on exhibition from the late 18th century until 1979!
You can purchase a ticket to climb the tower but we resorted to doing that at the Cathedral de Saint Andre instead.
Basilique Saint Michel with a glimpse of the market in Place Meynard, Bordeaux, France
Place Meynard
The Place Meynard is the plaza in which St.Michel Basilica sits. The plaza often hosts markets. There was a clothing and shoe market going on when we visited. They were selling sneakers (not sure if it was second hand or knockoffs) for $10 euros!
*tip: There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants around the plaza, which is a great spot to grab lunch and drinks; and of course, people watch. We ended up going to Chez Therese for brunch and my goodness! Probably one of my favorite meals of this trip! The ingredients were so fresh and prices were really reasonable. Highly recommend it.
Place Meynard where Basilique Saint-Michel sits, Bordeaux, France
Grosse Cloche de Bordeaux
Another signature landmark of the city, the Grosse Cloche (Big Clock) is about 550m from St. Michel Basilica! You know I had to take a touristy photo with it! :) Reminds me of Zurich.
The Famous Grosse Cloche (Big Ass Clock! Okay not the actual name…) Bordeaux, France
Cathedral Saint-Andre (St. Andrews Cathedral)
900 meters west is the other ultimate landmark of Bordeaux, the Cathedral Saint-Andrew. Interestingly, like St.Michel, it is also built in the flamboyant Gothic architecture and comes with its own clock tower.
*tip: Definitely book an appointment online and climb this magnificent clock tower for a panoramic view of Bordeaux! It’s 332 somewhat steps but completely worth it!
We got super lucky because I wasn’t aware we had to book in advance - but fortunately, the lady at the ticket counter was very friendly and made an exception since she had capacity up on the tower.
Front facade of Cathedral Saint-Andre (St. Andrews Cathedral), Bordeaux, France
Cathedral Saint-Andre (St. Andrews Cathedral), Bordeaux. Absolutely stunning!
Clock Tower of Cathedral Saint-Andre (St. Andrews Cathedral) - highly recommend buying the ticket to climb on top for a panoramic view of Bordeaux!
View of Cathedral Saint-Andre (St. Andrews Cathedral) from the top of its Clock Tower
Place des Quinconces
Almost skipped out on this but I am so glad I did not! The elongated rectangular plaza is home to the magnificent Monument aux Girondins which is a grandiose 360-degree fountain. Absolutely stunning and I cannot think of a better way to conclude our short stay in Bordeaux with such a breathtaking structure!
Gorgeous Monument aux Girondins at Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux, France
Monument aux Girondins at Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux, France
Getting Brandenburg Vibes from this Magnificent Fountain Monument at Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux, France!
One of the entrances to Place des Quinconces, Bordeaux, France
Although there were a number of other things on our list we didn’t get to do next time, I can definitely see Bordeaux as a place that I need to go back to! Especially to explore the wineries next time.
Reflections of Place de La Bourse, Bordeaux, France
